The problem is that Google Photos is so good, there is nothing out there for free with the same offering. ICloud is extremely limited compared to it without paying ( remember not every one lives in the US and $5 can be a lot of money )
It's understandable that 5$ is a lot to some people. Yet at the same time I hope you do understand the realities of what it costs to take even 15 minutes of a support person's time - how much service can you expect for free or 5$ a month?