"Free as in beer" means that it is something you don't have to pay for; no monetary cost; free=gratis. It does not mean whatever the article is saying and it doesn't mean that you're expected to pay back. See Urban Dictionary[0], Wikipedia[1].

[0]: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Free%20as%20... [1]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/free_as_in_beer