Back when compilers cost money, I had no problem as a $40K/year programmer paying >$200 for the latest edition annually.
It really is about security. You have to ID yourself to get in. If you write malware, Apple has a kill switch they can enable to kill all your apps everywhere, and law enforcement has at least the start of a trail to follow.
I really want Windows to switch to this model! I cringe every time I download an unsigned installer. Even Free Software (Free as in Freedom) developers manage to pay for a cert.