Hi Nick--
In about 2019. Nearly all WheresTheGig features are available regardless of subscription status. A few of the advanced features (like member availability) require a subscription after a six month "assessment period" where all features are available. This is to allow bands to become familiar with the features so they can decide whether they wish to subscribe.
My main motivation in creating WheresTheGig is to provide the best service to our community. Subscriptions help to cover infrastructure costs (server hosting, SSL certificates, SMS distribution service costs, etc) and support existing feature improvements and new features. They are very low cost (like two Starbucks per month), and very much appreciated.
All my best,
--Ethan