For comparison, my code signing cert via Azure (no Microsoft store account required, can be used to self-publish binaries/installers the old fashion way) is $10/month, or about a third of the price Sectigo is charging you. I figured it was worth trying this route first, though I had to write my own basic tooling around it.

> it's a good price for freedom

For a freedom you didn't have to pay for at all? Why accept this absurdity?