Do free options of Zero trust software work well?

I’ve been looking into zero-trust software lately, especially free tools that could work for small or growing teams. I’m seeing a lot of conversations about whether free versions actually provide enough protection or if they’re more suited just for early testing.

For those who’ve used free zero-trust platforms, how did they hold up once more people or apps were added? Did you stick with the free plan or eventually have to move to a paid version?