You’re stating exactly what I did in a long winded manner. There is clear proof that multiple vpns at the moment are not logging sensitive information and that some are.
So to state blanketly that paying for a service is less private, than not, is incorrect. There is more nuance to it than that. Which is all that I was pointing out.
Tor/I2p is what you add on top if you want anonymity, which can still expose you on an exit node if you’re: sending sensitive information, using a device connected to you, or using a static IP address.
It has some theoretical advantages over tor/i2p, but it’s still too early to really tell how well it matches up.