Earlier quoted context omitted.
The OP means that in using https (and being forced to used https) you are also being forced into paying a 'third party' an annual fee just to get a valid certificate. That 'third party' is one of the recognized 'certificate authorities'. But the OPs point is by going https, you don't have a choice, you have to pay the certificate tax.
Letsencrypt provide a really good service. I can recommend the docker image made by linuxserver in particular [0]. Makes Https a (tax free) breeze. [0] https://docs.linuxserver.io/general/swag
Want a NAS box for sharing family files/photos or some other IoT device at home? Just set yourself up some other device to run the docker image, get your self a certificate from LetsEncrypt and then... install it on the NAS box? How does that happen?