alt Hacker NewsAPI prices are the new normal. I doubt that prices will drop to the level of the subsidized subscriptions any time soon. Usage is growing exponentially but capacity cannot. There is no reason for them to waste their capacity on subscription users if they can sell that same capacity to API users.
Like with Uber and Lyft, the low prices were a fight for market share, but now they have successfully captured that market share the focus changes to balancing their books.
I suspect subscriptions will stay. But you will see more and more roadblocks that the 'barely goes to the gym' user barely notices, but that the power user will chafe under.
I make that prediction, because the people who pay for subscriptions but only use them moderately at best are truly profitable.