Leo have experimented with ads and I think peakd are too for non-Hivers. The dapps have to find ways to fund themselves. It is in their interest to attract more users.

I like Mastodon, but you depend on whoever runs your instance. I don't plan to run my own as that is extra work I don't need. I've not looked at Bluesky yet and don't really want to take on another platform. I've been on lots and seen several die from lack of income or through Google getting bored with them. I hope Hive is here to stay.