Almost no one actually buys Windows as a standalone product. If you purchase a new PC from HP, Dell, Acer, etc it comes with it. If you have a Win10 PC or license then Win11 is a free upgrade. The are even several Microsoft 365 SKUs that come with Win11 licensing.

You can literally d/l it direct from Microsoft and run it without a license; you just have to deal with a small licensing message and a few inconveniences in the UI.

The only people buying it as a standalone seem to be business idjust who went to a store and bought a retail PC with Win11 Home that then find out they need Pro in order to Entra join / AD join the hardware. Those people deserve what they pay so I have no sympathy for them.