What you get with Oracle is support that nobody else matches, so it makes sense that they get their money from maintenance. The database software doesn't have an install or runtime license. if you ever need to call tech support a human answers when the phone rings and you get routed to a person who can answer questions and solve your problem without a script. Turnaround for bug fixes is a few days. The documentation is excellent. Sure, it's always possible to go with someone else to save money, as long as you're OK with getting what you pay for.