I try to buy a license whenever possible. But it's not always available; sometimes, due to the publisher's policy, only cracked versions are accessible. And yes, I often choose free products by default. Paid ones simply have better advertising, but in reality, they are often not much more convenient than free ones, and sometimes they are even worse. Instead of Photoshop, I use Paint.net; instead of Microsoft Office, I use an open-source alternative, and that's it – no problems with using pirated software.