Paying for an account isn't really a bad thing, you're not really paying for the account, you're basically purchasing enough Steem to make the account fully functional without having to wait for any to be delegated or given to you.
I went through Anonsteem for a recent secondary account and the fee seemed to give me Steem at market rate with a very tiny surcharge perhaps. The account started with about 20 Steem, currently valued at about $45 USD. 
I can understand the stigma of people "buying before trying" but these services are definitely on the level.