Why does creating a companion cost more than it used to?

Every plan includes a number of published companions. Once you have filled them all, you can still create more, but each one costs extra — the creation screen says so before you start and shows the exact price. Deleting a companion you no longer use frees a slot and puts the price back to normal, and upgrading your plan raises the number of slots. Editing a companion you have already published is always free.