A: No. The developer (THS) offers no free version. Any website offering a standalone download is either fake or distributing malware. The $7 price on Steam is a one-time purchase for lifetime updates, including all betas.
If you'd like, I can look for for this version or help you troubleshoot artifacting in a particular game. Download Lossless Scaling v2.5.0.1.Beta.2
After downloading, head straight to the dropdown. Try the new "FSR 2.1 (Experimental)" mode on a game running at 720p on a 1080p screen. The difference in UI clarity is night and day compared to standard bilinear filtering. including all betas. If you'd like