JetBlue gate upgrades… are they ever complimentary?

I’ve had friends on other airlines say they’ve asked at the gate about open seats up front and occasionally been moved for free.

Tried that on JetBlue the other day. The agent said there were seats open in the front cabin, but quoted me a price and said I’d have to pay. I didn’t even realize they could process paid upgrades right there at the gate.

Was I misunderstanding how this works? Or is JetBlue just not the type of airline that does complimentary gate upgrades unless you have status or a specific fare?

Curious what the actual norm is here.