To answer the initial question – no technically World of Warcraft isnt free-to-play. The Starter Edition of World of Warcraft is available for anyone that has a Blizzard Account. It gives you access to the full universe of WoW, but it stops you from leveling your character past level 20.

What is the free version of World of Warcraft?

The Starter Edition is a free version of World of Warcraft. It allows gamers to try out the game before they buy it. It comes with limitations on the content you can play and does not allow you to level your character above level 20.