How do I get iWork / iMovie / Garage Band free of charge?
You probably purchased your MacBook Pro used, in which case the “free” downloads were redeemed to the original owner’s Apple ID. This would explain why you still had to pay for those apps.

Fortunately, starting April 18, 2017, Apple has made iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and Keynote free for everybody. This should take care of what was a very common source of confusion among customers.


  Previously, all of these apps were provided for free to customers who purchased a new Mac or iOS device, but now that purchase is not required to get the software. 


Here are the direct App Store links:


Pages for macOS / iOS
Numbers macOS / iOS
Keynote for macOS / iOS
iMovie for macOS / iOS
GarageBand for macOS / iOS


(Note: You sometimes need to provide a credit card or gift card balance to set up an Apple ID for Store use, even for “free” downloads.)

If you recently purchased those apps, you may be able to receive a refund by contacting Apple Support.