To clone my SSD, I used MiniTool Partition Wizard. While an OS clone is listed among the app's paid features, I didn't encounter any prompt to upgrade when I used the free version ...

If you're upgrading from an HDD to an SSD, make the most of the extra speed it offers by setting the SSD as your boot drive.

Today, there is a lot of cloning from a hard drive to a solid state drive (SSD) because the hard drive is many years old or it is time to upgrade storage capacity. SSDs are the modern technology.