You can subscribe to official CDLCs on the Steam Workshop and join multiplayer servers that use them. While you can use the weapons and gear, you will see in-game watermarks and face restrictions like only being able to be a passenger in vehicles unless you own the DLC.
Sites like Instant Gaming or G2A often sell Steam keys for the Apex edition at discounted rates. System Requirements for Arma 3 Apex download-arma-3-apex-pc-game-full-version-free
The game and its expansions, like Apex, frequently go on sale with discounts up to 75% off . You can subscribe to official CDLCs on the
