Software and IP cost viability for home use

Just a correction, the PCIe Hard IP core is free, the Soft IP cores are not. But even devices like the Cyclone IV and Cyclone V which are in the web edition do have hard IP PCIe support.

With regard to the dev kit in the original post, from the reference manual:

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This interface uses the Cyclone IV GX device's PCI Express hard IP block, saving logic resources for the user logic application

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The PCIe connection on that dev kit uses Hard IP, so no need to buy a license for PCIe.