Finally gave up googling and decided to ask people with real experience.
What bothers me most is how hard it is to find real, unfiltered opinions. Forums like this are honestly more useful than any best-of list I've found.
Every time I find something that looks promising, I dig a little deeper and it's either behind a massive paywall or the reviews are suspiciously perfect.
Any input is appreciated, positive or a warning — both are useful at this point.