I use Odysee and Peertube where possible but yeah they're somewhat awkward, and the biggest thing I typically miss is the comments. As awful as most Youtube comments are, the critical mass is there, if you're looking for a quick link to something in the video, the summary that the author should've included but didn't, the correction where the author was wrong, or something else of actual value, chances are whatever it is you're trying to find somewhere on the top heap of Youtube comments. As with most social media, the value is not in the service itself, it's in the community. Steering that community towards somewhere where it will actually be appreciated is a herculean task when someone has to be the pioneers and live in that desert and put in the work to prepare it for the ones who will come after them.