https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/

Seems like you're referring to Wordpress.com, which is their hosted, an all-in-one solution.

If you self-host WordPress, like the wordpress.org version, you will have a much better time - but you need to be able to maintain and look after everything yourself. I've never had any upset, but some plugins WILL be freemium and will bug you to get the paid version or subscription.

I feel you. This is one of the main reasons I quit doing freelance web design, hate WP with a passion and everyone was using it.

I think the takeaway is wordpress.com is NOT at all the same as wordpress.

I don't know where to start. I get that you're mad, but you're also just... You clearly dont know what you're doing. And that's okay. But that's like sucking at a videogame and blaming the controller.

WordPress is excellent. It's only downside is that they present large attack surface areas, but that's only because they e made it so easy to hobble together all kinds of plugins to get your site to do anything.

From the sounds of your post, you dont like the theme you're using. Maybe try a different theme. Or maybe you should switch to the classic editor? Idk.

You only have to pay for things you opt not to do yourself. That's it. WordPress is free and open source.

To be blunt: it's a skill issue.

What you moaning about? It works like a charm.

What do you recommend?

I fucking hate wordpress. I get assigned a simple task to implement something on some page and find out that the code I need to edit isn't in a Git repo, but instead it's in a basic textbox buried somewhere in a page template. The code is stored in a database instead of version control because the people who built the site don't know any better.

Wordpress.com sites are trash.

Wordpress as a CMS otherwise is fine.

Yes, you need to use Oxygen Builder, Divi, or Elementor to WYSIWYG effectively.

Yes you need to have daily backups and a security tool like Wordfence or WPMUDev's Defender.

But it works, its easy to build and migrate, it integrates with everything you want it to, and the content creation and management is super simple for an end user to manage. You can also get support for it from everywhere and anywhere at this point.

Reality: Everything sucks and you have to adapt and adjust to bullshit on any and every CMS you work with.

Improvise, adapt and overcome, OP. WordPress, like any other tool, is only as bad as the person using it. Look at it as an opportunity to learn a new skill.