On one point I agree with you. The way this was handled, taking an existing plugin instead of developing an original solution, is problematic. That said, I am probably among the few developers who do not favor ACF.
Two of the features that are essential for my work, namely Repeater and Gallery fields, are only available in ACF Pro and only through an annual subscription. I actively use alternatives such as JetEngine, ACPT, MetaBox, and Toolset, all of which I own as unlimited lifetime licenses. ACF does not offer an unlimited lifetime option, and I fundamentally prefer to avoid subscription based licensing.
I work as a freelance web designer and manage a large number of client projects. If I were ever unable to continue my work, my clients would be forced to purchase and manage their own licenses for multiple plugin subscriptions. This is exactly the situation I want to prevent. By using unlimited lifetime licenses, I can ensure that the websites I build continue to function for my clients without ongoing licensing obligations, as long as the website itself remains in use.
If ACF Pro offered an unlimited lifetime license, I would be among the first to purchase it.
Beyond licensing, I also question why these features need to be provided by third party vendors at all. Dynamic data handling is a core requirement for WordPress in modern website development. From my perspective, all functionality currently provided by ACF and ACF Pro should be part of the WordPress core itself rather than sold as paid plugins by external providers. I generally follow the principle of using as few plugins as possible to ensure long term stability and maintainability.
