I've not really done enough with "real" photography to have strong opinions on this, but Aftershot (which was included in a Humble Bundle a few years ago) has been ok for the stuff I used it for.

I've been using Exposure for many years, but it seems like it might be dying/dead - they haven't released an update in a long time, YT and social media accounts are quiet etc.

If you're using a Mac, the new Nitro from gentlemancoders seems quite good. I haven't made the leap yet though because it's missing file/library management and layers.

I've been quite happy with my switch to Capture One. They offer subscription and one-off purchases. I haven't seen the need to upgrade since my initial purchase. The Capture ONE RAW engine also seems to produce better results for my Fuji than Lightroom.