I'm gonna have to disagree. Flashing custom roms nowadays include too many variables. There're ext roms then there are non-ext. Some require their own recovery some can work with twrp. Developers aren't helpful. Installation information is vague. There's no real testing done so first people who install it have to report like camera isn't working. Developers on the other hand falsely claim that everything is working.
What google updates? Developers usually abandon it in a few months. Pixel roms, even though they are smooth, are downgrade compared oneui or miui. They miss out on a lot basic functionality. Plus Google Pixels themselves have big security holes. We can expect such bug get followed in custom pixel roms and not really getting fixed. Google security updates are a placebo jokes.
TWRP is outdated long back, its now only OrangeFox. Installation steps/info. is 99% same for all roms unless specified.
Devs only offer support on telegram group, if nobody knows, 60% xda has migrated to telegram due to devs offering live support there.
Choose a rom by revising its recent or entire history, how often is it updated etc.
And at one end if you say roms are a downgrade compared to others/stock and google security updates are a placebo jokes then here no one can help not even google. No point blaming these 3rd party devs.
They are the one who offer you all latest bells and whistles when the official updates cease/discontinued by the brand and even when you want to use the yesteryears phone today it struggles and isnt compatible.
When you say google itself is a joke then nothing can get perfect beyond it!
It is still not meant for everyone. You would always be dependant on the developers/maintainers which is completely different compared to the OEM. Unlike an OEM, this is not their primary job and if they abandon it, then you are done. Plus there would be scenarios where some or the other banking app may not work. Do you think you will get any support for those edge cases ?
Oems will dump your phone in 2 years and esp they f*ck up your phone badly with the lat update forcing you to buy another phone. No matter how precisely you maintain your beloved phone, you have to let it go for peanuts in exchange policy! While on custom roms you can keep using the latest OS until the last dev. dies or the earth officially abandons your phone or your phone dies!
Banking app issues only occur when rooting isnt done properly else there's hadrly any reason for them to not work.
All these are words from a custom rom user since a decade!
Except for magisk (since last yr when magisk started having safetynet issues) have never actually suffered or struggled! Rest its ones choice.
Unlocking the bootloader is still a messy process on most of the devices.
For MI etc. its officially supported by the brand itself.
Messy only for samsung may be.