Google Photos is becoming unusable

With the new restrictions to storage and limiting the features to Google one subscribers, I realized that any edits to the photo make it an unusable resolution (even cropping and rotating, and saving). It didn't use to be like that. I understand their need to monetize but their practices are making me skeptical. Do you think there is an alternative?

Just pay for the service. All the photo bs I had to deal with is gone instantly. My wife just takes pics and they are safe. Well worth the money for me.

And not only that, I get beautiful alerts every few days about generated collages and reminders of older pictures.

It showed me a collage of my three kids - spaced two years apart. It detected my three kids in two pics and made a collage!