CO in my view is the only image editing tool created with "Grading" idea in mind. Colour correction control is amazing. Actually is the best software for photography, the only setback is €349.00 price. :) But LR is €144 per year, so..
My workflow is Fast Raw Viewer for organising and metadata, RAWTherapee for raw processing and Affinity Photo for final touches. Total cost: FRW - 20EUR / RAWTherapee - free/ Affinity Photo - 50EUR - Total: 70 EUR and no strings attached:)
If you only shoot with one camera (or your stable of cameras are all the same brand), you can get a single-platform version of Capture One for $130. Capture One is only super expensive if you need RAW interpreters for multiple camera brands.
