Neue Haas Grotesk was revived to restore the small details lost from Helvetica, so if you aren't very particular you may as well use the easily-available Helvetica. There's plenty of more interesting typefaces than Neue Haas Grotesk or Helvetica though.
I don't think I'm ever going to pay for it, to be honest. And besides, it isn't open and so I don't want it anyway.
Lots of things are hard. But I block ads and get them for free anyway.