I have a high tolerance for technical stuff, but quite honestly I am overwhelmed by the *arr tools. I have never been able to understand exactly what they each do, how to make them work together, and what the prerequisites are, e.g. a Usenet account.

I have no opinion of them, but I’m curious why advertising would imply untrustworthiness. Are you saying they’re too eager or something? Spending money on ads is also consistent with a company that’s making money by charging for a service — I’d be more suspicious of free VPNs.