If you're having longevity issues with your external cup bottom brackets (regardless of the brand), check out your frame. You probably need to have your bottom bracket shell faced. Of the bikes I ride that have external cup bottom brackets there are 2 mountain bikes (both shimano), 1 road bike (Sram), one cyclocross race bike (Sram), one gravel endurance bike (Shimano), one track bike (with Omniums and stock bottom bracket). No longevity or durability issues, but all have had proper frame prep done before being built up.
Sram and Shimano external cup bottom brackets have a fair amount of bearing seal drag when new, but you can't really feel it unless you're spinning the cranks while the bike is on the work stand. The bearing seals break in and the cranks spin very smoothly after that. It's a pretty well-designed and reliable setup, IMO. That being said, I've got a couple of bikes with square taper cranks, one with Octalink, and one with a PF30. No complaints with any of those systems either.