Are there any better alternatives?

Nothing brings together all of the features of the ROG Strix Flare II Animate, but a few keyboards get close:

　　$200 Razer Huntsman V2 — The closest competitor to the ROG Strix Flare II Animate with a pleather wrist rest and 8,000Hz polling rate, but lacks hot-swappable key switches.$150 Logitech G Pro X keyboard — Comes with hot-swappable key switches, but limited to a tenkeyless design and lacking media or function buttons.$230 Corsair K100 RGB — Packed with extra macro buttons and better software, and matches the ROG Strix Flare II Animate with a faux leather wrist rest. However, it still lacks hot-swappable key switches.

How long will it last?

Until the LEDs give out. With hot-swappable switches at the ready, you could continue to give new life to the ROG Strix Flare II Animate for as long as you can buy key switches.

　　

Should you buy it?

Yes. The ROG Strix Flare II is the gaming keyboard endgame. At the start of 2022, there isn’t another keyboard that does everything this one does. It’s expensive, but even similarly priced rivals can’t top what Asus is offering.