I think that ultimately we should all use what works for ourselves. If Linux Mint does it for you but not Zorin OS, I support that decision. Thanks for trying it out, and don't let this bittersweet experience stop you from doing the same with other Linux distributions if you have a chance to do so, there's a whole world out there.
The mix and match of software sources has been the focus of a lot of debate, in this forum and in the Linux community in general. Flatpak, Snap, AppImages... they are all good technologies to have around but they are quite different to what most are used to and expect from it, and inevitably create friction.
There are ways to remove Flatpak and Snap from Zorin OS and plenty of people around here do exactly that. I'm pretty sure Linux Mint also does this, leaving the option to enable this explicitly for those who understand it and actually need the latest version possible of each software (which, as we've seen repeatedly, this isn't always a good thing).
Anyway, I would suggest checking back when Zorin OS 17 Lite is released. This version works on the XFCE desktop environment and a lot of folks prefer it over Gnome. Despite what the name may suggest, it's not less capable in any way.
Cheers!