I think an emerging topic is which GRIB vendors are used and how.  We have PW, GFS, CMC, Great Circle, you name it, write a cheque and it is yours  .... and of course, many sell other's products.
Some are free, some rather less (more?) than that.  I have a generous owner, but economic cost is only one consideration.  The other is one's own time and effort, because none of this wealth of data comes without its own rules and paradigms.  No doubt there is also a geographical perspective; my major interest is the east coast of Australia, is this a different conversation on the Great Lakes?