It is the only source of your true search performance, and no paid tool replaces it. Third-party rank trackers sample a location and a device; Search Console reports what actually happened, across every query, device and country you appeared in. Its limits are a sixteen-month history, sampled query data, and anonymised long-tail queries that are omitted entirely.
Shared access is also the fairest way to judge an SEO provider. A report drawn from data you can open yourself is verifiable; a screenshot from a rank tracker is a claim. This directory is built on the same principle: listed providers connect their Search Console so their leaderboard position reflects measured performance rather than a pitch.