I used pods exclusively for a couple of years when my daily driver was a 2010 Frigidaire front-loader and I loved them. Tried every brand on the market. The Frigidaire did not tumble a lot before water was added, so didn't have problems with undissolved pods or pods migrating to the boot. Tide and All did the best job in soft water. Never had to use two pacs/pods. On their own, they don't remove stains as well as Tide "Plus Bleach Alternative" (powder) or Tide "Ultra Stain Release" (liquid), but never had a problem with heavily-stained kitchen whites when the Sanitize cycle (with its gradually heated water) was used in conjunction with 1/4 cup of Clorox.
The Maytag 8100 came along in 2015 with its auto-dosing cartridge which was even more convenient than pods, so Tide Ultra Stain Release and Persil ProClean 2-in-1 liquids became the detergents of choice. They both receive an overall score of 82 in Consumer Reports' tests and are at the top of their ratings list. (Tide and All pods receive a very respectable 71. Standard Persil and Tide liquids receive a 74.)
In July 2017, I acquired a Speed Queen 9-series top-loader. I'm using Tide Ultra Stain Release and Persil ProClean 2-in-1 (liquids) and Rosalie's Zero Suds (powder).
To save soft water with the water hog SQ, (I have a Culligan tank that is switched out every two weeks, so have to be careful not to use more water than the tank can soften) I generally begin a load by selecting the Heavy Duty cycle to get a true warm or hot wash fill, then cancel and switch to the Normal Eco cycle which employs an aggressive spray rinse (SQ's description) that saves a lot of soft water.
Bath towels, which tend to hang on to suds, are washed in (powdered) Rosalie's Zero Suds. Works great with the eco spray rinse.
My Advice To Everyone: Use whatever brand and format (pod/liquid/powder) you want to for whatever reasons you have.