The UI is garbage. It's like GIMP. I'm more than happy to pay for software especially when it has a well designed (user first) UI. It is not only the UI, it is the UX generally. It's weird and nerdy and thinks it must be "better" somehow.
In fact being free software means anyone can jump in and change the UI to work for you. Even for pay…
Other than that, it's been really handy on many occasions.
Saving to various formats is still done through transient dialogs including format specific settings just like you are describing.
But letting me intetact with the document alongside the export settings (vs being in window behind popout dialogue) just seems so much more intuitive.
I've been using inkscape for years to generate vectors for plotting and laser cutting/engraving and while it has come a long way with quality of life features, it's always been able to get the job done for me.
Yeah it's a decent piece of software once you get used to the idiosyncrasies, just like Gimp.