COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - first time posting

The COBRA quote for my family is $550 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I saw that marketplace plans might cost less. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Check what the notice says about the election period and when coverage starts. Mine allowed a short window to choose.

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.