There are more successful programs than AA. The idea that AA is the sole one and the best is a myth.

The issues with the other programs? They tend to be more expensive and harder to access. Poor alcoholics that have hit rock bottom are more likely to go to AA first, since it's free and widely available. The other programs rely on many different types of therapy, including expensive rehab clinics; they might also rely on medical interventions that few without health insurance can afford.

Here's what a lot are missing. AA as the SOLE program has a terrible success rate. If you're relying on AA alone, you're probably going to fail. You should have multiple things going at the same time. Add some Cognitive Behavior Therapy from a 1 on 1 professional addiction therapist into the mix. Maybe even have a Doctor who specializes in addiction put you on Acamprosate and Naltrexone, or something else that helps. There are many things you can add to increase your success rate, and many things that work better than AA alone. Having multiple therapies and seeing a professional can also help you tackle whatever mental or physical illness there is that influenced you to drink in the first place, including the dread personality disorders. AA alone often won't be enough to find and treat something like this.

Personally I think relying on AA alone is foolish, and should only be done if you're too poor to afford adding more. AA should just be a supplement, or at least be supplemented by outside help and other programs. I have nothing against AA, but it has never been, nor ever will be, a magic bullet for the vast majority of alcoholics. Thankfully based on my experience, AA meetings tend to encourage branching out into other therapies, or at least the more realistic ones do so.