Never tried GDE. Won't try an app that I'm not sure about that I have to pay for, because I usually like to get them more than 24 hours of tinkering and trying out.
However, if it'd help you decide at all,
Discussions - Home++ Issues | Google Groups may give you some insight into common issues that people are having or have had with home++, as well as a thread titled "Your Home++ setup" where a few of us have uploaded screenshots [a feature of Home++] of our desktops. Mine's totally different now, but at least they give an idea of ways you can set yours up if you decide to give it a try.
One VERY common issue people have with Home++ is widgets. For them to work properly in home++, you must remove them from your stock screen so they're only running in one place. This fixes most people's widget problems.
I've tried just about every home replacement that offered a free/lite/trial version and have also returned to stock a few times as well as running the 2.1 launcher for a little while, but I always end up missing the "powerstrip" at the bottom of the screen in home++. It keeps useful apps at the bottom of EVERY screen, so you don't have to scroll through them to get to where you put your phone icon, browser icon, etc.
The dev promises that it will eventually be FULLY customizable.
[Yes, the Home++ Issues Group was the first Droid-related forum I became REALLY active in...]
If you have any specific questions about Home++, I'd be glad to answer them to the best of my knowledge.