Cloudant recently changed its pricing structure [1] (via IBM Bluemix) which should significantly reduce the cost of continuous replication - that may be worth a look if the current model is problematic.
[1] https://developer.ibm.com/bluemix/2016/07/26/cloudant-public...
Of course there is loads more, but this is the stuff that keeps us devs going.
Yes, the server probably runs CouchDB, but it could also be Cloudant or CouchBase etc. None of what is mentioned there is a USP of CouchDB itself.
That doesn't mean it's the best technology but it got me using it. It has been an enjoyable enough experience, not a lot of complaints. A better querying interface and the addition of an update operation would go a long way but those both seem to be included with this release.
I might even prefer it.
BTW, you are spot on about continuous replication. Try using continuous replication on Cloudant and you will end up with a fat bill.