AST is stuck inbetween being the least played healer outside of raiding being a much better healer than WHM.

However, WHM is way way more popular than AST. There are reasons for this.

1. Perceived difficulty. At the end of the day, all healers are easy to play. Although I will agree to some degree that AST is more difficult to play, because that's because there's a lot to keep track off with no real connection between the abilities like the cards. WHM is the "easy" healer because it's kit has no depth whatsoever. I love me some WHM to turn off my brain, but the job is just basic in comparison.

2. WHM is a legacy job. WHM is the iconic healer job so of course people feel more attached to it since a lot of FF titles have characters in the WHM archetype.

Do I think AST should be buffed? No, because the job isn't weak. At the beginning of the expac yes, then they buff their numbers to compensate which only leads to more "AST is broken, do something SE!"

AST's main issue for me is how disjointed the job can be. The multiple timers on healing skills are fine but every expansion has destroyed and dumbed down the gimmick of the job, cards. We went from spread AoE, enhanced cards to building up for Divination, to just throwing them out whenever they come up. The cards mean less and less to the job's kit even though it's a huge part of its lore and aesthetic.