For your situation, I’ve used both and honestly, Godox is just way better value for the money. I had a 90D and was torn too, but Canon’s native Speedlites are like, triple the price for basically the same features. If you need HSS for those outdoor shots, the Godox V860III-C Speedlite for Canon is a beast. The lithium battery is a total game changer cuz you aren't constantly swapping AAs mid-shoot. If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, the Godox TT685II-C Flash for Canon is a solid budget choice. It still has the TTL and HSS you need, just uses AAs instead. I think the TTL performance on Godox has gotten reallyyy reliable lately... maybe not 100% as perfect as a Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT, but definitely close enough for most of us. Ngl, I’d grab the Godox and spend the savings on a nice lens or something haha. good luck!

Totally agree!! TTL saves so much time. Ngl the Godox TT350C Mini Thinklite TTL Flash is actualy amazing, the TTL is spot on for a budget HSS solution!!

I went through this last year! Besides the Godox V860III-C mentioned, I’ve used these: - Godox TT685II-C: Solid budget choice using standard AAs.
- Godox V1-C: Faster recycle times and a round head. Both handled HSS on my 90D like a champ... the TTL was literally spot on and I’m super happy with the performance for the price!!

Exactly what I was thinking

tbh I totally agree with the others about not needing to spend a fortune on the official Canon gear. I’m still a beginner and I was super cautious about it at first—like, I didn’t wanna break my hot shoe or mess up the electronics by using a different brand. But basically any decent third-party flash from a brand like Godox is gonna work great with the 90D without the scary price tag. It makes learning DIY lighting way more approachable than having to hire a pro to take photos for you, you know? It’s kinda fun trying to figure it out yourself. Just make sure whatever you get is definitely the Canon-compatible version and you're good. Is it hard to get the HSS working right for those outdoor shots though? I’m still kinda figuring that part out myself... anyway... TL;DR: Go with a reputable third-party brand like Godox. It’s way more affordable for learning the DIY route and perfectly safe for your camera.

I spent a lot of time overthinking this when I got my 90D. Eventually I just bit the bullet on a third-party kit that came with a wireless trigger. Honestly, the satisfaction of getting HSS to work perfectly without spending five hundred bucks was a huge win for me. I use my current setup for almost every outdoor shoot now and it just works... no complaints at all about the TTL accuracy. What I learned is that you really dont need to stay in the brand ecosystem to get great results. I started doing more DIY lighting setups with cheap umbrellas and honestly the flash I have handles it all perfectly. It has been a solid way to learn lighting without the stress of gear regret later on. Just make sure whatever you get has a decent lithium battery because swapping AAs is a total pain when youre in a flow.