You're right. You don't have to use snaps. Ubuntu migrates packages slowly in behalf of you.

Using apt to install some packages installs snap plumbing and downloads the package as a snap automatically. You don't have to install it manually.

There's no malicious intent though, it's made to "impose a positive pressure on the snap team to produce better work and keep their quality high" (paraphrased, but this was the official answer).