One of the first people I turned to when my husband first admitted he had a problem (but before detox) is a dear friend who has been sober 30 years without AA. He is not a dry drunk but made it clear that his path would not work for everyone. He also has an incredible friend who has been sober as long with AA. For my friend, some of the stuff that worked for him is probably not in line with AA (he says his love for his family keeps him sober, which I'm given to believe from my husband is something AA doesn't condone and if I'm wrong, I apologize) but other stuff very much is - he recognized his behavior had to change beyond just drinking. And he continues to challenge himself to be a better person physically, mentally, spiritually, etc.
As far as my husband goes, he'll tell you that personally he needs AA. He doesn't believe everything that AA teaches, but it has given him a lot of insight into what made him drink and how he was when he drank. I think his interaction with his sponsor helps him a ton as well.