To me, nothing compares to well-done beautiful hand embroidery. I can do stumpwork, hardanger, candlewicking, and all types of hand embroidery stitching. I belong to the Embroidery Guild and find the work fun but can be tedious and long to finish a project.
I have an embroidery machine that quickly does beautiful embroidery work.
Each discipline has it's own attributes and down-falls and depends on finished product desired.
The investment in an embroidery machine can be never-ending. Hand embroidery can be as well if you invest in silk, linen, batiste, etc. fabrics and then thread: silks, wools, cottons, etc. Each project can require something different. Then there are hoops, stands, lights, needles, and the list goes on.
It is all individual preference, cost, and the preferred outcome... imho