I use both, depending on what applications I am trying to support.
If the applications you are trying to support require the Linux AX.25 stack, then Basil's scripts and setup are the better solution. This tends to be a lot of historical applications for Keyboard to Keyboard, BBS, IP over AX.25, AX.25 over IP, ... and can also support newer applications in the Winlink and APRS world.
However, direwolf, in addition to being the modem can support many functions without the
And you can install either LinBPQ or JNOS to do packet without the complexity of dealing with the Linux AX.25 stack. (Not saying that LinBPQ or JNOS are less complex....)