Cost

Less expensive

More expensive

Variability in length

Cut any length from 120 ft roll

Available in 8 ft and 12 ft lengths

Waste

None, cut to length on site

Trimmed ends are waste

Ease of cutting

Cut in seconds with utility knife

Difficult to cut square

Ease of bracing

Difficult to brace

Ease of stripping

Difficult and time consuming

Ease of handling, shipping

Easy to handle and ship

Large, cumbersome, difficult to handle and ship

Water damage

None, setup and pour in rain

Damaged by moisture, cannot be used in wet conditions

Damage by handling, storage

Undamaged, packed in protective boxes

Prone to flattening and end crushing

Architectural reveals

Reveals are easy to achieve

Unattractive spiral pattern

Compactness

1 box (480 ft) is only 16 in x 16 in x 22 in 

480 ft requires 330 cubic ft of space, over 100 times the fabric space

Storage

Can be stored anywhere, even in wet conditions

Must be stored in a dry area indoors, in a vertical position

Weight

Light weight, 120 ft roll weighs 16 lbs.

Heavy, 120 ft weighs over 135 pounds.

Strength

Strong, engineered for up to 29 ft of liquid concrete head

Height limitation is a function of cardboard thickness.