The clean line most people prefer in countertops can be tricky to achieve with certain surfaces, especially when the material isn’t uniform. Each slab of granite is unique, meaning it may not be as easy for installers to cut it just so and line up multiple slabs for a streamlined effect.

Because quartz is manufactured, not natural, the pieces are uniform. “You can count on where the seams will be,” says Elle H-Millard, certified kitchen designer, and National Kitchen & Bath Association trends specialist. “Also, quartz offers an abundance of color choices and potential for marble veining,” which appeals to many people.

Quartz and granite cost about the same (starting at about $10 a square foot at major home improvement retailers, the average install cost can be from $40 to $100 a square foot depending on your contractor and where you live), but in the quartz vs. granite popularity contest, quartz wins. When it comes time to sell your home, this could be a factor.

According to a National Kitchen & Bath Association survey, the vast majority of folks installing counters these days choose quartz. So quartz may appeal to house hunters. Granite is a distant second, according to the same industry survey. “Lots of people consider granite to be outdated,” H-Millard says.