A dock is easier to replace
A standalone USB-C dock can move between desks, be returned separately, and upgrade without replacing the monitor. It is the cleaner choice when Ethernet, card readers, audio, or extra USB ports matter.
A monitor hub cleans the desk
A display with built-in USB-C can reduce cable clutter and put charging, video, and USB devices behind the screen. The risk is being locked into the monitor's port limits and power delivery.
Identify the display mechanism
A monitor hub normally uses native USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode and may offer daisy chaining through MST. macOS and the exact chip can limit that path. A standalone dock can use native Thunderbolt or DisplayLink, but those mechanisms have different tradeoffs.
Charging wattage is the first physical filter
Compare the laptop's sustained USB-C power need with the actual host output, not only the adapter input number. A setup that displays correctly can still drain a higher-power laptop under load.
Dual-display support is model-specific
Resolution, refresh rate, native display streams, DisplayPort Alt Mode, Thunderbolt, MST, DisplayLink, clamshell rules, and macOS limitations can change the answer. Check the exact laptop chip, cable, monitor input, and screen count before buying.
Keep DisplayLink as a conscious exception
A DisplayLink dock can solve two-screen office work on base M1 or M2 Macs, while introducing drivers, permissions, protected-video limits, and ongoing OS maintenance. A monitor hub rarely supplies that workaround by itself.
Buy for the cable you want to touch daily
If the goal is one cable on the desk, either path can work. Choose the one that keeps the ports you actually use reachable without making the monitor the failure point for every peripheral.
Test sleep, wake, and return-window behavior
A clean desk that loses displays after sleep is not a good system. Test login, clamshell mode, wake, conferencing, fullscreen video, charging, Ethernet, storage, and monitor controls before the return period ends.