Instant Pot vs modern pressure cookers - which is better?

They're pretty similar these days since Instant Pot basically set the standard that everyone else followed. The main difference is usually price and the specific features you actually want to use - Instant Pot tends to be reliable and has good community support if you need recipes or troubleshooting, but you can find comparable models from other brands for less money. I'd say pick whichever one fits your budget and has the functions that matter to you, whether that's air fryer capability or whatever else. The brand name matters less than whether you'll actually use the thing regularly.