I've read every major article on this topic. They all end the same way:

“Both models are complementary. Choose based on your context. Use each for the right scenario.”

That is a technically accurate, professionally safe, and completely useless answer.

This article gives you the framework I actually use with clients — including the uncomfortable parts most posts skip: the staffing bias that impact architecture decisions, what to do when your client has thousands of Z-objects, why migrating RAP to CAP is not a refactor, and why CAP is the only model that enforces the Clean Core promise architecturally.

One thing upfront: this is not an anti-ABAP article. ABAP knowledge — deep understanding of business processes, transactional models, and SAP data structures accumulated over years — is one of the most valuable assets in enterprise architecture. This article is about where to deploy that knowledge. There is a meaningful difference.