The short version
Choose poured concrete if lowest upfront cost is the priority and you can accept cracking over time and a plainer look. Choose pavers if you want more design options, a surface that resists cracking, easy repairs, and better long-term value — and you're willing to pay more up front. For most homeowners investing in a backyard they'll keep, pavers are the better long-term buy.
Cost
Poured concrete generally runs $8–$20 per square foot installed; stamped or colored concrete pushes higher. Pavers run $30–$60 per square foot installed in the Kansas City area for a properly built patio. So pavers cost meaningfully more up front — the trade-off is what you get for it.
How each handles freeze-thaw
This is where Missouri's climate matters. A concrete slab is one rigid piece — when the ground shifts through freeze-thaw cycles, it cracks, and a cracked slab is difficult and ugly to repair. Pavers are modular: laid over a flexible compacted base, they move with the ground instead of fighting it, so they resist the cracking that splits slabs. It's the single biggest practical difference in our climate.
When something goes wrong
A stained or cracked concrete slab usually means patching that shows, or replacing the whole thing. With pavers, you lift the affected units and reset or swap them — the repair disappears. Over a patio's life, that difference is significant.
Design range
Concrete is a flat, uniform surface — stamping adds pattern but still reads as concrete. Pavers come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and patterns, and can be laid in borders, banding, and custom layouts that concrete can't match. If design matters to you, it's not close.
Long-term value
Pavers generally add more to a home's appeal and value than a plain slab, and because they last longer and repair cleanly, they hold up as a selling point instead of becoming a liability a buyer notices.
Bottom line
Concrete wins on upfront price. Pavers win on longevity, looks, repairability, and value — and they handle Missouri freeze-thaw far better. For a backyard you plan to keep and use, pavers are usually worth the difference.