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As much as single sticks can be better if the swims are soft ground, mud, grass, even bark, some swims simply don't allow themselves to be fished with sticks as my bottom picture shows, and Commonly has said. A number of swims I fish are stagings like the bottom picture, or rock hard gravel on hardcore, so a pod is most definitely needed. You could on stagings resort to stage stands, but getting 4 or even 6 decent stage stands can be more expensive than buying a decent pod. I used to have a Cygnet pod myself, not a goalpost style, I did find them slightly unstable if the ground was not level, whereas the goalpost style was most definitely steadier, even if, as in my first post, the bottom picture, one side is higher as the staging isn't level. Another advantage to that low frame style is you can tie wrap to the chicken wire on the platform, or on the platform, with a cup hook screw to the wood; on softer ground a normal tent peg or two can be used to stabilise the pod to hold it in event of a take. The other thing I do like is a pod that can be used without the pod frame, but with banksticks and buzzer bars as Highy's bottom picture. On softer ground with the sticks level you create a firm stable set-up. Sorry for the photobomber, (😆😖 ) but you can see in this picture how stable 3 rods on those sticks and bars can be. I now own a Solar P1 pod, while it is a brilliant piece of kit, I actually end up having to use a pod almost all of the time, unless I do go to single sticks. Pods do have a disadvantage, getting your rod eye positioned just to the front of the alarm can be awkward. You are stuck as to a 'fixed' maximum length between front and rear bars. I had to put a (bright yellow😖😅 ) tie wrap on the butt of my RH rods to stop the rod sliding forward if the tips are low. On my Century NG's I had ball stops on the butts, which actually meant I did not need rear rod rests. The ball stop went into the thread hole, or with butt rests just behind the rest, so it was easy to prevent rod slip and still pick up the rod.

single sticks for me as you can position each rod where you want and they don't move on violent takes. but I do use a pod if the grounds to hard or rocky for sticks

single sticks for me , don't like pods .

I had this discussion, with a few members on here about a year ago. The consensus was, that you get a far better bite indication if the rod eye/butt ring is past the alarm, allowing the line to drop from the alarm wheel to the swinger. With the ring behind the alarm, the natural drop of the line can be hindered. Also if you fish locked up or on tight drag, you won't have your butt ring smashing against the alarm,on an aggressive take. As with most things, everyone does things differently and how they feel things should be.

I just find single sticks to be so versatile , I use running leads alot so like my rod tips inline with the rig ,the rods do end up at some odd angles but thats never been an issue. If am confronted with a platform then I'll fish the rods to the side from the bank or if not to deep the front sticks in the water and just rest the butts on something like my bait bucket . For me a pod is last resort just not for me I'm afraid . I'll try and do some rod shots although some of the OCD types may have to look away