Both move a vehicle. They are not interchangeable, and choosing the wrong one is how a modest repair bill becomes a large one.
When a flatbed is the right answer
All four wheels leave the road, so nothing in the drivetrain turns. That matters for all-wheel-drive vehicles, which can suffer real transmission damage if towed on their wheels. It also matters for low or modified cars, classics, and any vehicle that will not roll or steer.
When a conventional lift is fine
For a great many ordinary breakdowns — a front-wheel-drive car with a dead engine, for instance — lifting the driven wheels clear is perfectly safe and usually costs less. There is no point paying for a flatbed you do not need.
What we need to know
Tell us the make and model, whether it is two- or all-wheel drive, whether the wheels turn and steer, and whether the vehicle is lowered. Those four answers decide which truck leaves the yard.