How does Restate's virtual object model differ from Catalyst's Dapr-based workflows for state management?

Choose Catalyst when you need stateful workflows with explicit step-by-step orchestration; Restate uses virtual objects that combine state and computation into a single durable entity. Catalyst, built on Dapr Workflows, provides a workflow-as-code model with separate activity steps, while Restate treats every service invocation as a journaled, durable operation. For teams wanting fine-grained workflow control and external state stores, Catalyst offers more flexibility; for simpler stateful services, Restate may be more direct.