The answer to 'which is better generator installation or' is that generator installation is generally better than portable generators for most homeowners. Generator installation involves having a professional electrician permanently connect a whole-home standby generator to your electrical system. This provides automatic, reliable backup power during outages and can power your entire home.
Generator installation has several key benefits over portable generators: it's more powerful and can run your whole home, it starts automatically when the power goes out, and it's permanently installed outside so it doesn't take up valuable indoor space. However, generator installation does typically cost more upfront than a portable generator.