Is whole life better than term life insurance?

I’ve been digging into life insurance options and keep running into the same debate: whole life vs. term life. Whole life sounds appealing because it lasts a lifetime and builds cash value, but it also comes with much higher premiums. Term life, on the other hand, is simple and affordable, but it only covers a fixed period.

For those who’ve had to make this choice—what did you go with, and why? Do you think whole life is really better than term, or does term make more sense in most cases?