When Systemd is working it is a lot more regular than the old init systems. You have nice tools like nmcli that combine the functionality of literally dozens of programs into a single interface.

The problem comes when you discover that the Systemd version of a service is missing one crucial feature you need or is buggy, so you need to run an external service instead and it starts fighting you tooth and nail. Or when something breaks and tracking down the issue is hindered by it being hidden in behind a bunch of layers of indirection.

For example, try configuring an Ubuntu 16 box to randomize its MAC address before searching for WiFi access points.