Which is better, R-22 or R32?

Which is better between R-22 and R-32, R-32 is considered better by modern standards for environmental, efficiency, and future availability reasons, though they have different characteristics. R-22 is an HCFC with ozone depletion potential of 0.05 and GWP around 1810, banned from production in developed countries since 2020, expensive, and only available as reclaimed stock, using mineral oil and operating at lower pressures. R-32 is an HFC or difluoromethane with zero ozone depletion potential, GWP of 675 much lower than R-22, higher energy efficiency, better thermal conductivity, requires smaller charge amount, and is widely available as current production for new equipment, though it is classified as A2L mildly flammable while R-22 is non-flammable. R-32 operates at higher pressures similar to R-410A, so equipment must be designed for it, but it allows more compact systems. Environmentally, R-32 is superior due to zero ODP and lower GWP. For new installations, R-32 is better and is standard in many mini-splits, while R-22 is obsolete and only for servicing old systems. Safety wise R-22 is non-flammable but R-32 requires A2L handling. Overall, R-32 is better for efficiency, environment, and cost long term.