Originally an embroiderer, cross stitch is definitely a different beast. Some things I learned along the way:

Embroidery: Pros: Freeform, more like painting, choice as you go, quicker completion Cons: making creative decisions during the process, set up process takes longer, variability

Cross stitch: Pros: plan set up for you, only one stitch to execute Cons: rigid, no creative freedom, counting stitches, long completion time per area