If your primary goal is compatibly with Microsoft Office, then nothing is going to beat Microsoft Office. I keep my Office 365 subscription for this reason. Because occasionally I do need to share or edit a documents with an organization that uses Office.
On the other hand, I use Pages for just about everything else. I find it easier to get the results I want in Pages than I do in Word. I end up digging endlessly into Word’s menus and sub-menus to accomplish tasks that I get done with less stress in Pages. Word is the be-all of word processors, and so it’s immensly complicated. Pages is simpler, so If you don’t need the extra featlures or compatibility, it can be easier to learn and work with.
Of course, if you already know Office inside and out, then Pages won’t be easier. It’s always easier to use what you already know; and that applies to my use of Pages to some extent. Though I’m not completely lost in Word, or Excel. I had little choice but to use them before I retired.
Keep in mind I’m not writing research papers, complex company wide documentation, or block-buster screen plays. I just want a few pages of neatly laid out text and graphics, which I will most likely distribute as a PDF. I don’t care if no one else can edit it.