Honestly the only difference between finger pricking and using the pick is sound quality. I would suggest using the pick. I personally play with a pick and I’ve found that the pick creates a richer louder sound. If you want to learn finger pricking, I encourage it but, learn to do it the right way.

The sound always sounds ALOT better when using a pick, the notes and chords ring SO much more clear as apposed to finger picking. It’s not really cool if you can pick up the guitar and play if the sound you’re making isn’t good. It’s not like picks are expensive, so…

I’d go with the pick.

My band’s guitarist can play anything with his fingers, except tremolo picking. Furthermore, fingerstyle allows you to play non-adjacent strings simultaneously. It’s just more versatile.

If you can take proper care of your picking-hand nails so that you can actually play with them, and you can get a nice, clear tone, then definitely go for fingerstyle, and start working on tremolo picking as soon as possible.

You can use either / or. I use both pick and fingers depending on the style I am playing and the feel I want to give the song. Sometines when you chord, you can use the pick and the other 3 fingers to pick the chord in an arpeggio fashion. All methods are good and it adds color and versatility to your playing, I somethimes use the pick and the fingers to play solo and do alternate-picking using the pick and middle finger on the upstroke.