I don't care to win the freehand sharpening Olympics, so I don't mind the jig use.
Winning the freehand sharpening Olympics is not on my bucket list either. Many of my blades do not work with a blade holder for sharpening. So for me freehand was the way to go.
The big advantage of a guide is one doesn't have to worry as much about digging into their stone and you can actually move the blade much faster with better control. The disadvantage is the time it takes to set up each blade.
Whatever folks do, if it gets their edges as sharp as they want them to be, it is a workable system.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)