Consider your location. Look at what materials your driveway will connect with, such as sidewalks or paved roads. Take climate into account, making note of things such as average summer and winter temperatures and how often de-icing salt is applied. De-icing salt can degrade the finish of concrete, while melting and freezing water can cause cracks and warps in asphalt.
Take notes about typical usage. Record how often people walk across the paved surface and what sort of flooring is in the entryway of the property. Asphalt can contribute to floor staining from oils and sealers.
Contact a local paving contractor. Ask about current and expected prices for installation and maintenance for both materials. Record estimates for initial installation and regular maintenance.
Compare the materials using the data that you gathered. List the expected costs for installing and maintaining the pavement over the course of a fixed amount of time, such as 30 years. Make a pro and con list of each of the considerations you made note of, such as if the pavement would connect to a road of a different material or the entryway of your property has white vinyl flooring that could be stained.
Weight the items on your pro and con list. Rank each item from 1 to 5, with 5 being most important consideration and 1 being least important consideration. Add together the total values of weights to compare the pro and con lists numerically.