It's funny: "in my head," Handbrake and ffmpeg are two different tools, with very different purposes. Even though they "do the same thing," the context when I use one over the other is very different.

Handbrake is easier in that I don't have to think too hard about how to use it; but that I think a lot more critically about the options that I choose.

FFmpeg is easier when I go in knowing the exact options I want; often pulled from notes that I've stored away, or combined with scripts.