One lasts weeks, the other lasts years, and they cost accordingly. A straight comparison with no sales pitch.
Both protect paint. They do it differently, they last for wildly different lengths of time, and they suit different owners. Neither is universally the right answer.
How they differ
Wax sits on top of the clear coat as a soft sacrificial layer. It is easy to apply, gives paint a warm depth that many people prefer on darker colours, and it washes off — realistically six to twelve weeks in New England conditions.
A ceramic coating chemically bonds to the clear coat and cures into a hard, glass-like layer. It is far more durable, far more hydrophobic, and it resists chemical etching from bird droppings and road salt in a way wax simply cannot.
The cost picture
Wax is inexpensive per application but needs redoing several times a year. Ceramic coating costs substantially more up front — mostly because of the preparation, not the product — but measured over three years the running cost is often comparable, and the level of protection is not close.
Preparation is the real difference
Wax will happily go over mediocre paint. A ceramic coating locks in whatever it is applied over, permanently, for the life of the coating. That is why proper coating work always includes decontamination and polishing first: coating over swirl marks seals the swirl marks in.
If a coating quote seems unusually cheap, the preparation is almost certainly where the corners are being cut.
Which one for a Rhode Island winter
For anything parked outdoors through a New England winter, coating is the more sensible investment. Road salt is chemically aggressive, and a coating's resistance to etching is exactly where its advantage over wax is largest. Washing also becomes noticeably easier, which matters when you are doing it more often to keep salt off the paint.
When wax still makes sense
A garaged weekend car, a vehicle you plan to sell within the year, or an owner who genuinely enjoys the ritual of waxing by hand. In those cases wax is perfectly reasonable and there is no need to spend more.
If you are unsure, ask for both quotes. We will tell you which one we would put on our own vehicle in your situation.