That is a good question lincspoacher.
The old fashioned tried and tested method with seeds is to put them straight into the soil as nature intended.
A lot of people have been doing it for years and feel they have no need to use gadgets.
They find satisfaction in what they do.
I think that I am correct in saying that the vast majority of us on this forum are gardening as a hobby. It is the achievement more than the end product because when we are successful we very often produce more than we can use and end up giving away produce.
We want to grow things, experiment and learn. Not everyone has a greenhouse and even if they had. Some plants do actually perform better grown in the cold ground. Forcing some plants with things like propagators, plug trays and so on, can result in weak spindly seedlings.
Speaking for myself, I find a sense of achievement in growing things for the minimal possible cost. Using what ever is natural and re-cycling when ever I can.
You see I can't understand people who go fishing, spend anything up to, even over a thousand pounds for a rod & tackle then go out, catch a fish and throw it back. Nor do I see any purpose in climbing a mountain or rowing across the Ocean. Perhaps the people who do what I think is odd, can't understand me and would ask why I spend the whole day tending the earth to produce something I could buy in any supermarket.
If you want to grow things in gel, fibre pots and start them off with what ever you think is ideal for you and it makes you happy, you carry on doing just that.