All SSDs are better than a USB stick or SD card. They have much better controllers, work at SATA speeds and have better wear levelling. They are by far the most reliable form of storage for the Pi.
A USB stick may be no better than an SD card, but if you go for one with a USB3.1 interface (regardless of what you will plug it in to), it will generally have a better controller than a USB 2 or 3.0 interface. Don't go for the tiny low profile sticks as they often have thermal problems, a full size stick preferably with a metal case are far better.
---druck