Why use XState if state can be stored in a plain field?

For a simple process, a plain status field and a few conditions may be enough. XState helps when there are more allowed states and transitions: working, retrying, awaiting approval, cancelled and done. The rules become more explicit, and it's easier to check that no path was missed.

It's still not automatic durable handling for the whole system. You have to store the state in the right place, restore it after a restart and protect it against concurrent changes. Restoring state shouldn't accidentally repeat an external action. When implementing, I check the specific XState version and how effects behave. I don't pick the library just to make a small switch look more professional.