Don't worry about what is popular, go with what you like. When we redid our kitchen I really "wanted" to like quartz, but it all looked fake to me. I REALLY loved some quartzite, but with 90 sq ft most was out of my budget. I still loved granite. My granite has been bullet proof. All countertops can chip & you shouldn't set a hot pot on any of them. I would suggest taking a cabinet door to a stone yard & see what YOU like.

All stones chip. All of them. Get a roundover edge to minimize it.

No hot pots should ever be set into ANY counters. Trivets and cutting boards are required.

Sealing isn’t all that. 20 minutes of work every 3-4 years. Maybe.

There is no perfect. Everything has drawbacks.

Get what looks good to you.

I use cutting boards.... I have never had a problem putting a hot pot on a granite counter.... I thought stone was very heat resistent.... what would the issue be?

We have quartzite in our kitchen at home, quartz in our kitchen at our vacation home. I hate quartz, but the builder installed it before we purchased. I find that I am more careful with it than I am with quartzite. Cleanup on both is a breeze. Sealing natural stone takes almost no time at all, it’s very easy and you can do it yourself.

But, you have to go with what you like. Bring your cabinet doors to a stone yard and see what speaks to you.

Granite does not contract so its reaction to a hot pan or pot could be to crack under pressure. Not always but that one time it does you'll be so sad. Here are some past posts from people whose granite cracked.

Can hot pans go directly on the stone?

My labradour granite cracked

Do you put hot things on your stone counter?

Granite or Quartzite it totally would depend on which stone. I love granite more but it would have to be a stone I really like.

I absolutely loved quartzite, but way way out of budget, could not find any white granite all are too busy, marble also way to expensive so, I settled on quartz with very little veining.

I've written a bunch of articles on this topic - these might be a good starting point

https://usenaturalstone.org/got-data-testing-the-performance-of-granite-engineered-quartz-concrete-and-sintered-countertop-surfaces/

https://usenaturalstone.org/definitive-guide-quartzite/