I'd argue hydraulic disk brakes are easier to maintain. They automatically adjust as your pads wear down and won't have any potential problems with the cables corroding, wearing, sticking, etc.
I have hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike and cable actuated disc brakes on my commuter. The commuter bike requires no maintenance outside of changing pads. Every mountain bike I’ve ever owned has required semi-regular brake bleeds. This is a clear performance / reliability trade off.
Agreed. And you don't have "mystery" issues with mechanical discs, like when the piston gets gunked up and doesn't return properly when releasing the lever.