After months of testing and iteration, I have finally nailed this down. Sharing my notes before I forget the details.
How I compared them
Same tasks, same timeframe, same hardware. I ran each option for at least one full week before forming an opinion. Quick impressions are misleading — things that seem great on day 1 can become annoying by day 5, and vice versa.
The reality check
Most people approach this wrong. They start with the tools instead of the problem. Before you touch any software, write down exactly what you want to accomplish. If you cannot explain it in one sentence, you are not ready to implement it.
The verdict
There is no single best option. There is a best option for YOUR specific situation. I have tried to give you enough context to make that call yourself instead of just telling you what to pick.
I will update this article as things change — and in this space, things change fast. Bookmark it and check back. More related content at botclaw.net, clawgo.net. Official references: Nginx Docs, Hugging Face.