Tables used to be how everyone dived. Today, most recreational divers wear a personal dive computer and for good reason.
Your computer calculates depth, bottom time, speed of ascent, and NDL in real-time. Tables can't do that. If you move between depths partway through, the computer recalculates. Tables don't.
Watch-style computers are the most common use these days. These are compact, easy to read, and you'll use them as a daily watch between dives. Console computers are an option but less buyers pick them these days.
Basic computers run about main page a few hundred dollars and do everything a recreational diver would need. You get depth tracking, time, no-deco limits, a logbook, and often a simple freediving mode. Mid-range includes air integration, better readability, and more gas modes.
What people forget is how the computer handles. Some computers are more conservative than others. A conservative algorithm results in less no-deco time. More aggressive algorithms give more time but with less safety margin. It's not right or wrong. It comes down to personal preference and experience level.
Ask the staff at a local dive store who dives with multiple models before buying. They'll offer honest opinions on what works versus what's hype. Decent dive shops put out buying guides and rundowns on their sites too