Another consideration in the subject comparison - In general, lighters are designed to make a flame go upward (I appreciate that flames naturally go upward anyway :-). With Bic-type butane lighters, a user is required to keep a finger, usually thumb, near the flame.

Since I am almost *never* beneath a fire-lay, I find holding a lighter near the flame in a downward position to actually get the flame in contact with tinder to be awkward at best. Sometimes I smell flesh burning before I get wood smoke.

Personally, I find matches and strikers preferable. In exchange for limited fires, matches offer some length and an extended burn time without holding a valve open. Strikers produce basically unlimited brief sparks, which can be turned into similar numbers of fires. A use of strikers offers the added advantage that they force one to prepare good tinder!

/Neal