A furnace heats air and pushes it through ducts; a boiler heats water and sends it through radiators or in-floor loops. If your home already has one system's infrastructure, that's usually the answer — converting between them is a renovation, not a swap.
Hydronic (boiler) heat wins on comfort quality: even, quiet, no blowing dust, and lovely in-floor warmth. It's common in older Toronto-area homes and high-end builds. Its trade-offs: no built-in cooling path, and fewer contractors do it well.
Forced air (furnace) wins on flexibility: the same ducts carry air conditioning, filtration, and humidity control, and equipment choice is enormous. It's the default for a reason.
If you have a boiler and love it, protect it — proper annual service and a quality replacement when the time comes. If you're choosing fresh in a new build or gut reno, decide based on whether central cooling and air quality control matter to you; that usually settles it.
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