In my opinion, being a project manager in a Matrix organization is harder.
The PM has to deal with two bosses and constantly negotiate with functional managers for resources. This makes decision-making slow and creates conflicts over priorities.
In a Project-based organization, the PM has more control, and the team reports directly to them, so coordination is easier. Because of the shared authority and negotiation issues, the Matrix structure feels more stressful and complicated for a project manager.

I think that it would be more difficult to work as a project manager in a matrix organization. In a project-based organization, project managers automatically hold authority over their project team, but in a matrix organization, that authority becomes shared. Project managers may have to negotiate with functional managers for a staff member’s time, which can make resource planning more complex. As a result, they may struggle to assemble the exact team they want if functional managers decide to withhold key personnel for departmental work. Competition between department managers and project managers can create tension, especially when expectations aren’t clearly defined. If communication isn’t strong, conflicts between project managers and department managers can escalate, possibly leading to frustration across the teams. These unresolved conflicts can create a toxic work environment over time, making it essential for matrix organizations to prioritize collaboration. Overall, a project-based organization would be easier for a project manager because resource allocation is more straightforward.

In my opinion, a matrix organization would be more difficult to work in especially as a project manager. Managing the constant communication between functional managers becomes a bit challenging since you do not have as much power in that sense and people report to both you and the functional managers on similar or different parts. Many times, it is common in these matrix organizations to have communication problems because some people may forget to inform the functional manager about something important, they told the project manager and vice versa, so it would generally be more difficult. In a project-based organization, the project manager mainly has the control and is the person that the project team reports to. This makes it significantly easier since there is 1 person of primary contact and you are able to hear from and give feedback directly to your team. In this case you do not have to worry as much about miscommunication because it is not between 3 people if someone on the project team tries to communicate, only 2 people. From experience, projects have issues mainly because of communication issues, and the matrix-organization adds room for error in communication compared to a project-based organization so it would be better in my opinion as a project manager to be part of a project-based organization.

That is an excellent distinction to make, as the daily reality for a Project Manager varies wildly between these structures. From my perspective, a Matrix organization is significantly more challenging for a PM simply because it often creates a dynamic of "responsibility without authority." In a Matrix environment, you are constantly negotiating with functional managers for your team's time and attention, leading to potential "two-boss" conflicts where your project priorities clash with their departmental duties. While a Project-based structure has its own complications, specifically the "projectitis" where teams become isolated or anxious about their employment, once the project concludes, it usually grants the PM full control over resources and reporting lines. Therefore, the Matrix structure introduces a layer of political complexity and constant resource bargaining that makes the actual management of the project much more taxing than in a dedicated Project-based environment.

I agree with your point about a project based organization is the better environment for a project manager because it removes the layered communication challenges that make matrix structures difficult. In a matrix organization, the project manager has to balance authority with functional managers, and this split leadership often leads to gaps in communication, delays in decision making, and mixed expectations for team members. Even when everyone has good intentions, information can easily get lost or misunderstood because it is moving through multiple channels at once. That ongoing coordination effort can become a project of its own. In a project based structure, the project manager has clear authority and a unified team that reports directly to them. This clarity reduces confusion, speeds up feedback, and allows the project manager to guide the team with more consistency. Since miscommunication is one of the most common reasons projects struggle, having a single point of leadership creates a smoother environment and allows the project manager to focus more on execution and less on conflict resolution. This makes me wonder if whether the communication challenges in a matrix structure can be overcome through strong leadership habits, or if the structure itself creates limits that even skilled project managers cannot fully eliminate.