Yes in ideal conditions a faction would be more productive then a single player. But everything with players is case relative. Like lets assume each player is on for 2 hours a day. If a faction has 10 people they have 20 hours of work. Where as a player has 2 hours. But that often not the case. And it seems to me that most factions contain 3-4 diehards while everyone else on the roster is barely on once a day or even week. Where as a die hard player is often on and can accomplish much as they don't have to check with base-mates and discuss what to do. Their base may not produce as much overall to faction in terms of pure amounts,but a player with a good setup could best a faction in terms of each player to goods.

Factions also seem to get raided alot by either internal or external forces. Where as a player with an underground, hidden setup will probably never be raided. Like the "Sky Kin" a relativly new faction was recently raided.

A faction of well working members with a hidden setup where every member is loyal 100% would be ideal, but near impossible to achieve. But it is possible.

So in conculsion i feel that the question "Is a player better than a faction?"has 2 answers, yes and no. Yes they could easly produce more goods and get more profit as they don't have to split it. Yes they are alot safer from a raid. No in that they may not produce as much raw goods overall. It is a balancing act every player much choose. I have played both as a loner and as a faction member and they both are fun, but there is an undeniable sense of accomplishment when one can freely build and help others in a faction.

@R4iscool1 The behaviour you are describing is beyond a good faction to imo.
At least in a vanilla setting, there is no reason one player cant gather more than a group, it may not be likely but its certainly a possibility.

group of 25 people, each person spends 50 minutes on farm/villagers a day
totaling almost 24 hours a day
done
unless a player can do that

total wealth > total wealth of player
agreed have to gear more people;
but not everyone is active ingame at once whether mining or fighting
also designated roles, only a fraction will have to be truly geared
in vanilla no incentive to make a good faction anyway though

@Mabzino Last I saw this isn't a faction server, and nor is it viable truly due to the smaller playerbase and 200k wide world
So yes, I see factions on faction servers. Almost all of them are miles ahead of any here.
No diss, just fact(ion)s

Nice pun at the end lol. But yea the factions here must operate different because it is vanilla, im not 100% sure what all faction servers have as I only ever played on two. The ones I was on had it to where you claimed land and others could not raid it till your money got low, or your faction death count went low. And each member payed a tax to go to the faction payment. Larger factions on here share very similiar traits save they seem to be raided faster.

@Mabzino of course, but not even half-decent faction. Total wealth in a consistent, organised faction will never be outdone by a single player

I dont think I would use the word "never" as there is always an exception. But yea I would say a well organized faction may be able to outdo a player, save one thing. The faction will inevitably be raided. I mean all factions fall eventually while as in the long run the player will most likely remain. You could say well me and my 3 irl friends have a faction ans we have never been raided. But I consider that more of a team as they arent really recruiting.