Used socks ,WeissSocks ,today and they are excellent (18″ snow).
Easy to fit and are lasting the pace even using on cleared roads ,I think cheap ones tend to disintegrate.
Used chains before and they are the best for truly awful conditions but take a little longer to fit and the rumble of them on hard surface isn`t the best.Socks are carp on ice whereas chains excel.
So snow socks for Britain and snow chains for the Alps etc.
HTH