I really like the cerakote. It can be scratched, and it will wear, just like anything, but you have to work at it. Even when you do, it does not flake like paint. You literally have to scratch or wear down through it. My color chart is showing 90 different colors, and you can custom mix them too. I did that on a rifle I am working on for a friend right now. It is not finished yet, but I will try and post a pic of the stock after lunch if I can get to it. It is looking really sharp.
Cerakote is pretty time consuming to apply, that is why it is expensive. You have to detail strip everything, soak it a cleaner/degreaser for 30 minutes, blast all the parts, bake, then mix and spray, then cook the parts at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Then let cool and reassemble. It takes a lot of time. But the results are really good.
What some folks don't know is that you can change the way the finish looks by changing the amount of hardener you mix in. Cerakote has a range that they recommend. Mix on the bottom end you get a flat finish, mix on the top end and you get a gloss finish. I usually go somewhere in the middle. Also, sprayed on correctly cerakote is just supposed to be .001 thick. If it looks like paint, it was probably sprayed too thick.