An animal companion is better at low levels, but it's probably a toss-up at high levels (where an animal companion starts to fall behind in usefulness).
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Well plus the animal domain has other abilities beyond the domain creature. You can also burn through animal domain summons without worrying about healing them since you can summon new ones after an hour versus 24 hours with the AC.
I think it boils down to style. Domain animal is more disposable, you summon dismiss them based on needs. If you want a lifelong animal friend you use the Animal Companion.
-- Dennis
That's my main concern. Both critter types are about the same, but the domain serves it up with whipped cream on top. Extra abilities. Seems to be the better option, and clearly so.
Both critter types are the same at levels 1 and 2, and are roughly the same (2 HD apart) at levels 6, 10 and 11, but the real animal companion gets better pretty fast.
Level 3: 4 HD wolf vs. 2 HD wolf
Level 4: 4 HD dire bat/5 HD bison vs. 2 HD wolf
Level 6: 6 HD dire bat/7 HD bison vs. 4 HD dire bat
Level 7: 6 HD brown bear/6 HD dire wolf vs. 4 HD dire bat
Level 10: 8 HD brown bear/8 HD dire wolf vs. 6 HD dire wolf
Level 12: 10 HD brown bear/10 HD dire wolf vs. 6 HD dire wolf
Level 13: 12 HD dire bear vs. 6 HD dire wolf
Level 14: 12 HD dire bear vs. 6 HD brown bear/7 HD giant crocodile
Level 16: 14 HD dire bear/16 HD dire tiger vs. 6 HD brown bear/7 HD giant crocodile
Level 18: 14 HD dire bear/16 HD dire tiger vs. 8 HD polar bear/8 HD dire lion
So from level 13 on, there's really no comparison. But...the Animal domain guy can swap his companion at any time and doesn't have to worry about finding a new one if it dies.
You can't really compare both abilities if you only look at the Lvl. 1 power of the domain.
Okay, I'll give you that the Summoned Companion is only going to have 1/2 the HD of the Animal Companion and the A.C. is going to have boosted numbers of tricks, and stats, but the domain has none of the downside of the A.C. power while having useful extras.
At 18th level you have a free permanent 5th level spell affect, can speak with animals 9/day (a very useful spell if you try), cast hold animal 1/day (so-so), 9 rounds of any animal shape from summon nature's ally 1-5/day, can commune with nature 1/day, use anti-life shell 3/day, and cast shapechange 1/day.
If I play a caster Druid I'd go Animal companion for the tried and true meat tank (assuming I didn't opt out entirely for a spell domain with more spell offensive power), but if I were playing a Wildshape-focused Druid I'd go with the domain, if I wanted to keep the same flavor but with more powers. The less powerful creature can still be used for travel, setting up flanking, and can tank trash mobs out of the way- still good to me. The animal shape rounds would be an economical way of using shape-changing flavor for ascending cliffs, climbing trees, scouting a watery cavern briefly: in general, all the stuff on which you don't to waste a Wildshape usage. You can gather information from nature and keep undead/plants away. And... you can leave one 9th level spell slot open for something since you have that one Shapechange for the big fight for free.
I think that the Animal Companion option will be mostly made for flavor. The Domain ability (combined with the other domain abilities) does many of the same things, and offers many more options.
The advantages of the AC choice:
* You add feats and HD to your animal. My current druid (lvl 15) uses a dire wolf AC as a mount. Because of the extra feats and abilities, she is much stronger and more capable than a normal mount.
* Your companion will last longer in combat. The tougher AC will last through more combats than what you can get from the summoning list. This makes it a better target for long-term buffs and carried equipment. (BTW, nothing is said about what happens to the carried equipment of the summoned creatures. If provided with barding and a saddle, would this disappear or fall to the ground? Does it come equipped with the equipment it left with, or do you have to re-equip it each time it is summoned?)
* You can share spells and effects with your AC. For many druid builds, this is a powerful ability.
I'd probably give up the AC for the AD almost every time. I would recommend changing the AD ability to have a fixed and relatively short duration - too short to pre-buff with or use as a mount. I'd go with 1 minute/level, which would be long enough to get odd jobs done, but not long enough to function as a replacement for an AC.
-Scott
From the SRD:
This spell summons a natural creature. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.
What includes communicate?
Handle Animal?
Wild Empathy?
Speak with animals?
If it is the last case only you have to cast the spell or use the spell-like ability for every order you give. Not very effective.