Formulators usually specify the powder by default and then discover, once the line is running, that the format is the problem.
Where powder wins
Powder has a longer shelf life, costs less to ship per unit of sweetness, and is the only option for dry blends, bakery premixes, sachets and tabletop products. It also carries no water activity risk in the finished formulation. We supply it in 80-mesh standard and can tune to 100 mesh where dry-blend segregation is a concern.
Where liquid wins
A continuous beverage line dosing powder by hand introduces two recurring problems: dust, which is an operator safety and cleaning burden, and incomplete dissolution at low temperature. A liquid concentrate eliminates both, doses volumetrically through existing pump equipment, and blends into cold-fill syrups in seconds.
Making the switch painless
The important practical point is that both formats can be supplied at matched assay strength. If you standardise on, say, 50% mogroside content in both the powder and the liquid, moving between them is a dosing calculation rather than a reformulation project. Ask for matched grades if you think you might change format later.
A note on stabilisation
Liquid concentrates need preservation against microbial growth and the carrier system matters. Glycerin and propylene glycol carriers behave differently in viscosity and mouthfeel; specify the carrier against your application, not just the assay figure.