Louvered Pergola or Gazebo
A louvered pergola gives control: open sky, filtered light or a sealed roof, on a crank. A polycarbonate gazebo gives permanence: rain kept off, daylight passing through, nothing to adjust. Choose on what the light should do, not on the footprint.
The real difference is light
Both keep rain off. What separates them is what happens to sunlight. Louvres closed give deep shade; polycarbonate panels pass daylight through in every position they are made in. On a bright patio that needs relief in July, that is the decision. On a north-facing patio used through a grey season, it is the decision in the other direction.
Mechanism against permanence
A louvered roof has moving parts: a crank, pivots, and a drainage path that only works when the slats close correctly. That is the price of adjustability, and it is a fair price if the adjustability is used. A roof left closed all summer is a solid roof bought at a mechanism's price.
A gazebo has nothing to operate. It looks the same in February as in July, which is either the point or the limitation depending on the patio.
Sides
The louvered models here come with curtains and mesh, or six pull-down screens on the largest. That matters more than it sounds: wind-driven rain comes in sideways under any roof, and the sides are what stop it.
Footprints
The gazebo covers 130 square feet, between the 10×12 and the 12×16. What each takes underneath is computed on the sizing page. Full specifications: 10×12 louvered pergola and 10×13 gazebo.
Questions
Which gives more shade, a pergola or a gazebo?
A louvered pergola closed flat. Polycarbonate gazebo panels pass daylight through by design.
Which needs less maintenance?
The gazebo. It has no mechanism to operate or keep aligned.
Can a louvered roof be left closed?
It can, but then it is a solid roof bought at the price of an adjustable one.