I've done both. IMO inpatient, if you can, is the way to go.
You can be selfish (not that we addicts aren't already while we're in active addiction, lol) but you don't have to worry about getting the kids ready for school,or the laundry, or (fill in the blanks)
It's your time to concentrate on you. During the physical illness part of the process you can be sick at your leisure; when you feel better, you participate in the many groups offered; we even had to write a history of our addiction. These were all very enlightening, and by staying in a safe environment where it was all I had to concentrate on, I have to say, I felt inpatient was the most productive time I have ever spent battling this disease.