Pros and Cons of each Healer Role

[Ghishlain]

White Mage
Bread and butter healer of the three. Very direct healing and very minimal raid utility (mostly from their cross class abilities). Also the only healing job available from Level 1 (CNJ) and thus a good starting block for any healer looking to get into the healing scene. Has the most variety of healing spells among all the healers in the game. Also requires the most standing time as they have the least amount of instant casts at their fingertips.
+Large variety of healing spells to select from
+A variety healing abilities on relatively short cool down that pushes more WHM HPS
+Highest burst DPS of the three healers
+Highest sustained HPS in AoE healing
-Lowest workable MP pool of the three
-Lowest raid utility of the three
-Least mobility of the three


Scholar
S-E's mythos places Scholars as the tactician of the healers. They are a strategist with their fairy providing additional support to their kit. This theme is shown in their job design. SCH employ a variety of cool downs from both themselves and their Fairy that are on short cool down to maintain party health and provide utility. Also they provide some of the most potent mitigation tools to prevent massive tank busters / party busters from wiping the group out. Because of the nature of their design, SCHs are less constrained by their MP and more constrained by their cool down usage - thus requiring a SCH to plan their kit usage more in advance than the other two healers.
+Fairy that provides free healing and raid healing / buffs that is completely independent from the SCH's contribution
+Highest sustained DPS of the three
+Highest workable MP pool of the three due to the nature of their kit
+Highest sustained single target healing
+Aetherflow abilities provide a lot of instantaneous healing
+Strongest burst AoE healing
+Best AoE Mitigation Potential
-Least "adaptable" to unexpected circumstances of the three due to kit design
-Least wipe recovery potential of the three once resources are expended


Diurnal Astrologian
Diurnal Sect is one of the healing paradigms AST can use when performing their healing role. This paradigm changes the Aspected spells to provide Healing over Time spells and the Sect bonus provides a 5% haste bonus. Thematically, the kit seems to be more about healing a bit faster and having gradual healing over the course of the fight. Astrologian as a whole also provides the highest raid utility / party augmentation in the form of their card buffs at the cost of being random.
+Highest raid utility / party augmentation buffs in the game
+Healing spells are at least 10% cheaper than equivalent spells from the other kits
+Arguably best MP management / sustainability of the three
+Best healing over time potential
-Raid utility comes at the cost of randomness
-Has to use more GCDs overall compared to the other healers
-Lowest self-DPS potential (potentially made up by card buffs)


Nocturnal Astrologian
Nocturnal Sect is one of the healing paradigms AST can use when performing their healing role. This paradigm changes the Aspected spells to provide shielding effects (mitigation) and the Sect bonus provides an additional 5% bonus to healing spells. Thematically, the kit is about power heals with more potent spells and an instant cast heal that is only restricted by the AST's MP pool. There is almost zero sustained healing with this kit. You're either healing or you're not. Astrologian as a whole also provides the highest raid utility / party augmentation in the form of their card buffs at the cost of being random.
+Highest raid utility / party augmentation buffs in the game
+Healing spells are at least 10% cheaper than equivalent spells from the other kits
+Arguably best MP management / sustainability of the three
+Strongest raw heals in the game due to Sect Bonus when compared to equal spells in other kits
+Instant cast heal with a consistent shield that is only restricted by the amount of MP the AST has remaining
-Raid utility comes at the cost of randomness
-Has to use more GCDs overall compared to the other healers
-Lowest self-DPS potential (potentially made up by card buffs)
-Almost no sustained HPS, requiring Nocturnal AST to commit more resources to heal the same amount as their counterparts