Mostly you avoid soil born pests and diseases. There is also soilless soil if you prefer.

You can grow the same plant in a smaller space with hydroponics. Whereas you need a lot of dirt to grow most veggies, with hydroponics you just sit their roots in a little cup of growing medium and then essentially force feed them water and nutrients all the time. Sounds awful but the plants like it. For example, NASA wants to grow veggies in space for the astronauts. Soil would be a mess, too heavy and takes up too much room. So they are using hydroponics. What plant wouldn;t want to be the first plant in space? Windowfarms are basically space camp astronaut training for plants but in your apartment, capiche?

I think its a fair compromise. One has to start somewhere, kudos. I personally prefer growing my plants on a pot of soil (indoors), while I am still on land .

Great work! kudos!