Another difference is that concrete is classified as a rigid pavement, while HMA ( Hot Mix Asphalt) is a flexible pavement.
Prep is at least as important in paving as it is in paint work. And you know how important it is for painting!!
I've been a Construction Materials Technician for over 30 (!) years. In my experience a pavement failure is almost always due to poor subgrade. Subgrades are the materials below (sub) the finished surface ( grade). Good subgrade materials fully support the load without deflecting--6" or more of properly graded and compacted crushed stone. The advantage of crushed stone over rounded gravels is the shape of the particles---crushed stone locks together while rounded gravels act like so many ball bearings rolling over each other.
Ideally you want a good gradation of particle sizes--not all one size. In a well-graded mix the smaller particles fill in the spaces around the larger particles. Compacting this well-graded material compresses it and removes the air voids. This is important because those air voids WILL get filled with water over time, and water is bad.
If you have slabs moving, I'd expect to find them poured directly on a fat Clay soil. Fat Clays have a great affinity for water, and change their volume based on how much water is available ( shrink-swell).
The difficulty with HMA is the ability ( or not) of the contractor to put enough energy into the mixture while it is still hot to properly compact it. Interstate highway road crews have the equipment and the knowledge. Some driveway paving crews also have the knowledge and the equipment; many do not. It all looks good for a few years and then deteriorates.
The problem with Portland concrete is that too many crews want to add to much water--it makes it easier on them, but lowers the quality of the product. They may even contract to place it at a certain "slump" ( measure of work-ability, and often an indicator of water-cement ratio), but fail to actually abide by that contract. This happens in commercial building regularly, and often in home owner situations where there is no inspection, and the home owner has no concrete knowledge or experience.
Concrete is a product that you cannot judge it quality by sight. It is composed of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, cement, water and admixtures. Admixtures are a relatively new item--better living thru chemistry! There are admixtures that improve the work-ability of the concrete w/o weakening it as adding too much water will--there are high range water reducers, low range water reducers, and plasticizers. I remember the first time i saw a plasticizer used. The mixer arrived, and I checked the slump, and it was about 1" ( very stiff). I watched the driver add a few ounces of the chemical, and then spin the mixer drum for a number of revolutions, and then he dumped the load. It ran down the chute and across the ground like it would have if he had added 50 gallons of water, yet this was only a few ounces.
It may be that paying a civil Engineer to take a look at your site and problems will be the cheapest insurance on getting a good job. An hour or two of his/her time should cost less than a CY of concrete, and improve your chance of getting a long-lasting job. Failing that hire a good quality contractor, or DIY, placing 3- 3- 1/2 inch slump 3500 PSI concrete over a compacted crushed stone base. Also tell the concrete plant that it is an outside slab so they add "air" to it. An air-entraining mixture induces many tiny air bubbles into the mix making it more durable in freeze-thaw locations.
