On the counter, a ball of sourdough pizza dough and a ball of standard commercial-yeast dough can look nearly identical. The differences show up in how each is made, and how each behaves once it's baked.
The leavening agent
Standard pizza dough usually rises with commercial yeast — a single strain, cultivated and packaged for consistent, fast results. Sourdough pizza dough is leavened with a live starter culture containing wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, which work more slowly and less predictably, but bring their own flavor along the way.
Fermentation time
Commercial-yeast dough can often be made and baked within hours. Sourdough needs a much longer fermentation window — typically well over a day when you count both bulk fermentation and a cold rest — to fully develop.
Flavor and texture
That extra time changes the outcome. Sourdough crusts tend to have a more complex, slightly tangy flavor and an open, chewy crumb with a crisp exterior once baked. Same-day commercial-yeast dough is typically more neutral in flavor and more uniform in texture.
Which one is "better"?
Neither is objectively superior — it comes down to preference and what you're going for. If you like a crust with more character and a bit of tang, sourdough is the direction to go. If you want a fast, neutral base, standard dough does that job well. We happen to be partial to the long, slow route.