This depends on your climate. If you live somewhere that's very seasonal, pots are a good call as you can bring them inside over winter, or just keep them inside as houseplants. However, if you have a sunny warm climate pretty much all year round they will be fine planted directly into soil.
Jemma's tip when planting a cactus garden in pots is to, 'find the sunniest spot you have, in this space you can grow a mix of cacti and succulents, they are both sun and drought lovers and together, create a really effective display, mixing the spiny textures of cacti with the softer shapes of succulents.'
'Cacti and succulents should be planted into pots with drainage holes, these can be placed inside a planter. Cacti and succulents can also be planted directly into terracotta pots with drainage holes, these are particularly good for cacti and succulents, being made of a porous material they create a drier environment for the roots.'
'In a sunny, sheltered garden we love to grow an eclectic mix of cacti, echeveria, aeoniums and aloes outdoors during the summer. With free-draining soil, in pots with drainage holes they are tolerant of summer showers, we would however recommend bringing them indoors for the wet, cold months,' adds Jemma.