I have found this varies depending on the type of tomatoes you are growing. There are a huge variety of tomatoes out there. Some thrive in the ground and some thrive in pots. I find that yellow pear tomatoes seem to not thrive in the ground in my area, but they do well in pots. Cherry tomatoes on the other hand always do better if you let them just ramble and invade a vacant section of your garden. A cherry tomato in a pot is just never as productive.