Hreflang is worth its complexity when you have genuinely distinct content for different languages or regions that would otherwise compete or confuse Google, and it is overkill when one page serves everyone. The pivot is real-per-region-difference versus one-size-fits-all. Hreflang exists to tell Google which version of a page to show which audience, so it earns its keep only when you actually have multiple versions worth distinguishing. Without that real difference, you are adding configuration overhead that solves no problem.
The case for hreflang is strongest when you maintain separate language versions, say English and Spanish, or meaningfully different regional versions, such as US and UK pages with different spelling, currency, examples, or offers. There, hreflang prevents Google from guessing wrong, stops your own versions from competing for the same searchers, and ensures the right page reaches the right audience instead of, for instance, showing a UK reader the US-priced page. The distinct content already exists; hreflang just routes it correctly.
The case against hreflang is when there is only one page to begin with. If your content is in a single language with no regional variation, or a single version genuinely serves all your audiences without confusion or competition, hreflang adds nothing but maintenance and the risk of misconfiguration. The reflex to “add hreflang for international SEO” regardless of whether you have distinct regional content is backward, because the tag is a routing instruction for content that differs, not a growth lever you bolt on for its own sake. No real difference means no routing problem to solve.
Use hreflang only when you genuinely have distinct regional or language content. If your versions truly differ in language or in region-specific detail and would otherwise compete or confuse Google, set up hreflang to route them; if one page serves everyone without meaningful difference, skip it and avoid the complexity. Let the presence of real per-region difference, not an international-SEO checklist, make the decision.