Serfdom, which survived until the 18th century where I live, is rather different from chattel slavery. Serfs were tied to land, not to their masters. (It reminds you of the internal passport system of the USSR.) They therefore had local culture, uninterrupted traditions going back centuries, and families could not simply be torn apart by selling someone away. "Breeding" serfs for profit wasn't a thing either; everybody who was born in a certain village had to be sustained there. Young serfs could be recruited into the army and gain social status. And as a noble, you couldn't just import more serfs from abroad for money. You had to make do with what you had, which meant at least somewhat better treatment.

What serfdom has in common with slavery is the fact that industrialization killed off both of them. Industry required a large and moveable work force.

I am not insinuating that being a serf was enjoyable, but if I had to choose between serfdom and slavery, that would be no contest.