I’ve never used RDWC, mainly because of the cost to purchase. DWC I’ve done a lot of. And yes, a plant in a five gallon bucket will work. It’s great at first but becomes a chore down the road. Keep a close eye on the root rot.
I eventually went with an airoponics setup. It’s cheap to build and easy to use. It also frees up my time worrying about watering, and I can focus on trimming and training.
I’m not going to say it’s the best way out there. But it is relatively inexpensive to build.
The link is my grow journal. If you have any interest. Best of luck to you on your grow!