bmw x5 e53 2005 CV boot vs Axle replacement cost vs difficulty

[talljames]

Hi all, I have a 2005 X5 E53 4.4i and my front CV outer boots are torn. I have the option of replacing the full axles with both cv joints or just do a CV boot replacement. I see that BMW CV axles are expensive but have heard issues with aftermarket ones (GKN etc). The genuine BMW CV boot replacement kits are obviously much less expensive and you can pick up pullers for hub and cv at decent prices. However, I have read that the difficulty of CV boot replacement is a lot harder than replacing the whole axle. Also, there seem to be posts on different procedures for CV boot replacement where they vary which items need to be unbolted. The other thing is putting the CV joint back on and fiddling with the circlip.

Just wanted to check on those who have done this job if they had the same dilemma on which path they chose.

regards