I prefer bevels for that. In particular, I grew up with the Amiga's "3-D look" where embossed = interactive and recessed = informative https://archive.org/details/amiga-user-interface-style-guide...

On a similar note, fuck the "flat" designs which make buttons indistinguishable.

I've even seen UIs which do use bevels on buttons; but only when hovered-over! I don't want to scan my pointer across the screen hoping to find something interactive, like I'm struggling on Monkey Island!