a_g123:
well i've indeed considered a4988 and drv8825, just that a4988 and drv8825 runs on the step and dir pin protocols, this requires the mcu to run in a tight control loop to time each (micro) step and when there are multiple steppers the mcu would be pretty busy simply running the steppers and having little timeslice for any thing else.
This does not make any sense as an argument for using an L298. An Arduino has even more work to do when driving a stepper motor with an L298 because it must control the timing of signals on all 4 motor coil wires rather than on a single step pin.
And if you are thinking of also burdening the Arduino with current measurement and current limiting ....