Common wisdom seems to be to run AC all year round, but the problems with that, for me at least, are:
a) that the evaporator is always moist.
b) come winter time below 3-4c the compressor will stop running anyway.
a) That constant moisture on the evaporator is why car AC often starts to smell as its become a breeding ground for bacteria during the warmer months. I avoid this by turning off the AC towards the end of a long journey to dry it out.
b) Some use the AC to prevent misting in winter. Ironically, it is the constant use of the AC that causes the initial misting in the first place. And when the compressor stops in winter because its too cold, all that moisture on the evaporator starts to evaporate and because the glass is very cold, condensation forms and it becomes very difficult to remove. Some have to resort to wiping by hand or making the cabin into a sauna. Eventually, the heater will deal with it but its pretty inconvenient if you're on a busy road somewhere and suddenly your car mists up.
After a few decades on the road and not using AC full time (but still using it every few weeks for a few minutes to maintain the seals), I've never had AC fail due to perished seals, never had to "bomb" clean it nor had my windows mist up during cold, wet weather. I get to save a little extra fuel and keep a bit more charge in my batteries. Win win win.