I can't speak for a stent as I'm not brave enough yet to try one. However, I've been dabbling in catheters for a few years...so I can give you a valid response. I suggest ordering a catheter online first and experiencing that a few times, so you understand what's about to happen.
The first time I used a catheter, the insertion was uncomfortable on the verge of pain. However, removing it was so bad to me I was afraid I'd have to go to the emergency room to have it removed. After my first experience, I didn't try for about a year. Yet I tried it again and learned that those sensations were just new, not really pain. They were so intense, that my mind interpreted them as pain.
Now, years later I describe the sensation as intense. Insertion is hard to do without getting an erection now, so I can scratch off pain. Removal is still uncomfortable and not really fun, but it's over in a few minutes.