Acrylics imo.
My mom had gels for a few months against my advice and had to switch over to acrylics eventually because... they broke all the time, they didnt stay looking as fresh, and they cracked like no tomorrow.
In my opinion, if you arent going to spring to get a GOOD set of nails done (not from one of those places in the mall that look like sweatshops in China - 100% no offence meant by that) but if youre not going to spring for a good set, it doesn't matter which kind of you get.
But if you want strong, healthy, beautiful, LONG LASTING nails, go to a trained experienced tech at a reputable salon.
The product used is very important, if the product isnt good quality, the nails (gel or acrylic) wont hold up.
Having many friends with nails ive found that the Gel or Acrylic decision is a very personal one. Try one, and if its not working for you, you know you need to switch
everyone seems to prefer something different when it comes to nails.
On that note, I had a set of gels put on before my acrylics and almost chewed them off I hated them so much.
Ive now have acrylics for a year straight.
Its a really personal thing
I get my acrylics filled every three weeks. Most people opt for french tips but I usually do a different color everytime (at the moment have Neon Pink, I guess Im welcoming Spring haha)
When it comes to acrlyic (and possibly / probably as well with gels) you can ask your nail tech to basically do anything you want, long nails, short nails, thick nails, thin nails, rounded edges, square edges, pink acrylic, blue acrylic, silver acrylic, sparkly acrylic etc etc etc. As far as the tips go, whether you're getting white tips or colored tips, I'd suggest finding a tech who uses white and colored acrylics, instead of airbrushing. Airbrushing is when they use clear acrylic all over your nail to form the general shape and then they paint the white tips on, dont do this, they dont hold up obviously since its just a layer of paint. Opt to find a tech who uses actual White or Colored powders, so it dries as that color and there is no airbrushing needed
In the year that I've had acrlycs Ive never once broken one, and believe me, I go hard on my nails.
If you find a good tech with good product, youll save yourself a lot of wasted gas going to repair broken nails.
Good luck, I hope this helps!