Refractor vs Reflector Telescope

Refractors use lenses and need almost no maintenance. Reflectors use mirrors and give much more aperture for the same money.

	Refractor	Reflector
Aperture per dollar	Low	High
Maintenance	Almost none	Occasional collimation
Cool-down time	Short	Longer for large mirrors
Image	Sharp, high contrast, some colour fringing on budget models	Bright, no colour fringing
Best targets	Moon, planets, wide fields	Faint galaxies and nebulae
Portability	Compact at small apertures	Bulkier at the same price

Choose Refractor if

You want grab-and-go simplicity
You mostly view the Moon and planets
You also want terrestrial viewing

Choose Reflector if

You want the most aperture for your budget
Deep-sky objects are the goal
You do not mind occasional collimation

The bottom line

For visual observing on a budget a reflector, especially a Dobsonian, shows the most. A small refractor is the easiest telescope to own and use often.