There is no comparison.
One day installs don't take one day. Acrylic doesn't look or feel like tile. They model their product to look like tile because they know what you want. Truth is in most cases tile is less expensive than the acrylic over-lays. As tough as Acrylic is, it has it's weaknesses, most common is yellowing.
Yellowing is an innate characteristic of all plastics including acrylic. Its even technically called "Yellowing" and there is a "Yellowing Index" (YI) created to measure it. Elevated heat alone with no oxygen or other help can cause "Thermal Degradation" and "Chromophore Formation"
Don't get me wrong, acrylic panels have their place and they have value. I've installed a few and they aren't as bad as I had hoped they were.
The way I explain to those who ask is simple, if you are in a hurry or want something nice to help sell a house, plastic is a solid choice. If you want something unique that will increase the value of your home, there is no comparison to tile. There are complete studies done showing the return on investment of a tile shower is second behind a kitchen remodel in terms of rise in market value of a home.
Tile has stood the test of time. Will acrylic?
We aren't going anywhere, so we'll see.
