Everyone has thier own opinion. I used to use buckets but switched to a Better Bottle so I could see my brew fermenting. Buckets are very practical, easy to clean, cheap to replace and work just fine. You need to make sure to not scratch the inside or you will risk contamination so you need to be gentle when cleaning and storing a bucket. Also when you seal the lid for fermentation make sure you snap the lid down so you will not have a leak from a poor seal. If you plan on transferring your beer to a secondary then a 5 gallon carboy or Better Bottle is your best bet. I would opt for the non ported BB because they are easier to carry, safer, and only cost a few bucks more than a glass carboy. Many people use bucket for primary fermentation and 5 gallon carboys/BB for secondaries. Hope this helps.