Less maintenance - no way. Now if we speak solely on start-up, and the fact that a plaster pool goes through a lot of acid during the curing process, that's about the only argument perhaps. But all-in-all, during the year, it's all the same basic thing - maintaining chlorine and pH (along with a few other things). So fewer maintenance not really. The shell is very smooth at first, but still susceptible to calcium build up or other stains just like plaster or vinyl, so testing is important no matter what pool you have. Some people just like the look, features, and fairly quick install of FB. In my case, I have lots of clay soil that expands and contracts. I felt a FB shell might be a better choice than worrying about shifting later and getting cracks in plaster.
In the end, shop around. Cost is certainly a major factor for anyone, but find a pool that fits your taste & purpose as well as your budget. From there, ALL pools will require chlorination, filtering, etc, …. and of course "maintenance", so don't' let that item alone distract you.
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