Actually, I didn't research any, for some reason, just picked pebble and a vendor and went with it. A gut thing. But I do have some after-the-fact random thoughts about it:
The first thing to determine is how long you plan to own this pool. If it's 10 years or less, and you commit to TFPC, a coat of plaster will likely be the cheapest solution, and if you take care of the water, the plaster will very likely outlast your ownership, and it'll look and feel great. For the price, plaster is the best feeling surface (IMO).
If you're going to be around with this pool for the next 10-20 years, and resurfacing again is something you'd like to avoid, then one of the other surfaces available can last longer, and maybe get you a better ROI (again, assuming you're going to take proper care of it). I went with pebble for this reason. My resurface with pebble (including some tile work) was $9K. I could have saved about $2K if I had gone with plaster. I am gambling that my pebble is more than going to outlast, proportionally, the difference in cost. I can't control now how it was installed, I have to hope that it was done correctly and that the pebble cured correctly. I will maintain "perfect" water as best I can in an effort to get the most out of this surface. 20 years? 25? 30? My goal is to have it outlast me, so I don't have to resurface again. It won't be $9K in 20 years, that's for sure. Double maybe? Who knows. Is this going to be your 30 year home? 40? Now you're into figuring out how many times you're going to resurface. Should you buy three 15-year plasters? Or two 20-year pebbles (or whatever surface).
See what I'm getting at? You can't actually predict the exact lifespan of these surfaces, because there are so many variables. And maybe you don't have any of these types of financial concerns, and are just shopping now for what you like, now. (Good for you!) But I have to keep an eye on expenses now, and what they will be over the next 30 years or so, and pools are expensive! I've eliminated a huge amount of the day-to-day costs (TFP myself, PV solar, solar heater, etc), but the biggies: new deck, new coping, possibly another resurfacing... that'll be approaching mid-five-figures (or more as prices for these things continue to rise)... and that's something I need to plan for.
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As I mentioned, I like the feel of plaster over pebble. By quite a bit. I didn't look at other materials that much because they seem to just go up in price from pebble. So pebble was my "top-of-the-line" material for my budget. Here's a mistake I made that maybe you'll avoid. I knew ahead of time of the complaints about the roughness of pebble. So I went to a pool showroom and felt the various surfaces: plaster, different size pebble, some quartz, etc. I knew right away I'd want the smallest pebble. And I spent a good deal of time walking around in the pebble pool and feeling it with my hands, etc. Trying to gauge how much rougher it was than plaster. I figured it was rougher, yes, but decided on the spot that it would be OK. It wasn't until owned it, and swam in it, that I realized how much more rough pebble is (mine is, anyway). Turns out hands and feet are pretty tough, and are not the best judge of a surface. When I sit on pebble (commando-style) or graze my back up against the side, or kneel on it to play with my kids, or scrape my elbow or tow on it, I now realize that this stuff is very course. Sharp in some areas, and rough enough to take skin off. I watched them polish it a bit (you can pay for more), so I can only imagine how much rougher it could be. Point was: go feel your material contenders for yourself. Try to do so in a pool that was finished by the crew, or at least the company, that is going to do yours. Don't rely on a sample. Or word of mouth. Get in the pool. Not just your feet. Feel the surface with a part of your body that is more tender than feet or hands, and really know what you're getting into. As a fellow TFPer pointed out: pool surfaces tend to get rougher over time, they don't get smoother. So what you get on day one is the best it's gunna feel.
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I like my dark pool. I matched what my plaster was previously. I believe a dark surface contributes to the pool's temp. I believe the color of most, if not all, dark surfaces will mottle over time. Fade, too. My plaster did. My pebble is already starting to. I actually like that organic look, but if you want a perfectly even surface: the lighter the better, or prepare to be disappointed (or both!). They say a white finish is the only one you can rely on: as it can't fade lighter and is not subject to the color component altering with age. I don't know if that's actually true. And certainly white will show every stain, large or small.
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Speaking of color: the water contributes significantly to the color. That's why white pools look blue. It's a physics thing. So the color you perceive will change with depth. My pool is a beautiful dark aqua shade, but my shallow end is not quite as aqua, and my top step is a dull grey. And pool's pick up their surrounding colors, too: redwood fence, big tree, color or your house, etc. So if you're changing your color, be prepared for some surprises. If you try to match your friend's pool's color, it might look totally different in your pool.
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You can use your resurfacing as an opportunity to alter your pool. My plasterer added eyeball returns (I had just bare holes), and I had my drains removed (cleaner look, safer, no vac hangups, etc). Those are minor, and easy. But you could reconfigure part or all of your pool, if there's budget, and get a whole new experience, not just a new surface: add a bench, steps, sky's the limit, I suppose. Something to think about.
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That's off the top of my head about it, anyway...
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