I've used both and both have pros and cons.

Cool mist humidifiers will coat the surrounding area in a fine white mineral powder unless you have very soft water or run distilled water through it. It vibrates water to form micro-droplets, and then blows those up into the room to humidify the air. As they evaporate, they leave behind whatever minerals they were carrying and if you use hard water you can end up with the annoying white powder. You can't add things like "Vicks" menthol liquids to cool mist humidifiers without damaging them over time.

Steam-based ones use more power and tend to warm the room up slightly. They can also over-humidify a room, which could lead to mildew and mold issues with prolonged use. I have not had the mineral related white powder issue with them, as I assume the mineral content is left behind in the tank as the water changes to steam. I have found significant white mineral build up in the tank, which would seem to confirm this. Many warm/steam humidifiers let you use menthol additives to help with cold and allergy symptoms.

You need to clean both kinds regularly (at least weekly) or the stagnant water in the bottom of the device can accumulate bacteria and produce unpleasant smells. If you use filtered/bottled/soft water, they take more or less the same amount of cleaning effort.

In my opinion, warm mist is better for cold seasons and winter, as the extra heat they put out doesn't hurt anything and the option of adding menthol liquids can really be nice if someone in the house is congested.

I prefer cool mist for summer months as they don't heat up the room and generally people aren't sick as much then so there is less need for additives.

My last cool mist vaporizer was about $60 and made by Vicks, and it stopped working after two weeks of use, so this combination of price point and brand might be something to avoid.

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