I have an airless and an hvlp. They are very different, and I will replace them both if needed. There has been a lot of good advice on this board, but I will add a little.
Think of sprayers as tools. Anybody have just one saw? No, there are different saws for different tasks. My Fuji hvlp is great for fine finishing cabinets and furniture. It holds a small amount of finish, lays it down nice, can spray flammable, and is easy to clean. I painted my whole house with a sprayer and put down over 100 gallons of primer/paint. It is a bit harder to clean, but is great for painting a house.
Bottom line is that the sprayer for you depends on your planned use.