Woods with a hint of yellow in them already such as pine fir and ash become even yellower with an oil based finish.
Water based or oil based polyurethane for hardwood floors.
Water based polyurethane has both a duller color and a duller finish.
Wood that is gray white or light looks better with a clear coat i e a water based finish.
This color difference is less noticeable over a stained hardwood floor but an oil based poly will still exhibit an amber hue that will continue to darken over time.
There is no contest on the durability between the 2 options.
As you can see from this picture the difference is pretty dramatic.
Oil based polyurethane looks better.
Polyurethane is actually the most durable hardwood floor finish.
If you want your floor to stay the same color choose water based polyurethane.
An oil based polyurethane will continue to amber and darken over time while water based poly will remain clear for the lifetime of the hardwood floor.
The biggest difference is in appearance.
Water based and oil based polyurethane each offer good protection.
Oil based polyurethane lasts longer than water based.
Water based polyurethane has lower voc s which is a bit of an environmental.