When designing your shower, there are essentially three parts to be considered; a shower base, screen, and the interior walls. The base is the part that you stand on; it is the part with the drain, is usually acrylic, and can oftentimes come equipped with a slip-resistant surface. Attached to that is what is called the screen. This usually comes in several pieces and is made from plastic or glass, the function of which is to prevent water from splashing out of the shower and covering your bathroom floor. The screen will have a door or some folding mechanism through which people can enter. The final piece of the puzzle is the part that protects your walls. Water soaking into your drywall and wood can only lead to problems in the future, so it is necessary to cover the wall, either with acrylic tiles or with a shower surround kit.
Acrylic tile is an attractive option, but also quite costly and requires extensive time and work to install. The alternative is to purchase a shower kit which comes with two or three wall panels. These can be placed on the walls with little effort and provide essentially the same function of tile. They are fairly foolproof, easy to clean, and much more affordable than their tile counterpart. Whereas the grout in tile can be a breeding ground for fungi and mold, the kit is a smooth surface that offers little opportunity for such problems. The seams where the panels connect, both to each other and to the screen will require an occasional wipe down, but are considerably easier to maintain than the many crevices of tile. If convenience and affordability are to be the primary considerations in the protection of your shower walls, then shower surround kits seem to be the method of choice.