You will notice that not many experts will come down firmly on one side or the other in the propane versus heating oil debate. But consumers need to know which way to go, or at least where to start looking. The heating market is vast and daunting to the non expert so a bit of help is always appreciated!
First of all the difficulty in comparison starts with the many similarities between a propane heating stoves and an oil powered one. They are both oil (petroleum) products - this means that they are both piped from the ground to the refinery where they are refined for use in the home. About half of the LPG is produced from natural gas processing.
If you are going for whole house heating in a fairly cold winter climate then you will need home heating oil tanks or gas tanks for either of these fuels. And you will need to get the tanks topped up regularly through the winter.
However there are some ways to choose between the two fuels. Since most gas heating systems run on either natural gas or propane/LPG, then you usually find a greater choice of boilers for propane than for oil. Generally you will enjoy a smaller choice if you go with oil for hydro heating.
On the other hand, if you are looking for smaller space heating stove units, then the greater choice is probably available in home kerosene heaters. The reason that few experts take a firm stance one way or another is that their are exceptions to every rule when it comes to choosing between heating oil and propane.