Bruges or Ghent

There is an eternal debate which of the two is the best place for accommodation. Personally I find Gent (in the local spelling) a more lively and varied city than Brugge. Trains between Gent (Gent-Sint Pieters station) and Brugge are very frequent (several per hour) and the trip takes just some 30 minutes.

Stay in Ghent and go to Bruges on a daytrip or vice versa they are only 30 minutes apart.

Do both. They are close to each other.

I loved Brugge.( Madonna and child there). At Ghent you have the Ghent altarpiece. Both cities are nice but I preferred Brugge

You don’t say how many days you have to see one or both of them. They are close together so either split your time between the two, or take a day trip to the one you’re not staying in.

I was in both places last July and I preferred Ghent, although I think I had better food in Bruges :)
I found there was more to do and see in Ghent. Bruges was beautiful but personally after a few hours I felt like I could have left. I think you could easily see both places with an overnight in one. Half day in Bruges and full day in Ghent.

Here's a vote for Bruges, the most beautiful city that I've seen in Europe. Canals, swans, a bell tower, the only Michelangelo to ever leave Italy during his lifetime, very few cars and a great market square.

Pineapples or mangos (I just got back from Thailand, where the apples and oranges weren't so tasty) . . .

I like Ghent better, but Bruges has its own charms. I'd stay in Ghent (less touristy) and day trip to Bruges. Ghent is lovely at night when the medieval buildings and bridges are floodlit. Accommodations are cheaper too.