Cinque Terre in April

Better than what? Better than summer, definitely. But I would also consider when Easter is, and whether you might encounter crowds from school break around that time.

marysue,

April is normally a "quieter" time in the five towns of the Cinque Terre, as that's about when they start to open for the season. However, travel in general is a bit different than usual due to the pandemic and I'm not sure whether next year will be more of a "normal" pattern or not?

In the past, most of the crowds have been day trippers, so they tend to be less of a problem in the evenings. If I were in the same situation, I'd give it a try.

What are your plans while in the area? Many people like to hike, and April gets a lot more rain than the summer months. If you get really rainy weather, there's not a lot to do indoors in the Cinque Terre. If the weather is really nice, there could be many locals from nearby heading to the area on weekends, so visiting midweek might be a good idea.

We are hikers. Hoping to stay Wednesday- Sunday in one of the 5 towns. Any recommendations?

I'd look at Corniglia because the steepness/distance from train station dissuades some. I really only see comments to avoid Vernazza. Monterosso gets suggested for restaurant choice.
I know that crowds bother me, so I would look at alternatives, but it is true that by staying in one of the villages, you can enjoy them in morning and evening before day trippers arrive, and you can get up on the highest trails early in the day.
What month were you considering besides April?

We really liked staying in Monterosso al Mare. It has an old town area and a newer town area and the beach and waterfront area is lovely. We stayed at Hotel La Spiagga and had a room with a sea view and a balcony. There are many good hotel choices in Monterosso and it has good train access.