Need help choosing; Viola or Violin

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So I'm looking to get into a bowed instrument, and due to budget constraints, I've narrowed it down to either a viola or violin. What are the major differences aside from sound? Do you prefer either one? If so, why? Basically, I just wanna learn what I can before I buy.

The viola is a bit bigger, and it's bow is also correspondingly larger. The tuning is a bit different, as well, I believe. I don't really have a preference as I don't own either, but I think the viola is a great instrument, and it seems to me hardly anybody gets into it. I've met a lot of violin and cello players but few viola players. So go with the viola, you'll be an original

Beg borrow and steal so you can get a Cello. Preferably a Bass one. Or a viola i guess if that's what you really want

Think different. Choose viola.

noted viola player william primrose said "a viola is a violin with a college education."
in terms of ergonomics, the viola [being 2" longer and roughly an inch broader than a violin] is better for larger-framed people. for smaller folk, the violin is more user-friendly.
the viola is pitched a fifth [5/8ths of an octave] below the violin, and has a more mellow contralto tone that i happen to find easier on the ears over long periods. more familiarly, its bottom C [131 cycles per second] is pitched one octave below a piano's middle c [262 cycles per second], or an octave above the cello's low C. to my ears, the viola splits the difference in timbre between the cello and violin.
it is easier to find a mellow-sounding viola than it is to find a mellow-sounding violin, for some reason related to the way sound waves propagate at certain frequencies. [a longer and properly technical explanation was given me by a music teacher but my brain seems to have dumped that information in favor of more mundane things]
good luck whatever your choice.

I recommend bass violin. Because they are awesome and you can play classical with a bow or Jazz with your fingers. But then I know you said you have money constrains so I would go with whatever these fine fellows above me are saying.

There are two sides to this.

On the one hand: Go with viola. It's a bigger instrument than violin, has a deep, rich, and mellow sound distinct from the violin--gives you that "stringy" sound without that creepy-crickets kinda sound.

On the other hand: Violin reads treble clef; Cello reads bass clef. Viola reads ALTO clef, or movable C-clef on the middle line (i.e. middle C is 3rd staff line). If you're coming from the background of a wind instrument, other string instrument, or keyboard (piano), then reading alto-clef is going to be a little different. If you're already, say, a trombone player or a bassoon player, you might not have quite as much trouble if you're used to reading tenor clef and can make the switch to alto clef--they're both similar, just a third apart.

The other difficulty is the size of the instrument. The viola is one of those weird, in-between instruments and might cause pain in your left wrist. Viola players typically will complain of pain in their wrist due to an awkward playing position as compared with the smaller viola or the much bigger (floor-resting) cello and bass.

If you don't mind learning alto clef and the possible slight strain on your left wrist, you might do OK with viola. Personally, I learned to do it in college and it didn't bother me much.

Now my problem is when I write music, I'm so used to writing everything in either treble or bass clef that I actually start with my viola parts in treble clef and then change the treble clef to alto clef, an easy cheat with software. I'd be a mess writing viola parts the old-fashioned way!

To the people suggesting the cello, I can't. Budget constraints.

Currently leaning toward the viola. Though I am a rather small fellow, it'll be a little cumbersome for me, I think I'd prefer a lower sound. I'm coming from bass guitar, but I'm open to learn how to read with the C-clef.

My ex wife is a viola and violin teacher and orchestra musician. She has literally decades of experience. From what I have learned from her, the two instruments are basically the same. She dispelled the myth of any significant difference, except for the slight size and tuning. However, the tuning pattern (the way strings relate to each other) is identical between violin and viola - that is, in intervals of perfect fifths. The viola is tuned one perfect fifth below the violin, so they share three strings.

There are many more solo pieces written for violin than viola, but you could play them with a viola nonetheless (just pretend it's a violin - unless that messes with your brain).

I think a much more intriguing question would be, whether you want an acoustic or electric violin If I had unlimited disposable money, I'd spend some of it on an electric violin and connect it through a multi-effect box. Just to feed the inner child.

If that's the case I'll get a viola. I think I'd prefer the deeper sound. Can you tune it to EADG?

If you mean to tune it to G3 D4 A4 E5 instead of C3 G3 D4 A4, effectively creating the tuning of a standard violin, I will go out on a limb and say that probably yes, you can, provided that you use contemporary violin strings.
However, since the viola is longer than the violin, these strings will need to be tightened more than if they were on a violin, which might have ill effects. Still, it seems some people have done it and lived. However, don't risk it if you have an expensive instrument.

Note that if you used standard viola strings (on your viola) and tried to tune them G3 D4 A4 E5, you would need to tighten them a lot, as they are heavier than violin strings and hence need much higher tensile stress to create a pitch one fifth higher than they were designed to produce on a viola. This, I believe, is most definitely dangerous for the instrument, even if the strings could survive the tension.

I see, I see. I was just wondering, I'm used to EADG. But part of the fun is learning how to work with different tunings, thanks.

No, he's asking if you can use standard guitar tuning on a viola. The answer is almost certainly no. Tuning that C string up two whole steps, especially, would be very dangerous for the instrument. Plus all the music will be written for standard viola tuning.

Actually, I was wondering in general. I'm used to EADG, I play electric bass. It didn't matter where it was on the staff or whatever, just if it could be done in order from low to high.

I would require different string gauges, but it could be done. I'm not going to try, I'm fine with CGDA. I'll just have adapt.

Even so, if you read my answer you'd know that it is possible, if one is very careful in choosing the weight of each string. The main goal is to achieve the desired pitch while not increasing the tension of the strings above the one the instrument (viola) was designed to handle. I don't have time to get into the physics of oscillations of a string right now, but will do so later today, if necessary.

Yeah, you'd have to be very careful, though. Tuning up is not a joke, people, you can destroy your instrument. I'm already aware of the basic physics. I've utilized unusual tunings on the guitar before. I've gone as much as whole step up. I'd be concerned about going much beyond that, and that's already on pretty light gauge strings.