CRS - Live Plants Needed

Plants arent a requirement but they do make shrimp keeping easier. Its an alternate food source. It provides shelter and allows them to feel safer which encourages them to swim all over the tank rather than huddle and hide. Plants help to keep the water clean.

You can get fake plants but they will likely cost just as much as real ones.

Start with mosses. Java moss is relatively inexpensive and maintenance free.

CRS require particular water parameters and clean water above all. Plants do play a part to a degree in the later. If you read some CRS keeping threads, you'll likely notice that most people have problems getting their water parameters to where CRS can survive and breed. Depending on the quality of water out of your tap, you'll have to consider purchasing bottled DI, an RO unit or source some sort of filtered water to even keep CRS which may warrant far more consideration than the plastic plant dilemma at hand.

^ agreed mosses are cheap and grow easily. I'd also get guppy grass too. it grows really fast. Imo fake plants are just tacky and won't do anything for you but waste money and take up space.

If you have a walmart. look for Lotus/Lilly bulbs. they are cheap and grow big.

Moss if the best. Live plants are the only way to go unless you have a tank full of plant eating fish like my 100gal. If you don't have plant eating fish pick up some cheap easy plants like water sprite, duck weed, moss, and ferns are all good and easy.