Although they're both sodbusters, they're 2 rather different knives. Apart from the slight length difference, the CF Case is linerless, while the GEC has liners and rather thick delrin scales. I haven't seen a side-by-side, but I imagine the Case CF is far thinner. The Case has stainless steel, the GEC has O-1 carbon steel. The GEC, oddly IMO, is a rather refined knife for a "working" tool, with the half-stop and the subtle swedging on the spine.
I don't really think one can be considered "better" than the other; one has to weigh their personal preferences.
It is rather silly that someone would scoff at a $50 sodbuster simply because it's a $50 sodbuster. When you look at the quality of materials, construction, and refinement of the GEC, it's obvious where the extra money goes. Do they scoff at a $40 Queen sodbuster, or do they let the extra cost slide because it has D2 steel? If they're looking for a cheap, disposable, hardworking knife, then a Case sodbuster is a good buy at $20. But a Queen Country Cousin at $40 and a GEC Bullnose at $50 are also good buys.