Better? That's a judgment call - you'd have to play with each and make the call for yourself.
As far as I'm concerned though, I prefer the steady pressure of a pump machine to the varying pressure of a lever. But I'll admit that my lever experience is limited to one machine and then for less than three months.
That said, my dream machine is a vintage 2-group lever made by Gaggia of Spain. Once I get that I'll get rid of my pump monsters and join the ranks of the converted.