Its definitely worse than either, even with the ability to tap without damaging you, but that just gives budget EDH decks a new tool to improve their mana bases
Belle Mechanic Extraordinaire from the Ruby/Sapphire starter deck gets an upgrade with an expansive view of the island and its maze
Then you get to the real payoff, Chapter III, which gives another creature you control +X/+X and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of lands you control
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions
With so many disparate little synergy packages, its difficult to find a strategy that works consistently and reliably