They are different in kind, not just in amount. One is a gift to the U.S. government plus a processing fee; the other is capital invested and at risk in a business that must create jobs.
Compare what happens to the money
Hypothetical example: With EB-5, capital is invested at risk in a commercial enterprise and must create at least ten qualifying full-time jobs; Form I-829 later tests whether the investment was sustained and whether the jobs were created or can be expected within a reasonable time. A Gold Card gift is not an investment: there is no enterprise, job-creation obligation, business-performance condition or expectation of return. The current gift and processing-fee amounts must be taken from the official Gold Card source and re-verified before payment. Framing the choice as only a price comparison misses that the two routes impose different legal and financial obligations.
Confirm the amount, payment recipient, processing charge and refund terms directly from the current official materials before comparing this framework with an investment route. Hypothetical example: An ornamental-plant nursery owner is offered a package that combines a private advisory invoice with a purported government amount. The decision is whether each charge has an official basis and whether the applicant pays it directly into the U.S. government. This framework never operates as a visa, nor does it purchase an investment.
Keep personal advisory charges distinct from any government payment. That separation makes it possible to evaluate refund risk and the actual destination of funds.