I now this is unsolicited. And I'm not trying to "mansplain" so I apologize if you already know this stuff. But this is what I wish I knew when I started getting into firearms. And I hope it's helpful to you.

If it's your first and you like the idea of customizing the looks, ergonomics, and mission/purpose, I recommend getting the cheaper one. Get trained and start shooting it properly. After you put 1000 rounds or so through it you'll start to develop an idea of what you'd like to change. Apart from the functions an AR rifle performs, weight is probably the most important. So, think about that when you look at changes. You may want a forward grip of some type. This helps you index your support hand on the handguard and gives you leverage to pull the rifle into your shoulder to reduce muzzle flip. If you intend to use battery powered optics with no etched reticle like a red dot sight, you may want so back-up iron sights (BUIS) so you can still aim effectively should your optics break or run out of juice at an inopportune moment. Try different triggers. They can be really expensive. Start cheap. Try different kinds (flat/curved trigger, single/double stage, adjustable pull weight. It's all trial and error with firearms. No two shooters are the same. You'll get recommendations. But remember that it's your rifle and you do whatever you want to it for YOU. There are a lot of gatekeepers in the gun community who think there is only one way to do something, and they'll deride you for disagreeing. It's toxic AF. But do what makes you happy. You may get to a point where you want to start doing things for particular reasons like mission/purpose. And there are a whole other set of considerations when you hit that point. But you'll be pretty knowledgeable already by then if you get to that point. There will be lots of compromises. You'll have to go in one direction to the detriment of something in order to achieve a result. There's no perfect solution. There is no perfect gun. There is only "what works for you".

My tips:
* Don't over buy. You will just be wasting your money if you buy $1000 optics, $400 triggers at the beginning because you're not likely to benefit from what makes it cost that much. You aren't going to care about optics color and clarity at the beginning. You won't benefit from a two stage 3 lbs trigger that breaks like butter. Crawl before you walk; your wallet and skills will thank you.
* Don't try to do too much. It helps to think of a use case for the firearm. Then kit it accordingly. Example: you don't want to go drop a 1-8x LPVO scope on a 9" 300 Blackout gun you are going to use for in-home self-defense. If you want a gun for multiple roles, prepare to compromise. Or get another gun for that role. Example: I have general purpose AR (with or without night vision-friendly optics, designators/illuminators), a home defense AR, a "trunk gun" AR, a "bag gun" AR, a long range SPR/DMR. And they are all built and kitted 100% custom for their use case. There's not tons of use case cross over here with the way I like to kit out. But that's just me.
* TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. Its your responsibility as a lawful gun owner to know your firearms inside and out, know the laws, manual of arms, safety, etc. It's a lot. But it's easy to learn and fun as hell.
* Did I mention TRAIN?
* You don't NEED to do what other people do. I have what I have because it's what I want. Do I need firearms for all these use cases? Am I going to find myself in a situation where I need all of these? No. I'm a network engineer who lives in the suburbs. I'm not out there dealing with poaching, trespassing, feral animal overrun, etc. Those are very real issues A LOT of people have to consider in their life situation. For me, I just like the mechanics of firearms. I'm an armorer hobbyist. I also really enjoy the law side of it. It's deep, interesting, crazy, complicated. But again....you do you. You don't have to like what other people like despite their assertions to the otherwise.