Shift improver kits B&M and Transgo.

It's not easy to compare apples to oranges but here goes.

Automatics are almost always faster unless you can shift like Ronnie Sox. They are more user friendly (i.e. not everyone knows how to drive a stick shift).

Stick shifts generally get better fuel economy. Some people prefer to drive a stick even though an automatic is easier (my Dad always went with a stick car but I'm an automatic guy). Stick shifts don't require a shift kit to bark the tires when shifting.

Those are just a couple pro's/cons off the top of my head