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In a jdrama I'm watching (Kazoku Game, for those who're curious), a little boy tells his older brother "兄ちゃんと比較されなければもっと普通に生きられたんだよ!" (if I wasn't compared to nii-chan, I'd've been able to live normally!).

I wasn't familiar with 比較, but am completely familiar with 比べる, used in exactly the same way. In fact, the previous phrase could probably be said as "兄ちゃんと比べられなければもっと普通に生きられたんだよ!"

So my question is: does 比較 have any significant difference with 比べる, perhaps in terms of connotation? Or is it just a mostly meaningless difference in word choice?

If I had to guess, 比較 strikes me as slightly more scholarly, whereas 比べる is probably more simple/direct?

P.S.: I recommend Kazoku Game. After the first episode or two, it actually gets quite good :3

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This is just another problem. 比較する is a kango, and thus sounds stiffer. There is no fundamental difference in meaning, but they have to be chosen according to the formality, seriousness and so on.

In your case, 兄ちゃんと比較されなければ and 兄ちゃんと比べられなければ share the same meaning, but the former sounds like she is a little more mature and/or serious.

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