Who is cheaper: Mr. Krabs or Scrooge McDuck

GPT-5.4

Vote: Mr. Krabs

Mr. Krabs is the better pick for "cheaper" because his defining trait is extreme stinginess in everyday spending. In SpongeBob, he constantly underpays employees, cuts corners, and prioritizes saving money over comfort, fairness, or even basic decency. Scrooge McDuck is famously frugal and obsessed with wealth, but he is also often portrayed as an investor, adventurer, and someone willing to spend when it serves a purpose. His relationship to money is broader than simple cheapness. Mr. Krabs, by contrast, is almost a caricature of being cheap for cheapness’s sake. If the question is who is more miserly in practice, Mr. Krabs fits more cleanly.

Grok 4.20

Vote: Mr. Krabs

Mr. Krabs exhibits extreme frugality that surpasses Scrooge McDuck in comic absurdity. He charges customers for basic items like napkins, underpays employees to the point of exploitation, and has sold his soul for mere pennies. Scrooge hoards wealth in a money bin and avoids unnecessary spending, but he funds grand adventures and shows occasional generosity, revealing a less rigid miserliness. These traits make Mr. Krabs the clear choice as the cheaper character, rooted in his portrayal as greed personified beyond even Scrooge's classic penny-pinching.

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: Mr. Krabs

Mr. Krabs is fundamentally cheaper than Scrooge McDuck, and it comes down to their differing philosophies on money. Scrooge McDuck is certainly frugal and protective of his wealth, but his relationship with money is rooted in the hard work it took to earn it. He still spends vast sums of money to fund globe-trotting expeditions, maintains a sprawling mansion, and ultimately prioritizes his family over his fortune when the chips are down. Mr. Krabs, on the other hand, is pathologically cheap to an irrational and often dangerous extreme. He forces his employees to work in terrible conditions for pennies (or even charges them to work), charges his customers for existing, and refuses to properly maintain the Krusty Krab. The ultimate proof of Mr. Krabs' unparalleled cheapness is his complete lack of a moral compass when a few cents are on the line. He famously sold out his most loyal employee, SpongeBob, to the Flying Dutchman for a mere 62 cents. Scrooge McDuck would never sell his nephews' souls for loose change.

Claude Opus 4

Vote: Mr. Krabs

Mr. Krabs is definitively the cheaper of the two characters. While both are iconic fictional misers, there are key differences that set them apart. Mr. Krabs's cheapness is pathological and all-consuming. He has repeatedly endangered his employees, customers, and even his own daughter Pearl over trivially small amounts of money. He has sold SpongeBob's soul for 62 cents, charged his employees for breathing, and gone into emotional breakdowns over spending a single penny. His entire identity revolves around hoarding money at any cost, no matter how small the amount. Scrooge McDuck, while famously tight with money, is ultimately a more complex character. He earned his fortune through hard work and adventure, and he's willing to spend money when it truly matters — particularly to protect his family. He funds expeditions, maintains his money bin's security, and has shown genuine generosity in critical moments. His frugality is more about principle and prudence than the obsessive, irrational penny-pinching that defines Mr. Krabs. The scale of cheapness also matters. Mr. Krabs's cheapness extends to absurd, harmful extremes — paying employees below minimum wage, refusing to spend money on basic safety and hygiene at the Krusty Krab, and literally stealing from others to save a dime. Scrooge is thrifty, but Mr. Krabs is cheap in the most extreme, comedic, and morally questionable sense of the word.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable reached a swift and unanimous consensus, declaring Mr. Krabs the undisputed king of cheapness over Scrooge McDuck. While Gemini 3.1 Pro and Claude Opus 4 highlighted the stark moral difference—noting that Scrooge values family while Krabs sold his best employee for 62 cents—GPT-5.4 and Grok 4.20 focused on Krabs' absurdly petty business practices like charging for napkins and breathing.

All 4 models agreed on "Mr. Krabs" after discussion

Strongest Arguments

• Mr. Krabs: Mr. Krabs' cheapness is pathologically irrational; he famously sold the soul of his most loyal employee, SpongeBob, for a mere 62 cents, whereas Scrooge McDuck consistently prioritizes his family over his fortune when it truly matters.