Apples and oranges
"The Hobbit" was written as a children's tale, with that flavor of the author talking directly to the reader that good children's stories sometimes have. "The Lord of the Rings" was a brilliant adult epic, set in the same universe. Each excels in its field.
"The Hobbit" is like sitting by a fireplace with a warm quilt and a cup of cocoa. "Lord of the Rings" is like looking over the Grand Canyon at sunset.
These aren't the same, but neither of them suck.