He was worse, in that he had another government propping him up. Nobody in Iran is nostalgic for the Shah. But they also think that the revolutionary regime isn't any different in the way it treats the people. Much like no one in Russia ever wanted the Czar back but that didn't mean they were happy with the Soviet government.
It's not a zero-sum game or contest. Both can be rotten. But if this were still the Shah's regime at its height with the CIA training Savak, there would not have even been the possibility of this protest accomplishing anything. That's the difference. All the protesters would already be dead and there would be no debate now among those actually running Iran. Now those leaders are fighting among themselves over this.
And in other news, it appears the "president" of Iran has skipped out on his country. I imagine when he ran to Russia he assumed the Basij would end this over the weekend. My, he looks stupid now. Good luck getting back in, Mr. Ahmadinejad! http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/18/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-iran