I have both, and have carried both for extended periods.
Pick one. We gunnies tend to nitpick over the tiniest details.
That said.
Using
Handgunhero to compare the S&W 642 and Ruger .38 LCR, they are dimensionally very comparable. The LCR shows as slightly longer and taller, but handgunhero uses stock grips as part of those dimensions.
MRSP on the 762 is $539, as of 2022nov24. MSRP on the basic .39 LCR is $719. Ouch, MSRP on the Ruger took quite a jump on those.
At this instant, Bud's gun shop is showing the .38 LCR at $454. (That's more like it.) S&W 642 at $519.
When I was first looking at these, around 2016, the LCR was in the low $400s, and the S&W about $50 less.
So, yeah, shop around.
Hard to quantify. A thing meant to be functional and seldom seen judged by a vague esthetic standard.
Either ride about as well in my pocket, or an IWB concealment holster. For me.