Hi @alexlii,
Welcome.
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You can read about the differences here.
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I ran tests on performance in February. You can read about that here. ClassicPress was faster. I’m not aware of any further testing that may have taken place, but, I suspect that we’ve gained even more performance since then.
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If a plugin or theme is compatible with WP 4.9.x, then it should be compatible with ClassicPress. However, there have been instances where it was discovered that plugin developers had stated their (WP) plugins were compatible with WP 4.9.x which actually weren’t compatible and, therefore, were also not compatible with ClassicPress. In those cases, developers have been receptive to fixing their code to bring it back into compatibility with WP 4.9.x and, therefore, ClassicPress 1.x.x. As a general rule, if the plugin states support WP 4.9.x, it should be compatible with ClassicPress with the exception of any Automattic-related (ie, Gutenberg, Jetpack) functionality.
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ClassicPress is steered by the community, not by an individual. This means changes/features are voted by the community and far less likely subject to self-interest. The community here is much warmer, accepting, and isn’t prone to censorship. We’re transparent and you can follow virtually everything that you want to. We encourage positive discussion, even when someone’s intention was only to toss a grenade into the works. We value folks from all backgrounds and understand that everyone can provide value to the project. We also don’t have to jump through hoops to deal with the Gutenberg editor - our editor just plain works. ClassicPress works just like the WordPress we’d all come to know and love and there are no new learning curves just to use the platform. All in all, we are the breath of fresh air that WordPress eventually lost.
So, yeah… this has been my experience with ClassicPress over the last year. 