STI style shifters, or "brifters", all pretty much mech the same. The Sora has this cheesy sharp little thumb tab release though. If all you've ever used is trigger shifters, then brifters may seem awkward at first. They are, however, irritatingly ergonomically perfect, allowing you to brake and shift while firmly planted in either the drops or on the hoods or ramps.
When I converted my flat-bar roadie commuter to drops, I didn't put brifters on because they cost a butt load when you buy them seperately (approx $300!). My solution was to have our aluminum shop re-tool the clamp diameter on my R-440 shifters so they would fit a drop bar. It works, but it's not as ergonomically correct as an STI type system.
R-440s are nice shifters. The only way they may be "better" than the Sora is that they are considered a Tiagra level component. However, the ergonomics of a "brifter" have already been discussed. And they won't fit a drop bar without some fairly advanced tooling.

Shimano also makes a shifter called the R-500, which is an 8 speed brifter of Tiagra level quality. Much better than the Sora brifter, but still 8 speed. Also not stock on a single bike I've ever seen, and $300 for the pair. Ouch.