Brands don't really matter when you are looking at bicycles in the price range. All the major manufacterers are having these frames built in the same factories by the same workers and the quality is identical. The geometries may be a little different from one bike to the next but neither frame will be 'better' than the other.
You may be overthinking this- I know it's a lot of money but both options are good bikes.
Most people buy their first bike to figure out what they want from their next bike. Either bike will be a good ride and you can always upgrade components later as you figure out what will be important to your riding style (utility, speed, comfort, reliability, ect.).