Muzzle brakes have the advantage of compactness & can be quite isthetic on some styles of rifle. They don't however help you make friends. LOL.
Moderators are not pretty, but they do help you protect your hearing.
One problem with muzzle breaks is that they raise dust & muck clouds when used over bare ground. The muck gets everywhere - in your rifle , on the scope lenses, in your eyes, up your nose --- everywhere! It also impedes vision after the shot. You can get a dust problem with a bare muzzle rifle too, but nowhere near as bad. With a moderated rifle you don't suffer that way.
I sometimes shoot at the new Inverarnie range near Inverness & this has been a problem there. Hopefully in time the firing points will get some grass on them. - Till then I'll be taking a groundsheet to peg out under the muzzle.
Ian