Isn't Liu Bang from the Chu-Han Contention more similar to Cao Cao than Liu Bei?

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I personally find the Chu-Han Contention less interesting than the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
One reason for this is the humanity of the protagonist, Liu Bang.
In the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei is truly the hero among heroes.
Even when in personal danger, he leads the people to safety, and he would even sacrifice his own children for his subordinates.
In his final words, he even told Zhuge Liang to rule in place of his son if his son proved incapable of politics...
But Liu Bang is simply the embodiment of worldly desires.
He loves money and women (during the entry into Xianyang, his subordinates like Zhang Liang barely managed to restrain him as he was distracted by wealth and women).
When faced with a life-threatening crisis, he even threw his own child from his carriage...
After unifying the empire, he purged all the meritorious officials like Han Xin, Ying Bu, and Peng Yue... all because of his own greed.
On the other hand, would Liu Bei have purged Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or Zhuge Liang just to unify the world?
Absolutely not... He was a man who told Zhuge Liang that it was okay even if his son lost the throne.
Rather, doesn't Liu Bang's ruthlessness, lust, and ability to use talent effectively make him more similar to Cao Cao?
Killing Xu Zhu (Ye Bosha) and constantly looking for opportunities to kill Sima Yi is similar to how Liu Bang purged his meritorious officials.
Why is Liu Bang always compared to Liu Bei? Is it just because they share the same surname, Liu?