Two cards, one slot. Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos get compared constantly because they compete for the same job in Commander decks — but...
Two cards, one slot. Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos get compared constantly because they compete for the same job in Commander decks — but they are not the same card, and the right answer depends on what your deck is already doing. This comparison works from the exact oracle text, mana value, and type line of both, and ends with a verdict by deck type.
Grave Pact, read exactly
Grave Pact is a Enchantment (mana cost {1}{B}{B}{B}; rarity: mythic; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Commander Masters):
Whenever a creature you control dies, each other player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
Dictate of Erebos, read exactly
Dictate of Erebos is a Enchantment (mana cost {3}{B}{B}; rarity: rare; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Journey into Nyx):
Flash
Whenever a creature you control dies, each opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice.
Check both wordings any time in the MTGBrew card database, and prototype the swap in the MTGBrew AI deck builder before you commit a slot to either.
The verdict, by deck type
Both cards make your creatures' deaths cost every opponent a creature, so the choice is about timing and colour commitment. The enchantment with flash can be deployed at instant speed in response to a board wipe or a lethal attack, turning an opponent's best turn into their worst; the classic version costs less mana overall but announces itself a turn cycle earlier. Aristocrats decks that control their own sacrifice timing are happy with either; reactive decks and metas full of sweepers should pay for the flash. Black-heavy lists casting either on curve should also weigh the double-black cost against their mana base honestly.
If this topic is on your bench, keep going with Carpet of Flowers in Commander: What It Does and Which Decks Want It — it covers the neighbouring decisions from a different angle, and the two pieces together give you a fuller picture than either one alone.
The short version
Neither card wins in the abstract. The one that wins in your deck is the one whose text matches the board states your list already creates on ordinary turns — and now you have both texts in front of you to judge that honestly.
Keep reading
Keep reading: Carpet of Flowers in Commander: What It Does and Which Decks Want It and Who Should Join the MTGBrew Affiliate Program? A Guide for MTG Creators.
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