Will metal film resistors with the same parameters be better than thick film resistors?

In the selection of electronic components, metal film resistors and thick film resistors with the same parameters (usually referring to the same resistance, rated power, and package size) have their own advantages and disadvantages. It cannot be simply said that metal film is always "better" than thick film, the key lies in your specific application needs.

The following is a comparison of the main characteristics of the two under the same parameters:

1. Accuracy (tolerance) and Temperature Coefficient (TCR):
Metal film: usually significantly better than thick film resistors. Metal film resistors can achieve higher accuracy (such as 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%) and lower temperature coefficients (such as ± 15ppm/° C, ± 25ppm/° C, ± 50ppm/° C). This is the core advantage of metal film.   
Thick film: The standard accuracy is usually low (such as 1%, 5%), and the temperature coefficient is relatively high (such as ± 100ppm/° C, ± 200ppm/° C or higher). Although there are precision thick film resistors (with an accuracy of 0.5% or 0.1% and a TCR of ± 50ppm/° C), their cost will significantly increase and may approach or even exceed that of metal film resistors of the same level.

2. Noise:
Metal film: It has very low current noise (mainly Johnson noise) and is a better choice for low-noise applications such as audio preamplifiers and precision measuring instruments.
Thick film: Due to the particle structure and interface effects of resistive materials (metal oxide/glass mixtures), relatively high current noise (excess noise) is generated. In low-level signals or high gain circuits, this may become a problem.

3. High frequency characteristics:
Metal film: In order to achieve high resistance, it is usually necessary to etch spiral grooves on the thin film, which introduces significant parasitic inductance. Poor performance in high-frequency applications such as radio frequency.   
Thick film: The structure is more uniform and the parasitic inductance is very small. It usually performs better in high-frequency applications and is a common choice for RF circuits.

4. Long term stability/aging:
Metal film: usually has better long-term stability. Under normal usage conditions, the drift of resistance with time and environmental (temperature and humidity) changes is relatively small. The power rating is more stable after use.
Thick film: Its long-term stability is usually not as good as that of metal film, especially under high temperature, high humidity, or high power applications, where resistance drift may be more pronounced. Modern techniques and materials, such as moisture-proof glaze layers, have greatly improved this, but metal films remain the benchmark.

5. Pulse load capacity/surge tolerance:
Metal film: The thin film structure is relatively fragile, with weak tolerance to instantaneous overload or high pulse power, and is prone to open circuit or resistance drift due to overheating.
Thick film: Its bulk material structure and larger thermal mass give it stronger resistance to pulse overload. This is an important advantage of thick film resistors, suitable for circuits that may encounter surge impacts (such as power input filtering, motor drive).

6. Power density:
Thick film: typically has higher power density. Thick film resistors can often withstand higher rated power (or smaller size at the same power) within the same package size. This is due to its material and structure.
Metal film: relatively low power density. In order to achieve the same power, metal film resistors may require larger dimensions or better heat dissipation design.

7. Cost:
Thick film: The cost is significantly lower than that of metal film resistors, especially in mass production. This is the core advantage of thick film resistors, making them the mainstream choice in fields such as consumer electronics and general industrial control.
Metal film: The manufacturing process is more complex (vacuum deposition, laser resistance adjustment) and the cost is higher.

Summary and selection suggestions:

Choose a metal film resistor if:
High precision and low temperature drift are the primary requirements (precision measurement, reference voltage source, signal conditioning, instrumentation amplifier).
Low noise is crucial (audio, sensor interface, weak signal amplification).
Requires excellent long-term stability (high reliability equipment, aerospace, medical equipment).
Cost is not the main limiting factor.
Choose thick film resistors, if:
Cost is the main driving factor (consumer electronics, bulk products).
Requires good high-frequency characteristics (termination/pull-up/pull-down of RF circuits and high-speed digital circuits).
Require high resistance to pulse/surge (power input/output, switch circuit, motor control).
Higher power is required in a limited space (due to its power density).
The requirements for accuracy and temperature drift are not high (such as pull-up/pull-down resistors in ordinary digital circuits, LED current limiting, and non precision voltage divider).
The noise requirements are not strict.

Conclusion:

Under the same parameters, metal film resistors are usually superior to thick film resistors in terms of accuracy, temperature drift, noise, and long-term stability. If you are pursuing these performance indicators, then metal film is a better choice.

However, thick film resistors have significant advantages in high-frequency performance, pulse resistance, power density, and cost. If your application values these aspects more, or has low requirements for accuracy/temperature drift/noise and is cost sensitive, then thick film resistors are a more economical and practical choice.

Therefore, 'better' depends on your specific application scenario and priority. When selecting, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the key requirements of the circuit for resistance performance and compare them with the data manual of the specific model.