So my question is, is it worth losing 1/4 Hp in exchange for a less expensive router with presumably the same construction (bearings, collet, etc.) and probably easier wiring (no modification to bypass the speed control) to the SuperPID?
You won't really lose 1/4HP. In reality, there's probably no noticeable difference, unless you run it right to the point of stalling it.
When using the Super-PID, it only provides enough power to maintain the requested rpm. So most of the time, it'll be running at much less than 2HP.