According to wikipedia there are 5 kinds of Sambo:
* Sport Sambo (Borba Sambo) is stylistically similar to amateur wrestling or Judo. The competition is similar to Judo, but with some differences in rules, protocol, and uniform. For example, in contrast with Judo, Sambo allows all types of leg locks, while not allowing chokeholds.[4]
* Self-defense Sambo, which is similar to Aikijutsu, jujutsu or Aikido, and is based on self-defense application, such as defending against attacks by both armed and unarmed attackers. Many practitioners consider Self-Defense Sambo as part of Combat Sambo and not a system unto itself.
* Combat Sambo (Russian: Боевое Самбо, Boyevoye Sambo). Utilized and developed for the military, combat sambo includes practice with weapons, including disarming techniques. Competition in combat sambo resembles older forms of judo and modern mixed martial arts, including extensive forms of striking and grappling. The first FIAS World Sambo Championships were held in 2001.
* Special Sambo - developed for Army Special Forces and Rapid Reaction Police (Militsija) teams and other law enforcement formations. The "Special Sambo" version differ from team to team due to different tasks and aims, however the base of any special system developed in that field is of course Sambo. The term "Special Sambo" is a relatively new term which refers to specialized versions of combat sambo.
* Freestyle Sambo - Uniquely American Set of competitive sambo rules created by the American Sambo Association (ASA) in 2004. These rules differ from traditional sport sambo in that they allow choke holds and other submissions from combat sambo that are not permitted in sport sambo. Freestyle Sambo, like all sambo, focuses on throwing skill and fast ground work. No strikes are permitted in Freestyle Sambo. The ASA created this rule set in order to encourage non-sambo practitioners from judo and jujutsu to participate in sambo events.
I would think BJJ is easier to learn in the sense that you are more likely to be able to find a qualified instructor. Other than that it seems like you are comparing apples to oranges.