Depends on the situation.
If you're going to boom, you'll probably want both, crates to get you there faster, resources to keep your economy up and running smoothly.
If you're turtling, chances are you're gonna be holding out for a while, so you'll want gather rate cards.
If you're rushing, crates are probably the way to go, you get lots of resources very fast and you shouldn't be planning on having to keep a strong economy for long, so gather rate cards are pretty useless. Except maybe Furrier in the first age.
"I found no one ripe for many of my thoughts; the case of 'Zarathustra' proves that one can speak with the
utmost clearness, and yet not be heard by any one." - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
"The fearless are merely fearless. People who act in spite of their fear are truly brave."
Oprichniks are the best units in AoE3. Why? It's elementary, they're Horse-riding Russian Pirates, nothing beats Horse-riding Russian Pirates.