Darkcoin uses the exact same Bitcoin API and Bitcoin code base, so if I am deciding on a coin to add to my service right now, I would definitely add Darkcoin over Monero. Just because Monero uses a completely different codebase (Cryptonote) that hasn't endured the test of time yet and there are some basics things missing like an official GUI wallet. So if you are offering a service that is focused on the public at large, people are probably going to find having to use a CLI to be an obstacle for adoption. This is why I dont consider Monero a direct competitor for Darkcoin and wish the project the best, but they still have a long way to go and are definitely not ready for wider adoption yet. I think that also shows on the market cap DRK market cap is approx. 5x that of XMR
Darkcoin's privacy is obfuscation based, unlike Monero's zero-knowledge ring signatures.
In the latest TOR attack, which took down 400+ dark sites, we've seen how vulnerable the obfuscation approach is to Sybil attacks.
Darkcoin code is only released sometime after an update, but Monero is truly 100% open.