Although air compressors and scuba regulators both deal with compressed air, the similarities between the two pieces of equipment end there. They are designed for different purposes, and only intersect at the point of filling a scuba regulator's air tank. This is generally done using a high-quality air compressor, loading a tank to approximately 3000 psi.
Air Quality
Air compressors use a motorized pump to compress the air into a pressure container. Inexpensive compressors, like the kind you use to fill a tire or supply a nail gun, take no steps regarding the quality of that air. Breathing air from an unfiltered compressor can quickly produce ill health effects including death. The air that passes through a scuba regulator must be of breathable quality, and requires high-end compressors to fill the tank a regulator attaches to.
Size
Air compressors are large pieces of equipment, often not easily portable by an individual without tools. Even "portable" air compressors are heavy and bulky as compared to many other tools. A scuba regulator, by contrast, is a small device designed to be easily carried by somebody swimming with many pounds of other equipment.
Air Pressure
The air coming out of a compressor at far too high a pressure to breathe safely. It would literally overfill your lungs. A scuba regulator attaches to the end of a series of step-down stages that convert the high-pressure compressed air in a scuba tank to air of breathable pressure.
Power Needs
An air compressor requires a power source to run its pump motor -- most often electricity. A scuba regulator uses physical pressure generated by the diver, and requires no external power. Since they are used underwater, this lack of electricity is -- to risk understatement -- fortunate.
Design Purpose
Air compressors and scuba regulators fulfill two very different functions. An air compressor takes in air at low pressure and pumps it into a higher pressure area. This makes the air more easily portable. A scuba regulator controls the flow of air through a breathing apparatus, allowing a diver to safely and reliably access the compressed air in her tanks.
Cost
Air compressor costs are comparable to other power tools, with a low-end price tag in the low hundreds. A scuba regulator is two to three times the price, due to the precision required and the added cost of portability. However, a high-quality air compressor capable of pumping out breathable air will cost four or five times as much as a high-quality regulator.
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