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"I was wondering how the rate compared to Hitler's"
Stalin's absolute rule (1928-53) lasted for 25 years, Hitler's rule for 12. So, Stalin's victims are spread over longer time period, which makes absolute average rate a bit lower. Comparison of surge (or purge) rates would be much more involved. Besides, one needs to consider the relative rates (in percents or per large unit of population - say, per million per year).

I think there can be little doubt that Hitler killed
not only at a faster rate but in a shorter time. Most
experts believe that most of Hitler's six million victims
were disposed of within about six years. The liquidation
process was also an automated "assembly line" leading to
the crematoria. The Nazis were demonic but highly efficient. Stalin was in "absolute" power from about 1928
until his death in 1953 and had more time to perpetrate
his horrors. Alan Bullock is a great historian and when
I was in college I had to read his book, "Hitler: A
Study in Tyranny". Right now I have another book of his
which I must confess I havn't read yet -- it's on my
shelf of "required reading". It's titled "Hitler and
Stalin - Parallel Lives". It's (are you ready for this?)
over 1000 pages. I'm sure he'll give precise data for
their respective atrocities within timeframes. Another
thing I think it's important for us to realize is that
Communism was (and to some extent still is) a worldwide
phenomenon that existed for about 70 years in Russia
but its horrors were not limited to the Soviet Union.
I'll close with a quote from The Black Book of Communism.
Speaking of worldwide Communism,it lists nine locations
and gives the estimated number of deaths for each location.
It concludes:

"The total approaches 100 million people killed."