The Wildcat had better armor than the Zero(who would explode if you shot it’s fuselage), hydraulic controls, self sealing gas tanks, and lots of firepower.
The Zero had a twin 20mm cannon and twin 13.7mm MGs, which, imho, gave it a fire power advantage over both the Wildcat and the Hellcat’s six 0.50 Cal. The Hellcat was an entirely new airframe.