Judas gave back the money. Judas was remorseful. You can't say anything more than the Scriptures say.
Peter was remorseful. Peter didn't believe the words of Jesus that he was rise from the grave. As much as you want to see them differently in their actions, the only real difference is Peter lived. He wouldn't have if Jesus hadn't chased Peter down.
Why?
The Arminian narrative is that Jesus abandons those that abandon Him.
Unedited Gospel Tract...
Questions about the Bible by Brother C.W. Miller #53
Acts 1:18; Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
The person being spoken of here is Judas Iscariot; the man who betrayed Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter tells us this; “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among the disciples and was allotted his share in this ministry.” As the author of the book of Acts, Luke goes on to give us this editorial, “(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, Field of Blood.) "For it is written in the Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'” Luke says that Judas bought the field…
This passage is often cited as one of the contradictions in the Bible because the Gospel of Matthew tells us this. “Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.” Matthew says that the priests bought the field instead of Judas. You ask, “Why is this not a contradiction?”
The reason it is not a contraction is because of the original prophecy from King David which says, “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'” Judas’ spiritual wage purchased his next dwelling place where no one lives; a desolate graveyard. Stolen goods sold at a pawn shop can bring a material wage, but Theft also brings a spiritual wage which the priests who are ministers of the ‘killing letters’ of the Law get to spend for you in your stead; have you ever stolen anything? The priests bought his dwelling place for him surreptitiously because that is all that the blood money could legally buy; and because that is where they found him. The Baptist Theologian John Gill says that the Potters field would have several holes where clay was dug out for pottery, and this field was well suited for a grave site because the potter had already pre dug many ‘graves’. Judas hung himself on a tree over an open grave and stayed there long enough for his bowels to gush out. The odds are that you have stolen, and the priests have spent your spiritual wage against your Will and bought you a grave beside Judas in the Field of Blood where you await the Lake of Fire…
The Bible says that ‘cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’. Jesus was hung on a Roman cross which the Bible calls a tree, but Judas tells us that Jesus was an innocent man. Jesus lived a life which pleased God and he willingly gave himself up to be ‘accursed’ and die in our place on a tree for the spiritual wages of our Sins. Men came and took Jesus down from the cross and buried him in an unused grave. After three days Jesus rose from the dead, leaving behind an open grave. He is the Savior of all men; especially of those who believe the Gospel. Put Faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and your Sins will be forgiven! You will be taken down from the tree over your unused grave before your spiritual bowels gush out. Because of your Faith you receive the washing of Regeneration, you are born again to new life; everlasting Life!
John 3:18; He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.