NFS vs Forza?

My whole life I’ve only ever played Need for Speed racing games and I love them. I like the open world concept, evading cops, unlocking, buying and customizing cars, and doing crazy races with really fast cars. NFS heat is my favorite racing game I’ve ever played. I know very little about Forza, can anyone speak to/compare Forza horizon 5 to NFS heat? Is the gameplay similar? Are you racing against the computer or other people online? Do you unlock better cars throughout the game?