Are cheap Amazon dot-grid notebooks really comparable to Leuchtturm1917?

For basic writing and bullet journaling, specialist subreddits like r/notebooks and r/bujo repeatedly say budget options like Rettacy, Paperage, and CAGIE are genuinely usable, with thicker paper than the standard Leuchtturm in some cases. Where Leuchtturm still pulls ahead is consistency, binding quality, paper sizing accuracy, and resale-grade finishing. You're paying for QC and brand polish, not necessarily better paper on every spec sheet.