Do I need a Hatch, or is a $20 Amazon sound machine enough?

This is the single most-debated question in the parenting subreddits we read, and the honest answer is split. Reviewers who value scheduling, an OK-to-Wake light, and an app workflow tend to recommend the Hatch; those who just want reliable white noise overwhelmingly say a $20 Dreamegg, Magicteam, or generic brown-noise machine does the same core job without subscription nags or Wi-Fi flakiness.