Is their a quality difference ?
Yes. Absolutely yes.
I seriously doubt any of the third-party knock-off bands are as good as an Apple band. That's why Apple can charge a premium for their bands. Not just because they spend more money on making them, but because they are categorically better. But price is a consideration for everybody.
First, quality of third party knockoffs are all over the map, from poor to really pretty good. Very good to excellent? I don't believe so, but that's me.
Second, not everybody has the same requirements or reasons for choosing bands. For some people, as long as it's cheap and looks something like an Apple band so others think they spent a lot of money, they're happy. Others like the look of the Apple bands, don't care that they're not Apple, and are willing to make some compromise. The amount of compromise is usually related to the price.
I have a couple of knockoff Sport bands and am awaiting a KO Milanese band as well. I'm not ready to pay Apple pricing for them if I can find something that looks good (and not all KOs do!) and works acceptable.
In contrast, I just bought the previous version of the Apple Classic Buckle for $149. I don't like the new version's buckle, and NOBODY that I could find makes a simple, elegant band as nice as the Apple Classic Buckle. Maybe Hermès. But I don't have Rene Ritchie money. There are other nice leather bands, well made, cheaper, but not like the Classic buckle, so I bit the bullet.
Nothing is perfect, not even Apple kit. Something can go wrong. The one compromise to avoid is in reliability. You don't want a band to break and result in loss or damage to your Watch.
So balance what you get with what you're paying. Only you know what is acceptable and makes you happy.