The operative word is “steady”!
A cheap-ass steadicam you built using $15 worth of parts is better than no stabilizing tool at all, especially if you practice diligently with it, but it’s not a $1000 Steadicam, and it’s not realistic to compare the two. Make do with what you’ve got.
Point in fact, I have enjoyed using my $15 “Steadipipe,” but I have also used a real Steadicam in the hands of someone who knew how to use it. Obviously, his results were better than mine. There are always tradeoffs.
In retrospect: I still use that stead-i-pipe!