If I was choosing between the two I would go with Ikea, hands down. I would look for a small kitchen and bath retailer near you. There is a good chance that they will be able to get you a higher quality cabinet for less than or similar price to Ikea. We sell J&K cabinets which are very high ... More on reddit.com

I’ve done four IKEA kitchens now. I can’t believe that’s true, but here we are… I love the boxes and the inserts and the flexibility of the pieces. That being said, a few caveats: I would recommend getting white doors only, as we have very visible white gaps behind our blue doors and we’re now trying to prime and paint the boxes to match the doors (eye roll). The first three kitchens had white doors. In our third kitchen, we got custom (white) doors from Scherr’s, which was a great choice and elevated the look. That was a good call. We also had a situation where the whole kitchen was built, but one door was on a mysterious back order so it was about three months without one corner cabinet door. Islands can be tricky - just keep that in mind if it’s relevant to you. Also, would highly recommend building your kitchen with one planner then reviewing with a different one to get two sets of eyes on it. More on reddit.com

We did our Ikea kitchen just over 10 years ago. Everything still looks brand new. We are not easy on them by any stretch. I regularly kick drawers and doors closed. My kids are far from gentle or coordinated, etc. The Ikea appliances have all been replaced in that time, but the cabinets are solid. I even got creative and used some matching cabinet doors as shelves. One holds my microwave and is right next to the cooktop. Our rice cooker and air fryer are underneath. No sag, no bubbling, none of the complaints people seem to warn you about. 10/10 would recommend. More on reddit.com

I'm a pro cabinetmaker. It pains me. Really, really pains me to say this. But I will, because I believe in honesty (and you're not getting a quote from me...) IKEA cabinets are decent, with caveats. As for build quality, unless you're going either high end or custom spec, they're on par with the majority of other things put there that cost a lot more. IKEA has been in the engineered board game for a very long time and it shows. Their business model is one of efficient manufacturing by limiting variances. Limited colours and finishes, limited layouts and options mean they can focus on making a better product, rather than a huge range. They go with what works and stick with it. The hardware is really, really good for the price point. I'll even admit that I've used IKEA hardware in some of my builds (not a full kitchen, but some furniture) when my supplier didn't have what I needed. They also supply parts, often for free. Keep the manual and if you blow a hinge or drawer slide, customer service can likely give you a replacement on the spot. My supplier will put me through hell for warranty, IKEA has thrown me a bag of parts and said "There's probably triple what you need, but hang on to them if you need them". Probably the biggest endorsement I can give is to say that if I was doing my own kitchen and didn't want to make my stuff, it would be my first choice. The quality has improved greatly over the last couple of decades, to the point that I think it has surpassed most of the other "ready built" manufacturers. Most of the people will compare it to either full wood or custom spec cabinets ($$$$$), where that isn't their market. They make stuff for the average person who wants nice on a budget. There are a lot of overseas "wholesale outlets" out there selling solid wood for cheap...but the wood is iffy quality and prone to warping and shifting when transported, the hardware is awful and the finishes are horribly toxic. I would never, ever buy something like that from an overseas seller. Too many risks and not nearly enough quality control. More on reddit.com