295$ is not that much cheaper.

That's the non-DIY variant. That's of course more expensive.

I got more than enough cherry keyboards, so i had switches and some high quality keycaps (the black cherry ones), and the experience of building it. The PCBs only cost 35€.

I've had the ergodox ez for a while now. Really like it. I had the advantage in the past and it didn't work well for me. I made a 3d printable tent kit for the Ergodox EZ which has worked really well for me too. https://github.com/rothgar/ergodox-ez-tent-kit