Sounds exactly the same. There are no cheap aircraft. Everything that flies is subject to innumerable laws and regulations to ensure that it is built to exceedingly high standards. There is no such thing as a discount aircraft with lesser reliability. Some are cheaper than others but none are deliberately less-reliable, not in any fundamental way. Even ultralights have to abide many regulations.

I can buy an ultralight with cash. I can't come close to a commercial aircraft with cash.

Yes ultralights have some regulations, but even general aviation has less regulations resulting in cheaper aircraft, to say nothing of ultralights.