Nothing can compete with a good Kamado in terms of versatility and taste IMO. It's an all in one solution for great everything. You don't need a BGE, I agree Kamado Joe is probably the best Kamado out there right now in terms of value, but they're both expensive.
Both of those will run you between $1,000-$1,600 new depending on which options you want. But they're also ceramic and will never rust, so they're going to outlast a pellet smoker, should last a lifetime with proper care, and they're lower maintenance too.
You can get knock off brand Kamado's in the $500-$600 range on sale, like a Visions or Pit Boss, I've got no experience with those though.
All that said, pellet smokers are much more convenient in terms of being able to just fire them up and go. The only thing I dislike about my Kamado Joe is that it will take 30-60 minutes to get to temp after getting home from work, so grilling steaks/burgers takes more time and you have to setup the firebox.
On positive side, being able to sear a steak/burger is my preferred way to cook them, and the Traegers I looked at could only get to 450-500 degrees, which was another reason I went with the Kamado Joe.
If you want something that makes idiot proof good food and is fast/convenient to startup, go with the pellet smoker. If you want something that is more versatile and will likely last a lifetime, but takes more time to startup, go with a Kamado.