What's the Difference Between Brand-Name and Compatible Minifigures?
The brand-name maker is the original; major brick compatible products are made by other companies to the same standard, offering more themes at lower prices.
A brand-name minifigure is made by the original manufacturer. A Major Brick Compatible minifigure is made by another company to the same dimensional and clutch standard, so it fits the name brand perfectly. The design standard is public domain; only the brand name and logo are trademarked.
In practice, quality compatible products match the name brand on materials (ABS plastic) and fit, while offering deeper specialty themes — like military and tactical — and lower prices, especially in bulk. The real difference that matters is quality between makers, not the "compatible" label itself. Browse quality compatible figures in the Brick Bros minifigure collection.