Originally Posted by hokiefyd

Unless you ride with clipless cycling shoes, platform pedals are the right way to go, and the three primary differences between inexpensive pedals like your Wellgos and more expensive pedals are (in descending order in terms of what you'll likely notice):

1. Surface area: inexpensive pedals tend to be smaller in size physically. Many aftermarket options offer a larger platform, which can be more comfortable depending on your foot size and shoe type.
2. Retention: some aftermarket options offer small retention spikes/pegs that are either molded/cast in to the pedal or threaded in like small screws. These can help keep your foot planted and where you want it on the pedal. I personally don't care for these, and I remove the ones that are threaded in, but some people like them.
3. Bearings and overall build quality: nicer aftermarket pedals typically have nicer bearings (sometimes cartridge bearings, sometimes just nicer cup-and-cone bearings), and are often rebuildable, whereas inexpensive pedals are usually not designed to be serviced and the bearings are often pretty tight on them, giving them a gritty feel when turned by hand. You can sometimes loosen the bearing adjustment some, but this depends on pedal type and design.

I suppose you could also consider weight...I'd presume nicer pedals would be lighter than less expensive ones, but I think that's probably pretty minor in terms of what you'd notice on a typical hybrid or dual sport bike.