It is, all the machines are made at the same factory in China. I've imported plenty of bits from China and it's honestly hit and miss whether you get hit with customs and import.
For me, I got Thornes because I can return it without issue if it develops a fault, and it also comes with the bucket and custom hose port already setup so I could just use it straight off the bat.
You have to look at it from a cost/benefit analysis, I'm fine paying an extra £100 for less risk especially on a purchase that expensive, and if you did get stung with full import charges and VAT (which is very possible) you'd be paying about the same but with no warranty, bucket, hose adapter or viscus nozzle attachment (extremely useful, stops all honey drops).
That's just my choice though, others may have a different mindset.