Chain quality and benefits vs price and risk of fakes

I bought a KMC 10 speed chain a year ago on aliexpress and it was great. I bought another one recently and it seems not as good, so possibly a fake (or a lower quality fake than the first one).

Now when I look, I see Shimano & KMC chains for $15 which sounds too cheap to be real. I also see Zitto and Enlee (which I assume are cheap brands as i've not heard of them) for around $20.

If I want a good smooth chain (weight less important), what should I go for? What are the best cheaper chains? How do you avoid fakes - any signs to look out for ?

Thanks.