Well what do you want?
Easy with few components, or cheap with discrete components.
I've seen that kind on a german forum, and there are several hundred posts whether one can substitute this or that part. And many end up frying something just because they assumed the same FET from another producer can be used. And it can not. The reason is right there in the datasheets, but most builders don't know how to read them.
Using the LMD18245 means most people can duplicate it as long as they know which end of a soldering iron to grab without yelling out loud.
It will do microstep easily because it has a built in DAC. Few of the competing circuits have that.