The real stuff has 7 inner strands within the main cord. They increase the strength, but more importantly, you can pull the strands out and use them separately, e.g., a single strand can replace a broken shoelace in a pinch.

Many people remove the inner strands for tying lanyards. (If you do this, you may want to soak the outer cord in hot water to shrink it afterwards.)

All things being equal, it's worth having those inner strands, although paracord is plenty strong without them. (Caveat: do not support your body weight with paracord, no matter what's inside it.)