Other ones will probably work. But it's is a rule of thumb to go with the same models.
If you do get a different brand, make sure it's not slower than your current one.
If you are thinking about upgrading your memory it is important to try to stick with the same brand, speed, latency, and voltage. This will ensure that everything works without issue. However it is not completely necessary to stick with the same brand, as long as you are very careful to select the same speed, latency, and voltage. This would be if you found a deal that you couldnt pass up, or just flat out werent able to find an exact replacement. I hope this helps
they don't need to be the same brand and all but if you can get the same brand, make model etc, you can dual channel them and get more of a performance boost.