Generic Hobbyist FDM Printer Recommendations

The new hub for FDM/FFF printer recommendations, aimed at beginner/intermediates looking to buy a new machine.

The old list is found here. 

List of Honorable Mentions 

This post goes as follows:

• The intention of this post is to substitute "What printer should I buy?" questions, and potentially answer them before you even need to ask. This list should hopefully provide enough information for you to make a decision based on basic needs.
• Prices are in United States Dollars. They may vary depending on your region and availability. Note that for Amazon listings, you can manually clip a coupon on the item to bring the price down. The list accounts for prices after these coupons are applied.
• This list is dynamic and can change over time, printers may be added or removed.
• The post only covers general retail, hobbyist FDM printers. Printer kits that may require self-sourcing (Voron, RatRig) etc are not included, neither are high-end professional ones like Ultimaker. This list also concerns printers as they are out of the box, without drastic modifications.
• The initial versions of these posts were inspired by the spreadsheet made by the 3D Printing Discord. They are also a good guide, but there may be some slight differences in recommendations.
• Multiple different posts exist on my user page. This one is the highest priority one and will be up-to-date the most.
• I do not own every printer on this list, therefore I may miss some things. If you have experience with any of these machines, I would appreciate if you would share your experiences to add any details or correct any mistakes on this list.
• Do not make this the only source to rely on. Buying a 3D printer is expensive and will cost hundreds of dollars. Although I try to make my lists as unbiased as possible, mistakes and errors still slip through as I am still only a single person, and not a full engineer yet. It is highly recommended to consult other knowledgeable sources in addition to this. My personal biases lean towards Prusa, while being vehemently anti-Creality, although that has lessened these days.
• This list is created purely out of my own will and all opinions are my own. I am not sponsored/influenced by anyone or given free products to make these recommendations.

Places to buy Printers:

• Amazon: Many manufacturers like Creality, Elegoo, Sovol, and now Prusa to some extent sell their machines directly on Amazon. It is a convenient website to take advantage of Amazon Prime and their excellent return services should you need to send back a faulty device.
• Aliexpress/Banggood: These used to be the top recommended place to buy from 3D Printer brands from China, but with most of them now selling on Amazon, they are no longer the top option.
• Directly from Manufacturer: Some brands like Prusa or Bambulab you can directly buy from their storefront. Other, more lower-end brands (Creality, Anycubic, etc) come with less guarantee of customer support.
• Second-Hand: Generally not recommended to buy a used machine as your first printer, because you won't know what modifications the previous owner have done to them. If you are experienced though, then it can be worthy to fix up second-hand printers to use yourself or to sell off.
• Other places: Microcenter (USA, for Creality and Bambu), Matterhackers (same deal), PrintedSolid (Prusa in USA).

Rough Recommendations:

• I am a beginner wanting a first printer (up to $350): Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, Sovol SV06, Bambulab A1 Mini
• I am a beginner, but willing to spend a bit more (up to $600): Bambulab A1
• I need a mid-price, large-scale printer (up to $500): Sovol SV06 Plus, Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus
• I want a high-performance printer and have a hefty budget (around $1000+): Bambulab P1S or X1C, Qidi Q1 Pro* or X-max 3, Prusa MK4
• I am running multiple printers (print farm, etc): Any Prusa printer. Bambulab printers if spare parts and repair services are easily available.
• I want multi-color printing:
  • Single Nozzle (cheaper/less complex, significantly more waste)
    • Prusa MK4 + MMU3 (5 colors), Bambulab A1(mini) + AMS Lite (4 colors), Bambulab P1S + AMS (4-16 colors)
  • Multi Nozzle/Extruder (far more efficient, more expensive, true multi-material)
    • Prusa XL (5 colors), Sovol SV04 (2 colors)

Current entries:

• Sovol SV06
• Bambulab A1 Mini
• Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
• Sovol SV06 Plus
• Sovol SV04
• Bambulab A1
• Bambulab P1S
• Prusa MK4
• Bambulab X1C
• Prusa XL

Future entries:

• Starfleet Standard Issue Replicator circa 2360s
• Qidi Q1 Pro? (See Honorable mentions for a preliminary entry)

​

Standard SV06 

Build Volume: Medium (220 x 220 x 250 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 4.5/5

The Sovol SV06 is a low-cost clone of the venerable Prusa i3 design, more directly copying it with its layout and use of linear rods. Released in early 2023, this printer is a solid pick for anyone wanting to get into the hobby. It was especially notable upon release for combining features like direct extruder, all-metal hotend, dual Z axes, etc for a relatively cheap price, although they are standard features now on most printers. Nevertheless, its low price makes it relevant even today.

GOOD FOR: Low-cost general use, beginner printer, tinkering

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Great price to performance ratio.

Cons:

• Linear bearings may require some lubricant out of the box to ensure smooth operation.
• Weak cooling fans.
• Despite having a direct extruder, problems have been reported with printing flexible filaments.
• Lack of filament runout sensor. It cannot detect if you run out of filament mid-print and pause the print for you to refill it. A disadvantage considering many printers have filament sensors these days. An official upgrade kit containing one does exist.

​

A1 Mini with AMS Lite module (right) 

Build Volume: Small (180 x 180 x 180 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 5/5

The smaller, beginner-oriented printer from Bambulab. This is a small-format printer but comes with many advanced bells and whistles that gives it formidable performance for its size. In particular, the printer is very user-friendly with extensive documentation and intuitive controls making it great for beginners.

For an additional price, the printer is compatible with Bambulab's AMS Lite system (pictured), which allows the printer to use four different colors of filament in one print. Note that single-nozzle multi-material systems produce a lot of waste, as the filament must be purged in between every color change.

The A1 Mini can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

GOOD FOR: Low-cost general use, beginner printer, hassle-free experience, ease of use, multi-color printing (with AMS), high speed printing

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Very fast printing speed while maintaining quality.
• Auto-levelling does not require manual setting of nozzle Z-height offset.
• Can be controlled remotely/wirelessly out of the box.
• Can be upgraded with AMS Lite to allow for multi-color printing.
• Very user-friendly, easy to control and work with.
• Comes with a camera for remote monitoring.
• Nozzles can be easily swapped at room temperature by hand.

Cons:

• Small build volume.
• Purged filament is flung off to the side while wiping the nozzle, especially during multi-color prints. An additional system/container may be needed to collect the waste.
• The heated bed cannot exceed 80 C, meaning this printer will not be suitable for printing materials like ABS/ASA/PC which demand around ~100 C.
• Bambulab printers are completely proprietary and leave little to no room for any third-party modification or replacement, as well as complicating repairs of certain parts. You are at their mercy if something breaks down.

​

Standard Neptune 4 Pro 

Build Volume: Medium (225 x 225 x 265 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 3.5/5

The Neptune 4 Pro from Elegoo is an improved version of their earlier Neptune 3 Pro and Neptune 4 bedslinger printers. Coming with standard features, the Neptune 4 Pro is additionally installed with Klipper firmware. To roughly summarize, Klipper firmware allows faster printing speeds and makes it easier to configure printer settings. The Neptune 4 Pro is a decent, somewhat low-cost pick for anyone just getting into the hobby and wants a fast, medium-sized printer.

GOOD FOR: Medium-cost general use, high-speed printing, tinkering

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Fast printing speed while maintaining quality thanks to Klipper firmware
• Comes with additional auxiliary cooling fans to improve print cooling.
• Bed is divided into two heating zones (center and rest of the bed), only heating up the ones that are occupied by a print. This helps to save power costs compared to heating up the entire bed for a tiny print.

Cons:

• Uses V-rollers on the Z axis. This kind of motion system is less robust than a linear rod/rail setup.
• Loud operation if auxiliary fans are activated.
• Bed is held in place by springs instead of being fixed. This was common back then and allowed for adjustability, but is no longer needed with modern ABL systems. Instead, it now allows the bed to potentially be very heavily skewed or even unlevel itself mid-operation. ‎
• Users have reported that the firmware randomly shuts down and requires a restart mid-print.

​

​

Standard SV06 Plus 

Build Volume: Large (300 x 300 x 350 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 4.5/5

This is a similar deal to the SV06, as it is primarily an SV06 that is just scaled up. Unlike the regular SV06, the SV06 Plus comes with a filament runout sensor, a new control screen, and a high-flow hotend to enable more filament to be pushed out quickly.

GOOD FOR: Medium-cost large-scale printing, beginner printer, tinkering

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Great price to performance ratio. Probably the cheapest large-format printer that works.

Cons:

• Linear bearings may require some lubricant out of the box to ensure smooth operation.
• Weak cooling fans.
• Despite having a direct extruder, problems have been reported with printing flexible filaments.

​

Standard SV04 

Build Volume: Large (300 x 300 x 400 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 2.5/5

The Sovol SV04 is an interesting printer. It is the first in this list to feature multiple toolheads (complete with extruder, hotend, etc). The system on the SV04 is known as IDEX (Independent Dual EXtrusion).

This system opens some possibilities: namely it is possible to print two of the same object at once with the same, or mirrored orientation, all in the same time. The most interesting application is the ability to use multiple colors or even materials in a single print, as one extruder can be loaded with one filament and the other with another. Each extruder will take turns printing their parts.

This in turn means that filament does not have to be purged from the nozzle on every swap, which drastically reduces the waste produced compared to single-nozzle multi-material setups.

This printer however is much older than the other printers on this list, having come out in late 2021 and many of its features are dated. Therefore, only consider this printer if you are able and willing to potentially tinker with a machine.

GOOD FOR: Low-waste multi-color/material printing, large-scale printing, tinkering

Pros:

• Direct feed extruder, which allows printing of flexible filaments.
• Removable build surface, easy to remove prints after they are finished.
• ABL sensor, accounts for any error in the bed level.
• IDEX system with two independent extruders. Can print two identical objects at once, or two different filaments with heavily reduced waste.

Cons:

• Lacks all-metal hotends out of the box. A disadvantage considering how many other printers these days come with one. This means that the printer cannot safely print above ~230 C.
• Uses V-slot rollers all axes. This kind of motion system is less robust than a linear rod/rail setup.
• Build plate uses a BuildTak-style print surface. While this works, adhesion can be excessively high making prints difficult to remove, and it is much less durable compared to the common PEI print sheets on other printers.
• Bed is held in place by springs instead of being fixed. This was common for its time and allowed for adjustability, but is no longer needed with modern ABL systems. Instead, it now allows the bed to potentially be very heavily skewed or even unlevel itself mid-operation. ‎
• Multi-toolhead printers require additional calibration to ensure that each toolhead is positioned properly. The printer will ship with instructions and firmware to guide you through the process.

​

​

Standard A1 

Build Volume: Medium (256 x 256 x 256 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 5/5

This is practically the same deal as the A1 Mini, but with a larger size. It uses the same major components and is also compatible with the AMS Lite. The build plate is also compatible with their P1 and X1 series printers.

The A1 can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

GOOD FOR: Medium-cost general use, beginner printer, hassle-free experience, multi-color printing (with AMS), high speed printing, ease of use

Pros:

• Same as A1 Mini

Cons:

• Purged filament is flung off to the side while wiping the nozzle, especially during multi-color prints. An additional system/container may be needed to collect the waste.
• Bambulab printers are completely proprietary and leave little to no room for any third-party modification or replacement, as well as complicating repairs of certain parts. You are at their mercy if something breaks down.

​

P1S with AMS module on top 

Build Volume: Medium (256 x 256 x 256 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 5/5

The Bambulab P1 series is a watered-down version of their X1 printer. Compared to the X1, this printer loses the more advanced features like the LIDAR system, but nevertheless still remains as an excellent machine.

This is the first printer in the list to use a coreXY motion system, which to summarize, allows for faster speeds and makes the printer more space-efficient.

For an additional price, the printer is compatible with Bambulab's AMS module, which allows the printer to use four different colors of filament in one print. Note that single-nozzle multi-material systems produce a lot of waste, as the filament must be purged in between every color change.

The P1S can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

The P1P is a cheaper version of the P1S but even more stripped down, most notably lacking an enclosure. It can be upgraded to the same level of a P1S, but this is more expensive than just straight up buying a P1S in the first place.

GOOD FOR: Medium-high cost general use, beginner printer, hassle-free experience, multi-color printing (with AMS), high speed printing, ease of use, high temp (300 C), enclosed printing

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• CoreXY motion system. Usually faster and more space-efficient, this is a more desirable setup in most cases.
• Very fast printing speed while maintaining quality.
• Auto-levelling does not require manual setting of nozzle Z-height offset.
• Can be controlled remotely/wirelessly out of the box.
• Comes with a camera for remote monitoring.
• Can be upgraded with AMS to allow for multi-color printing.
• Fairly user-friendly, easy to control and work with.
• Fully-enclosed, allowing printing of certain filaments like ABS/ASA.
• Large auxiliary fan allows for additional cooling of prints.

Cons:

• Purged filament is dropped out from behind while wiping the nozzle, especially during multi-color prints. An additional system/container may be needed to collect the waste.
• The main control screen is a lot more limited compared to other Bambulab printers and even other brands which hurts the usability.
• Swapping out the nozzle/hotend requires the use of consumables (thermal grease).
• Bambulab printers are completely proprietary and leave little to no room for any third-party modification or replacement, as well as complicating repairs of certain parts. You are at their mercy if something breaks down.

​

Standard MK4 

Build Volume: Medium (250 x 210 x 220 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 3/5

The Prusa MK4 is the newest iteration of the venerable Prusa i3 design. Compared to the older models, the MK4 is built off a similar frame, but includes many new features that emphasize ease of use and high-speed printing. The printer can achieve higher print quality thanks to its innovative "Nextruder" which it shares with the larger Prusa XL.

If desired, the MMU3 module can be added to the printer which enables multi-color printing with up to five separate filaments. As it is a single-nozzle multi-material system, a lot of waste will be produced, although it is currently the most efficient single-nozzle system in the general market.

The MK4 can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

GOOD FOR: High cost general use, high speed printing, ease of use, silent printing, hassle-free experience, multi-color printing (with MMU3)

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Fast printing speed while maintaining quality.
• 0.9 degree stepper motors, higher resolution than the 1.8 degree that are commonly used.
• Auto-levelling does not require manual setting of nozzle Z-height offset.
• Can be controlled remotely/wirelessly out of the box.
• Can be upgraded with MMU3 unit to allow for multi-color printing.
• Very user-friendly, easy to control and work with.
• Relatively silent operation, much quieter than other printers (especially the fans).
• Nozzles can be easily swapped at room temperature (with assistance of tools)
• The general Prusa experience: great support and official documentation, high reliability

Cons:

• High cost.
• Requires complete assembly, unless paying extra for a pre-assembled machine. The assembly is not trivial.
• Uses PETG printed parts. They will be completely fine for regular use and most enclosures, but can present a problem for especially spicy ones.
• Camera support is a lot more limited compared to other printers of similar price range.
• Printing speeds somewhat bottlenecked by standard-flow hotend.
• Difficult/unintuitive belt tensioning (requires flipping the printer over to tension Y axis). Can be mitigated with printed upgrades. ‎ ‎ ‎

​

X1C with AMS module on top 

Build Volume: Medium (256 x 256 x 256 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 3.5/5

Unleashed in mid-2022, the Bambulab X1 and X1C were a major step-up from the low quality Ender 3 clones that previously saturated the market, finally giving a good wakeup call to most other brands. The X1C is a coreXY, fully enclosed printer that is capable of very fast print speeds with automatic calibration, using sensors such as an accelerometer and advanced LIDAR sensor that is capable of detecting if a first layer has gone awry.

Additional advantages include a fully enclosed frame, which is important for filaments that best print in an enclosure (ABS, ASA, Nylon, etc). It also includes a hardened steel nozzle by default, which allows it to print composite materials like (carbon fiber) without wear.

Like the P1S, the X1C is compatible with the same AMS module for multi-color printing.

The X1C can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

GOOD FOR: Very high cost general use, multi-color printing (with AMS), high speed printing, hassle-free experience, ease of use, high temp (300 C), abrasive filaments, enclosed printing

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• CoreXY motion system. Usually faster and more space-efficient, this is a more desirable setup in most cases.
• Very fast printing speed while maintaining quality.
• Fully-enclosed, allowing printing of certain filaments like ABS/ASA.
• Large auxiliary fan allows for additional cooling of prints.
• Hardened steel nozzle by default, can print composite materials.
• Auto-levelling does not require manual setting of nozzle Z-height offset.
• Can be controlled remotely/wirelessly out of the box.
• Comes with a camera for remote monitoring.
• Can be upgraded with AMS to allow for multi-color printing.
• Very user-friendly, easy to control and work with.

Cons:

• Very high upfront cost (More expensive than P1S+AMS combined).
• Purged filament is dropped out from behind while wiping the nozzle, especially during multi-color prints. An additional system/container may be needed to collect the waste.
• Swapping out the nozzle/hotend requires the use of consumables (thermal grease).
• Bambulab printers are completely proprietary and leave little to no room for any third-party modification or replacement, as well as complicating repairs of certain parts. You are at their mercy if something breaks down.

​

​

Prusa XL with 5 toolheads 

Build Volume: Large (360 x 360 x 360 mm)

Subjective Price/Performance Ratio: 3/5

The ultimate large-format coreXY from Prusa, the XL is a massive printer fitted with many of the same advanced features of the MK4, and some more.

The most impressive feature of the XL is the ability to add up to five separate toolheads to the printer. The printer can swap to use any of them almost immediately and switch between them mid-print. This allows for multi-color and true multi-material printing like the previous entries, but is a much more efficient system than single-nozzle multi-color setups (less waste resulted).

A single toolhead version of the printer is available, as well as options for two or the full five toolhead setup. The price will increase with each additional toolhead, but an upgrade path is always available to add the remaining toolheads.

The XL can be connected wirelessly via local network or cloud, but do note that there are risks when using a cloud service.

GOOD FOR: Very high cost general use, large-scale printing, low-waste multi-color printing (with toolchanger), high speed printing, ease of use, silent printing, high temp (300 C), enclosed printing (with upcoming enclosure addon)

Pros:

• Standard contemporary printer features (Direct feed extruder, all-metal hotend, auto-levelling sensor, removable build surface).
• Fast printing speed while maintaining quality.
• CoreXY motion system. Usually faster and more space-efficient, this is a more desirable setup in most cases.
• Auto-levelling does not require manual setting of nozzle Z-height offset.
• Can be controlled remotely/wirelessly out of the box.
• Up to five independent toolheads can be mounted, allowing for multi-color/material printing with less waste than conventional systems.
• Bed is divided into sixteen heating zones, only heating up the ones that are occupied by a print. This helps to save power costs compared to heating up the entire massive bed for a tiny print.
• Very user-friendly, easy to control and work with.
• Relatively silent operation, much quieter than other printers.
• The general Prusa experience: great support and official documentation, high reliability

Cons:

• Insane cost, especially for the 5-toolhead version.
• Requires partial assembly, unless paying extra for a pre-assembled machine. You will still need to mount the toolheads by yourself.
• Uses PETG printed parts. They will be completely fine for regular use and most enclosures, but can present a problem for especially spicy ones.
• Camera support is a lot more limited compared to other printers of similar price range.
• Printing speeds somewhat bottlenecked by standard-flow hotend.
• Multi-toolhead printers require additional calibration and maintenance to ensure that each toolhead is positioned properly and that they can be properly picked up and docked. Documentation is provided by Prusa to help you out.