Here is my hub for general recommendations for Fused Deposition Modelling / Filament 3D printers as of 2023.
This post is meant to substitute responses for "What Printer Should I Buy?". It is HIGHLY advised you take a look at this list, and the linked posts first as your questions may be answered well before you make a new post.
Up to date as of: September 2023
Somewhat up to date as of: Early December 2023
- FDM printers are more suited for larger and functional prints, and are safer and less of a hassle to operate. Resin printers are used for smaller prints that demand high detail, such as miniatures. As I do not have experience with resin printers, I do not have a list prepared for that. Instead, check out this guy's website.
- The list is for general retail 3D printers, sold by a company that ships with all the parts together. Kit/project printers (like Voron) are not included. In addition, this list will concern itself with printers out of the box without any drastic modifications.
- I have no experience with more professional 3D printers (Ultimaker, Makerbot, etc) so they will not be on this list.
- This list is dynamic and subject to change; printers may come and go and explanations may be expanded. Prices are in USD.
- Before you read this list, you may also be interested in this spreadsheet made by the people of the 3D printing discord. This post shares some similarities in recommendations, but have nonetheless made deviations where I saw fit.
- As some others have also pointed out, I obviously do not own all of these printers myself as doing so is quite expensive. Therefore, if you have personal experience with these machines and have something to add, let me know.
- This post is outdated and is now replaced with the new one.
- Many printers these days have similar features so forgive me if I repeat a bunch of wording.
- My interest to work on these pages are waning, so some information may be out of date. I get most of my information these days a little bit late, and usually through secondary sources so it may take some time for new information to be added to these posts.
- Amazon: Some brands such as Anycubic, Elegoo, Sovol, and Prusa sell directly on Amazon, and you can buy their products there. Amazon also allows for easy returns. For other brands of printers, though, they will not have direct stores on Amazon and therefore their prices may be scalped, or you may be sent a used unit that is rebranded as new.
- Aliexpress/Banggood: These sites were generally the recommended ones to buy printers from as they had the lowest costs while still being reliable, but with many of the recommended printers being available on Amazon directly now, they no longer hold up. Only use for specific parts or more obscure models not found anywhere else.
- Direct Manufacturer: For most printers it is a bad idea to buy directly from the manufacturer/company website because you are losing a layer of customer/buyer's protection compared to buying from somewhere like Aliexpress or Amazon. They may not ship your item for a while and it can be very difficult to get a refund or return (been there), especially from Creality, Anycubic, etc. In that case, be prepared to potentially dispute any transactions. Note that some more reputable companies are safe to buy from directly, such as Prusa and Bambulab.
- Other stores to buy if you are in the USA: Tinymachines (mostly upgraded Creality), Microcenter (easier returns, mostly Creality), Fabreeko (for Vorons), PrintedSolid (for Prusa in the USA), Matterhackers (Bambu, Voron kits, and Creality)
Three important things to note:
Most of these printers here are capable of roughly the same quality. As long as they are built up to their intended configurations and pass QC, they will achieve the same print quality when printing all sorts of items. The primary difference here is that you will have to wrestle with some printers more to get said quality, while others will print perfectly right out of the box with minimal setup. Look for their other features instead.
Most of the companies here have done sketchy things. This mostly includes paying for good reviews, not properly attributing open-source material, false advertising, etc. The most egregious ones will get dealt with on this list (like Creality) but do note that most other brands on this list do similar things at varying levels.
Do not make this list the ONLY source you rely on. Although I try my best to make the entries as accurate and unbiased as possible, I am still only a single person working on all of this and I'm not even a professional engineer (yet), and there have been inaccuracies and errors that slipped through. Make sure you also consult other knowledgeable people in the hobby before making a decision costing hundreds of dollars.
If you wish to know my extent of personal bias, I lean towards Prusa while being vehemently anti-Creality. Keep this information in mind when you read my posts and any exaggerations within them.
This is another general medium-scale FDM printer from late 2022, incorporating the now standard features of ABL, direct extruder, PEI beds, etc, but without an all-metal hotend. At a low price of $230 upon its release, it is vastly superior value to the older Neptune 2 series if extensive modding is not your concern.
It may also be worth checking out the more recent Neptune 4 models.
GOOD FOR: Medium-cost general use, ease of use, flexible filaments, little/no modding
Pros:
- Direct feed extruder
- Removable PEI bed
- Dual Z axes
- ABL sensor
- Very low price for its capabilities
Cons:
- Lacks an all-metal hotend out of the box. A disadvantage considering how many other printers these days come with one.
- Uses V-slot rollers all axes. This kind of motion system is less robust than a linear rod/rail setup.
The SV06 is Sovol's Prusa clone, using a similar linear rod motion system and same overall layout. For its low price, this printer boasts many features that makes it a very good pick. On paper, it is probably the best general use printer around the $300 dollar mark.
Also consider the SV06 Plus, which is larger for while including a filament sensor and a volcano-style hotend, but critically has ineffective strain relief on the bed cables. The regular SV06 does not have this issue.
The successor SV07 series is not recommended as it reverts back to a non-fixed bed and V-slot rollers.
GOOD FOR: Medium-cost general use, ease of use, little/no modding, flexible filaments*, high temp (up to 300C) filaments
Pros:
- Very competitive pricing
- Direct feed extruder using planetary gears
- All-metal hotend, can print up to 300 C
- Inductive auto-levelling sensor
- Removable PEI build plate
- Dual Z axes, each connected to a separate motor, allowing for gantry levelling
Cons:
- *The extruder is apparently unreliable when working with flexible filaments
- Linear bearings may require some lubricant out of the box to ensure smooth operation.
- Lack of filament sensor
This is the same deal as the Neptune 3 Pro from earlier, but upscaled to 320 x 320 x 400mm build volume.
GOOD FOR: General use, large prints, ease of use, flexible filaments, little/no modding
Pros:
- Direct feed extruder
- Removable PEI bed
- Dual Z axes
- ABL sensor
- Decently large print volume
Cons:
- The larger size of the machine may present some print quality issues when printing at fast speeds due to the bedslinger design
- Lacks an all-metal hotend out of the box. A disadvantage considering how many other printers these days come with one.
- Uses V-slot rollers all axes. This kind of motion system is less robust than a linear rod/rail setup.
Prusa is a renowned 3D printer company and their Mini+ is their attempt at an affordable beginner printer. The Mini+ is small at 180 by 180 by 180 mm, but is a fairly high-quality printer that can consistently produce good prints. Combined with printing profiles already set up in the slicer, this printer is very easy to use and is a good starting printer for beginners.
However, this printer does have quite a steep price for what it is worth. If you are a beginner or want a farm of reliable printers, this is a good pick. But if you are already well-versed with printers, it is best to look elsewhere.
GOOD FOR: Ease of use, consistency, print farms, support, little/no modding, high temp filaments out of the box
Pros:
- Very easy to setup and use
- Closest you can get to stress-free
- All-metal hotend
- Reliable auto-levelling
- good customer support
- Input shaping in development
Cons:
- High price for its size
- Relatively smaller build volume
- Cantilever design
- Sometimes problematic extruder (maintenance and sometimes extrusion issues)
- Often subject to long lead times
P1P with optional side panels installed 
The Bambulab P1P is similar to the previous X1/C (a few entries below), still retaining a coreXY motion system on the same build volume, and more or less having the same frame and extruder setup. Some of the features on the X1/C were removed to lower the costs, most notably the enclosure panels, LIDAR system, and using a less advanced control interface. Nevertheless it is still a very capable printer due to its motion system allowing it to print at high speeds.
The P1P shares the same flaw as the X1/C, in that most of the hardware is proprietary and closed-source. This means that replacing parts like the extruder and nozzle with third-party replacements is not possible, and repairs/replacements will primarily come from Bambulabs themselves. These parts are usually in stock, but they are obviously not compatible with other printers, and vice versa.
Also consider the Bambulab P1S, which is around $100 more but comes fully enclosed with a few extra bells and whistles.
Bambulab printers can connect to cloud for functionality, but do understand that there are risks to this system. Critically, Bambulab printers ran into an incident likely involving the cloud system that caused many to damage themselves.
GOOD FOR: Fast printing, ease of use and setup, high-temperature filaments, flexible filaments, little/no modding, multi-color/material (with AMS)
Pros:
- CoreXY motion system allowing for fast print speeds generally
- All-metal high-flow hotend with a direct-feed extruder
- Magnetic print surface
- ABL
- Can mount a multi-material/color system (the AMS)
Cons:
- Loud
- Bambulab seems to get themselves into controversy often. This may be a given with some lesser brands but is more important for one like this.
- Proprietary hardware and closed-source, which can make third-party replacements and repairs difficult. This can be a serious issue if your printer encounters problems, so judge whether or not you are fine with being limited to Bambulab's own ecosystem of parts.
The newest iteration of the original Prusa i3 design, the MK4 introduces many additional features that brings it up to contemporary bedslinger standards. Among the most notable is the inclusion of a new 32bit mainboard with firmware capable of running input shaper, allowing the printer to run at even higher speeds. In addition, the printer uses the "Nextruder", a similar printhead system to the XL. The sensors of the printer allows for automatic nozzle height adjustment, requiring no manual input to achieve perfect first layers, just like the XL.
The MK4 can connect to cloud for functionality, but do understand that there are risks to this system.
Pros:
- Advanced "Nextruder" design using a planetary gearbox, quick-swappable hotend, and a much better wiring experience compared to the MK3
- Nozzle is equipped with a load cell sensor allowing for ABL that does not require any manual input and has potential to do more things in the future (like jam detection)
- Includes input shaper and pressure advance, allowing it to print with good quality at decently high speeds.
- Uses 0.9 degree stepper motors for more fine movement
- The general Prusa experience: great support and official documentation, high reliability
Cons:
- Very high price
- Requires complete assembly (unless paying extra $ for preassembled version)
- Subject to lead times
X1C with optional AMS system on top 
Perhaps one of the hottest printers in recent years, the Bambu Lab X1C is a huge step up from the usual i3/Ender clones that have previously saturated the market. Bambu Lab takes a different approach with their X1C printer, opting for a CoreXY motion system, along with many other advanced features that makes it a very formidable machine. Backed by good software, it is also easy to use and can produce high-quality prints noticeably faster than a usual bedslinger.
Much like the P1P, one of the biggest concerns with the X1C is the fact that most of the hardware is proprietary and closed-source. This means that replacing parts like the extruder and nozzle with third-party replacements is not possible, and repairs/replacements will primarily come from Bambulabs themselves. These parts are usually in stock, but they are obviously not compatible with other printers, and vice versa.
Bambulab printers can connect to cloud for functionality, but do understand that there are risks to this system. Critically, Bambulab printers ran into an incident likely involving the cloud system that caused many to damage themselves.
GOOD FOR: Fast printing, ease of use and setup, high-temperature filaments requiring enclosures, abrasive filaments, flexible filaments, little/no modding, multi-color/material (with AMS)
Pros:
- CoreXY motion system, allowing for faster printing in general
- All-metal high-flow hotend with a hardened steel nozzle allowing it to print abrasives
- Enclosed, allowing it to print materials like ABS/ASA/nylon
- Direct feed extruder
- Intuitive interface and software, as well as network connection makes the printer easy and convenient to operate
- Automatic input shaping and pressure advance calculation, resulting in better print quality in general
- ABL and first-layer inspection
- Magnetic removable print surface
- Ability to mount a multi-material/color system (the AMS)
- Large auxiliary fan providing powerful cooling, especially during fast prints
Cons:
- Loud
- High upfront price
- Bambulab seems to get themselves into controversy often. This may be a given with some lesser brands but is more important for one like this.
- Proprietary hardware and closed-source, which can make third-party replacements and repairs difficult. This can be a serious issue if your printer encounters problems, so judge whether or not you are fine with being limited to Bambulab's own ecosystem of parts.
The XL is Prusa's large-format printer. Running on coreXY kinematics, the machine is fitted with many features too long to list here, but includes an advanced extruder design, easy auto-levelling and calibration, as well as the potential to be expanded into a toolchanger setup with 5 seperate extruders for multi-color and multi-material printing.
The XL can connect to cloud for functionality, but do understand that there are risks to this system.
Pros:
- Large size
- CoreXY with linear rails
- Optional toolchanger allowing for 5 toolheads, great for multi-color/material printing
- Advanced "Nextruder" design using a planetary gearbox and quick-swappable hotend.
- Nozzle is equipped with a load cell sensor allowing for ABL that does not require any manual input.
- The general Prusa experience: great support and official documentation, high reliability*
Cons:
- Insanely expensive (especially if choosing toolchanger options)
- Requires partial assembly (unless extra $500 spent for preassembled)
- Subject to long lead times
- *The printer is still somewhat in development. It is not as flawlessly reliable as regular Prusa products yet.
Previously for printers that had some sort of catch preventing me from fully recommending them, or something I didn't know much about. Now, it is mostly used for newly-released models that are yet to receive proper feedback from communities. That post is mostly kept to date, but is also fairly empty.
Printers that were on any of the recommended lists but were removed for various reasons
Not all printers are created equal. Some printers are more known for being faulty or poor value and should be avoided.
There may still be legitimate reasons for picking a printer on this list, but if you are looking for a first 3D printer and/or have no knowledge of them, these specific models you should be avoiding.
Creality is probably the most well-known 3D printer manufacturer from years around 2018-2023. They have introduced multiple models, such as the Ender 3 and CR-10, that have become widely popular among the community. Unfortunately, the company has decided to ride off the success from that alone and depend on the increasing hivemind generated around Creality products.
The quality control of Creality is quite poor, with many printers shipped with defective components, or those that fail at a much higher rate than those of other brands, even cheap ones. Multiple new designs and releases of printers are disasters with many of them having design flaws or using outdated parts, such as the Ender 7 being mostly a total failure, and the Ender 2 Pro using cheap, ancient parts despite being relatively new. Keep in mind that while they are some of the worst at this, other companies are also pumping out many low quality items.
The practices of Creality have also took a downward spiral, with them attempting to pay for good reviews and requiring scripts to be approved before a review video is released by a content creator . There has also been a controversy with their Creality Cloud service, where they host tons of stolen models from many different creators without giving credit, while straight up denying and blocking those who call them out on it.
Due to their consistently terrible practices, I will no longer recommend any product from Creality under almost all circumstances. I also rescind and apologize for any recommendations of Creality products I have made in the past to the community. Previous entries on this page about certain Creality printers will remain to give a more detailed explanation for specific models.
As of 2023, avoid Creality whenever convenient.
If purchasing something other than Creality is not possible, then the Ender 3/5 S1 and V3 series and the CR-10 Smart PRO are decent options.
Check out my wall of text on why this printer is not recommended here. The Neo series is only a relatively slight retrofit of the Original Ender 3 series, but are still too expensive to justify over competitors. In some cases, they also mess up modding compared to the original Ender 3 series, because the hotend they use has a slightly different mount.
The primary advantage of this printer is the large community, which does make upgrades and mods plentiful. Otherwise, check that link.
Note that the newer models of Ender 3 (the S1 and V3 series) fixes a lot of the issues described and can be solid options if you have nothing else.
GOOD FOR: Tinkering, community support
Pros:
- Massive community support and availability of modifications, possibly the largest of any mainstream printer.
- Very good for tinkering
- Low upfront cost if you can snatch one for $99 (Microcenter, USA)
Cons:
- Poor value for $$
- Poor quality control
- Bad stock parts, such as extruder and PTFE couplers
- I can literally expand the cons list a lot more, but that would be unfair.
These are generally the cheapest printers you can find. As a consequence these printers are not very good at all. They suffer from many mechanical issues and print quality will be noticeably worse than that of a proper printer. They lack many features such as heated beds and part-cooling fans, as well as limited interfaces. This means they are especially bad value for their price, and spending about $50-$100 more for a proper printer will go a very long way.
GOOD FOR: Nothing worth
Pros:
- Low upfront cost
- Direct extruder for some models
Cons:
- Non-sturdy construction
- Limited interface
- No part cooling fans
- No heated bed
- Small size
So I am a complete beginner to 3d printing, and I am looking to mostly print POP figures and other medium- large size figures. (I know a resin printer is better for that but I don't have a safe area where I can use one at so FDM Printer it is.) Which of these two would you recommend? The Elegoo Neptune 2 or the Anycubic Mega SE? Thank you for the guidance.