Welcome to the best FDM Printer 2024 buyer’s guide, where we’ve done the research and testing for you. With a multitude of options available, finding the best 3D printer has never been easier. Whether you’re a home user, a resin printing enthusiast, on a budget, or a beginner, we’ve got you covered. 

Our comprehensive reviews and buyer’s guide will help you make an informed decision and find the best 3D printer that matches your specific needs. From compact and affordable machines to high resolution resin printers and all-in-one devices, we will guide you through the diverse world of 3D printing and ensure you find the ideal printer to bring your ideas to life. Here are our recommendations for the best 3D printers of a variety of classes, categories and features.

Bambu Lab P1P

Highlighted Features of the Bambu Lab P1P:

• Incredible print speed
• Automated print quality & success features
• Virtually plug-and-play
• Impressive out-of-the-box speed and print quality
• Affordable at $699, offering 80% of the features of higher-priced models
• Blisteringly fast prints in a 256 x 256 x 256 mm volume with excellent surface finish
• Effective auto-bed leveling, vibration compensation, and pressure advance for smooth prints
• Upgraded with a print chamber camera and LED light strip (previously optional)
• Completely wireless operation with OTA updates and app-based support
• Offers accessible and foolproof features inspired by advanced DIY builds
• Includes print-it-yourself fascias for customization.

Creality Ender 3 S1

Highlighted Features of Creality Ender 3 S1:

• Easy to load and delivers excellent performance, offering a hassle-free printing experience.
• The Ender 3 S1 produces consistent, top-notch printing results with minimal user effort required.
• The spring steel print bed with a PC coating effectively grips the first layers, ensuring a reliable foundation for successful prints.
• The Ender 3 S1 introduces several firsts for the Ender 3 series, including a dual motor-driven Z-axis, auto-bed leveling, and a removable spring-steel print bed. Notably, it features the compact and efficient Sprite direct extruder.
• The combination of these features results in an effortless and premium-feeling 3D printer. Users can enjoy high-quality prints and an overall pleasant printing experience.
• The Creality Ender 3 S1’s direct extruder simplifies filament loading and enhances print quality with its powerful dual-geared assembly and lightweight stepper motor

Anycubic Kobra

Highlighted Features of Anycubic Kobra:

• The Anycubic Kobra excels in producing great first layers with its reliable auto-bed leveling system, ensuring optimal print quality from the start.
• Featuring a direct extruder, the Kobra offers effortless filament handling, making it convenient to load and work with different materials.
• The Kobra delivers impressive value for its price point, combining affordability with capable features. It incorporates sought-after functionalities like auto-bed leveling, a direct extruder, a PEI-coated removable bed, and sensorless homing, typically found in higher-priced printers.
• While the Kobra may exhibit a plasticky build, it remains a cost-effective 3D printer that can be easily disassembled and customized. It represents Anycubic’s commitment to providing a capable and affordable machine.
• The Anycubic Kobra stands out as an unexpectedly capable 3D printer, offering remarkable features at a modest price of $249. Its reliable auto-bed leveling, easy filament handling, and excellent bang-for-buck ratio make it a compelling choice for filament-based 3D printing under $300.

Voxelab Aquila X2 

Highlighted Features of Voxelab Aquila X2: 

• The Voxelab Aquila X2 is a reliable and straightforward 3D printer, offering a hassle-free printing experience with its low-frills design.
• Featuring a large and vibrant color interface, the Aquila X2 provides an easy-to-use and navigate user interface, enhancing the overall user experience.
• The printer’s print bed ensures forgiving adhesion, allowing for better print success rates and reducing the chances of print failures.
• It is an upgraded successor, featuring belt tensioners, textured glass print bed, filament sensor, 32-bit mainboard, and silent stepper motor drivers.
• It offers the option to add a bed leveling probe, surpassing similar printers in its price range, although auto-bed leveling is not included as a standard feature.
• Different variants of the Aquila X2 exist due to chip shortage-related supplier changes. Customizing the firmware may require more involvement and the use of the Eclipse IDE, so tinkerers should be aware of their specific variant.

Bambu Lab X1 Carbon

Highlighted Features of Bambu Lab X1 Carbon: 

• Fabulous design and build quality
• High print speeds
• Simple, slick, user-friendly experience
• Pinnacle of premium 3D printing with advanced features and exceptional user experience, defying the notion of mundane sub-$1,000 desktop printing.
• Lightweight with carbon fiber rods, all-metal hot end reaching 300°C, and abrasive-resistant nozzle for handling carbon and glass-filled filaments.
• It utilizes onboard lidar to scan the print bed and first layer. It alerts you through your computer or the Bambu Handy app if any issues are detected, saving time and filament.
• Boasts strong Wi-Fi, a responsive touchscreen, and convenient features like filament drying using the heated print bed and enclosure.

Flashforge Creator Pro 2

Highlighted Features of Flashforge Creator Pro 2: 

• The Flashforge Creator Pro 2 is a highly recommended choice for dual extrusion printing.
• Setting up dual-color prints is effortless and requires minimal effort.
• The print quality with dual extrusion is exceptional, showcasing clear boundaries between color changes.
• The Creator Pro 2 features an Independent Dual Extrusion (IDEX) motion system with two separate print heads, offering various productivity-boosting print modes.
• Considering its price of $649, the Creator Pro 2 offers advanced hardware at a great value.
• The overall print quality is fantastic, with clean breaks between colors or materials.
• The build volume of 200 x 148 x 150 mm is relatively small for IDEX possibilities, as the printable area is divided between the print heads when used simultaneously.
• Despite the limited build volume, the Creator Pro 2’s ease of use and out-of-the-box quality make it a worthwhile choice.

Sovol SV06 Plus

Highlighted Features of Sovol SV06 Plus : 

• The Sovol SV06 Plus offers high-quality printing at an affordable price.
• It comes fully equipped with convenient features.
• Despite its large size, it is surprisingly easy to handle.
• The SV06 Plus improves upon the previous model, the SV06, and includes a larger 300 x 300 mm build plate.
• The Sovol SV06 Plus, priced at $399 (with potential discounts), boasts features such as a removable PEI-coated print bed, auto-bed leveling, Sovol’s planetary extruder, a high-flow nozzle up to 300 °C, a filament sensor, and a large touchscreen UI.
• The SV06 Plus has a sturdy build, resembling the Original Prusa i3 MK3S+, with rods and plastic components securely holding the metal parts together.
• While the printer’s bearings beneath the print bed may have a break-in period that produces some noise, overall, the SV06 Plus is a reliable and robust machine.

Anycubic Kobra Max

Highlighted Features of Anycubic Kobra Max : 

• The Anycubic Kobra Max offers a massive build volume at an affordable price.
• Its volcano-like hot end enables high filament flow, reducing print time for larger prints.
• Despite its large size, it is surprisingly easy to handle.
• The Kobra Max boasts a 400 x 400 x 450 mm build volume, allowing for the production of huge prints.
• Automatic bed leveling and a textured carborundum glass print bed ensure excellent first layer adhesion, requiring minimal effort to achieve full-plate prints confidently.
• It features a robust chassis, dual-geared extruder, and Volcano-style hot end, providing the necessary tools for large 3D printing.
• The printer lacks a spool holder capable of accommodating larger spools and a large bore nozzle for faster print times, but these can be easily and inexpensively upgraded.
• Priced at approximately $529, the Anycubic Kobra Max offers a great value considering its build volume, features, and overall print experience.
• If you require a large volume, trouble-free operation, and consistent performance, the Kobra Max is a highly suitable option.

Snapmaker Artisan

Highlighted Features of Snapmaker Artisan : 

• The Snapmaker Artisan offers three creative tech tools in one compact machine.
• The overall presentation of the Artisan is premium, with high-quality fit and finish.
• It provides a decent dual extrusion printing experience.
• Snapmaker is known for producing slick and well-designed machines, and the Artisan continues this trend.
• The Artisan comes at a higher price point compared to its predecessor ($2999), but it offers a range of creative processes with ease.
• The quick-swap mechanism on the Artisan allows for toolless and effortless mode changes.
• The Artisan operates faster and quieter than the Snapmaker 2.0.
• It features more powerful laser and CNC modules as standard, providing a slight improvement over the previous model.
• The UltiMakeresque print core system enables a convenient dual extrusion experience, allowing for the combination of different nozzle types.
• The Artisan includes a fast-heating print bed with user-selectable zones, facilitating faster printing of smaller models.

Original Prusa Mini+

Highlighted Features of Original Prusa Mini+ : 

• The Original Prusa Mini+ is a small yet powerful printer with exceptional print quality.
• It offers good value for the user experience and finish.
• The large, colorful, and easy-to-use UI enhances the overall user experience.
• The Mini+ supports a variety of materials, including PLA, ABS, PETG, and high-temp plastics like PC.
• Its removable bed makes print handling convenient, and the printer is backed by robust manufacturer support.
• The SuperPinda probe enables auto-bed leveling, ensuring dependable and reliable first layers.
• With a 12% print-volume-to-size ratio, the Mini+ offers a great balance of print capacity and compactness.
• The printer’s lack of onboard spool holding is a notable oversight, but Prusa Research offers a modification project to accommodate the spool underneath the printer, completing the setup with a slightly taller overall height.
• While the Mini+ may have a somewhat bulky appearance, it remains a highly capable and intelligent printer.

Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K

Highlighted Features of Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K : 

• The Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K offers astonishing resolution with a mind-boggling 7500 x 3240 pixel build area, resulting in a pixel size of just 22 microns for crisper detail.
• It provides a well-rounded machine with thoughtful design touches and a surprisingly large build volume, although the shape may be unorthodox.
• For those seeking the ultimate resolution in their prints, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is a top choice, offering exceptional value with a recent price drop.
• While lacking some of the “smart” device comforts of the Creality Halot-One Pro, the Mini 8K doesn’t compromise on the core printing experience.
• The clever resin vat design with corner pegs allows for easy alignment and handling of the vat, making it a user-friendly machine.
• The print plate leveling system may be a bit tired with four machine screws, but the decorative flourish on the print plate surface texture enhances print adhesion.

Creality Halot-One Pro

Highlighted Features of Creality Halot-One Pro : 

• The Creality Halot-One Pro offers Wi-Fi connectivity with useful features, providing a modern and convenient printing experience.
• It boasts a gorgeous color touchscreen display with a great user interface, enhancing user interaction and control.
• The printer’s large print area, with a near-square 130 x 122 mm print plate, is beneficial for batch printing and accommodating awkward print orientations.
• The Halot-One Pro can be currently purchased for the attractive price of $174, making it a top choice in the under $500 category.
• It offers a comparable print resolution to the Mars 2 while providing a more modern experience.
• Wi-Fi connectivity allows for computerless slicing, app connectivity, webcam monitoring (with a USB cam), and onboard model storage.
• The print vat and print plate may be fiddly compared to competitors like Elegoo’s Mars series.
• Some concerns have been raised about Creality’s cloud model library and its accommodation of content ripping, leaving a negative impression.

Elegoo Mars 3

Highlighted Features of Elegoo Mars 3 : 

• The Elegoo Mars 3 offers a high-resolution LCD for crisp and detail-sharp prints.
• It provides a surprisingly large build volume within its slim footprint, measuring 143 x 90 x 165 mm.
• The printer is known for its user-friendly and hassle-free experience, carrying over the best features from previous Elegoo Mars models.
• With a resolution of 4098 x 2560 pixels, it can achieve an ultra-fine resolution of 35 microns.
• The Mars 3 features a stylish 3.5-inch color touchscreen, a metal resin vat with secure screws, and protective feet to prevent FEP contact with the workbench.
• Priced around $209, it offers excellent value for its specifications, aesthetics, and includes a one-year subscription to ChiTuBox Pro (worth $169), making it a strong contender for the best budget 3D printer available.
• It surprises with a large build volume of 143 x 90 x 165 mm within its slim footprint, making it spacious for a standard-sized resin 3D printer.
• With an ultra-fine resolution of 35 microns, enabled by its 4K LCD, the Mars 3 produces exceptional print quality.
• While not the first in its form factor to offer 35-micron resolution (like the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K), the Mars 3 sets itself apart with a significantly larger build volume.
• It combines the best features of its predecessors, including improved LCD technology and an updated aesthetic, to create a well-rounded machine.

Elegoo Mars 2

Highlighted Features of Elegoo Mars 2 : 

• The Elegoo Mars 2 stands out with its distinctive green appearance and clear craze.
• It offers user-friendly operation with straightforward print plate leveling.
• Despite its affordable price, the Mars 2 delivers workhorse-like qualities.
• The printer features a mono LCD for fast layer cure times and maintains the simple functionality characteristic of Elegoo’s Mars series.
• With a resolution of 50 microns, it provides impressive detail and fidelity, surpassing most filament 3D prints.
• The build volume of 129 x 80 x 150 mm allows for producing small batches of parts.
• Native compatibility with ChiTuBox, a user-friendly slicer, and an easy-level single-bolt print plate system add convenience.
• Compared to other machines in its category, such as the Mars 2 Pro, the Mars 2 offers exceptional value at just $119.

Elegoo Saturn 2

Highlighted Features of Elegoo Saturn 2 : 

• The Elegoo Saturn 2 offers exceptionally high print quality, surpassing even the Mars 3.
• Its large build volume allows for bigger prints and batch printing.
• Despite its larger size, the Saturn 2 includes small design touches that make it easy to use.
• The printer’s stylish design, featuring a creased bucket-style lid, adds to its aesthetic appeal.
• With a resolution of 28.5 microns per pixel across a 219 x 123 mm build area (with a build height of 250 mm), the Saturn 2 delivers an impressive level of detail.
• The hardware components of the Saturn 2 feel premium, including the oversized print plate release knob and the improved light engine with a Fresnel lens and COB technology for better light uniformity.
• The inclusion of a 9H hardness screen protector on the LCD helps protect it from accidental damage.
• In reviews, the Saturn 2 receives high praise, offering exceptional detail and a generous build volume at a price below $550.

Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K

Highlighted Features of Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K : 

• The Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K features a high-resolution LCD for preserving detail on large prints.
• It offers a spacious build volume of 330 x 185 x 400 mm, allowing for the creation of sizable objects.
• The printer comes with a pre-leveled print plate, eliminating the need for manual calibration and simplifying setup.
• With its impressive 15-inch panel and 7680 x 4320 pixels, it achieves a 43-micron X/Y resolution.
• The Sonic Mega 8K provides a user-friendly experience with convenient features, making it one of the best large-format resin printers available.

The Prusa MK3S Plus

Highlighted Features of The Prusa MK3S : 

• The Prusa MK3S Plus is considered the standard candle for home 3D printing.
• It has been a dominant force in the market for nearly a decade and remains a popular choice for those seeking to build a 3D printing business.
• While it may not be the fastest printer available, it consistently produces high-quality prints.
• The reliability of the MK3S Plus is evident, with minimal print failures reported by long-time users.
• Priced at $649, it is highly recommended for anyone in the market for a reliable and versatile 3D printer.

The AnkerMake M5

Highlighted Features of The AnkerMake M5 : 

• The AnkerMake M5 is known for its hyperfast printing speed, breaking the 250 millimeter-per-second barrier and offering an ultrafast mode with a recent software update that pushes the speed to 500mm/s.
• It features an AI camera that helps detect issues during printing, allowing users to stop failing prints and avoid wasting materials.
• While the AI performance may not be the best, the camera captures impressive time-lapse videos that can be shared on social media.
• The AnkerMake M5 is a great choice for beginners seeking a fast printer that doesn’t require much space.
• Additionally, it is the most affordable option among the selected printers.

The Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro

Highlighted Features of The Elegoo Neptune 3 

• The Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro is hailed as the best entry-level printer available.
• Building upon the success of its predecessor, the Neptune 2, the Pro version enhances its features significantly.
• With auto bed leveling and filament run-out sensors, it offers convenient and hassle-free printing.
• Surprisingly, the printer delivers exceptional print quality that exceeds expectations, especially considering its price point of under $300.
• For beginners venturing into 3D printing, the Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro is highly recommended as the go-to printer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our ultimate buyer’s guide has provided you with a comprehensive overview of the top 20 3D printers in 2024. We understand that finding the best home 3D printer can be overwhelming, but with our research and testing, we’ve narrowed down the options to help you make an informed decision. 

Whether you’re a home user, a resin printing enthusiast, on a budget, or a beginner, we have included recommendations that cater to your specific needs. From compact and affordable machines to high-resolution resin printers and all-in-one devices, we’ve covered a wide range of classes, categories and features. Now, it’s time for you to explore the diverse world of 3D printing and find the perfect printer to bring your ideas to life.