One of the best in town – the Original Prusa MK3S+
PICK
- Exceptional print quality
- Advanced calibration and print monitoring
- Excellent support and involved community
- Dated UI
- Pricey
PICK
- High-quality prints
- Excellent price-to-performance
- 32-bit board with TMC2208 drivers (it’s quiet!)
- Poor filament loading
- Pointlessly detachable display
PICK
- Vibrant design
- Reliable, great print quality
- Easy to use
- Samey – lacking innovation
Countless hours at All3DP go into using, printing, and tinkering with a large selection of desktop 3D printers, followed by no small amount of deeper research, debate, and haggling among the editorial team. We feel that the result is a fair representation of the best 3D printers for home use, balancing usability and performance with cost.
The Best 3D Printer
The Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ carries forward the MK3 series’ best-in-class performance and reliability. Despite being one of the pricier printers on this list, it justifies its price tag with the best bang for the buck, out-of-the-box print quality, and longevity. Regular updates and an ocean of official and community-generated support and ideas for the printer help the i3 MK3S+ set the bar for desktop 3D printing really, really high.
Get the kit, build it yourself, learn a thing or two in the process, and end up with a fine printer for your efforts. Alternatively, you can pay a little more and have it shipped ready to run.
Acknowledging that $1,000+ might be a tall order for the best 3D printer (although it’s worth it), we’ll point to the Creality Ender 3 V2 as a solid budget alternative, offering the same build volume and a generally great printing experience for a lot less money. Using it requires more of you, manually leveling the bed and whatnot, but otherwise, the Ender 3 V2 is a solid starting point for 3D printing on a budget.
Our new top pick for budget resin printing is the Elegoo Mars 2, which plays it awfully safe as an upgrade on the original Elegoo Mars, but in a good way. As with its predecessor, it gives an approachable and easy in for resin 3D printing, with reliable software, simple calibration, and setup. Particularly noteworthy in the Mars 2 is its monochrome LCD, a piece of tech that means it can print much quicker than the original Elegoo Mars.
Of course, there is no one 3D printer to suit all ends and means. With this in mind, we argued a little longer to reach an agreement on solid recommendations for a swathe of printing needs, wants, and budgets.
To see what’s new and changed from our last update, check out the What’s Changed? section.
| Best 3D Printers in 2021 | At a Glance | Market Price (approx., USD) | Check Price (Commissions earned) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ | Best overall, FDM, Under $1,000 | From $749 | |
| Biqu B1 | Editor’s pick, FDM, Under $300 | $298 | |
| Nova3D Bene4 Mono | Editor’s pick, MSLA (Resin), Under $400 | $349 | |
| Flashforge Creator Pro 2 | Editor’s pick, Dual Extrusion (IDEX), FDM, Under $600 | $599 | |
| Peopoly Phenom | Editor’s pick, Resin, Large, Under $2,000 | $1,999 | |
| Elegoo Mars | Budget, MSLA (Resin), Under $200 | $149 | |
| Creality Ender 3 | Budget, FDM, Under $200 | $155 | |
| Elegoo Mars 2 | Budget, MSLA (Resin), Under $300 | $230 | |
| Creality Ender 3 V2 | Budget, FDM, Under $300 | $262 | |
| Original Prusa Mini+ | Budget, FDM, Under $400 | From $349 | |
| Elegoo Mars 3 | Budget, MSLA (Resin), Under $400 | $300 | |
| Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 | Budget, FDM, Large, Under $500 | $419 | |
| Monoprice Voxel | Budget, FDM, Beginner-friendly, Under $400 | $339 | |
| Anycubic Photon Mono X | Budget, MSLA (Resin), Mid-sized, Under $700 | $699 | |
| Dremel DigiLab 3D45 | Education, FDM, $1,900 | $1,899 |
BEST 3D PRINTER
Our top recommendation for the best 3D printer to use at home or the workplace. The result of countless hours of real-world testing and printing, plus further research.
Original Prusa i3 MK3S+
WHAT’S GREAT
- Exceptional print quality
- Advanced calibration and print monitoring
- Excellent support and involved community
Starting at $749 (tax and shipping may add to this), the Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ is a new and improved iteration on the MK3S that has sat top of our recommendations pile longer than we care to remember.
The printer offers exceptional value for money, excellent print quality out of the box – in many cases outperforming printers multiple times its price – and a wealth of inbuilt calibration routines and error detection and mitigation systems, all making it one of the most intelligent printers going.