Best 3D Printers Under $1,000

The printers in this category offer some of the best features and capabilities that consumer-level 3D printers have to offer. Oftentimes these printers have all the bells and whistles included, feature some of the largest print volumes available or have some of the best aftermarket support out there.

Elegoo Mars 2 PRO

 9.3/10

The best value small form factor resin printer currently on the market

Read Review

ELEGOO Saturn

 9.3/10

The easiest and most cost-effective medium format resin printer out

Read Review

Anycubic Photon Mono SE

 9.2/10

One of the most refined and polished small form factor resin printers out

Read Review

Anycubic Mono X

 9.2/10

Mono X sports a 4k monochrome LCD producing excellent quality prints

Read Review

EPAX X1

 9.2/10

One of the most beginner friendly resin 3D printers we have reviewed

Read Review

Paul Chow

Co-Founder & CTO

Published on July 27, 2022

Amazon.com Disclosure: As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The line between printers in the $1000 range and professional printers costing several $1000s is extremely blurry. If you put print from either of these two categories side by side, it would be impossible to tell which one came from either printer. These printers often showcase the best the consumer/hobby market has to offer and, in many cases, include features that are designed to allow them to be used in a professional setting where they are constantly used 24/7.

Remember that while many of these printers are extremely feature-rich, they are not beginner friendly and require major assembly. But if you’re looking for some of the best printers you can get for under $1000, then look no further than right here. We reviewed a ton of 3D printers, so rest assured our list of sub $1000 printers are the best out there. You’ll find the right printer that suits your needs.

What To Look For In A 3D Printer Under $1,000

Reliability

Reliability is one of the most important traits in a 3D printer. It doesn’t matter if the printer has all the bells and whistles in the world if it constantly jams, breaks or fails to print objects that you want it to. And at $1000, reliability is no longer a nice to have, but a requirement. Thankfully, 3D printers have come a long way from the early days of wooden frames and instead feature sturdy metal frames and quality components to ensure that every time you press print, you can rest assured that it will spit out the right object.

Ease of Set Up

In the early days of consumer 3D printing, most printers came in a kit where users had to build it up. This required both time and expertise that turned away anyone who wasn’t a die hard tinkerer. Modern printers now come in much easier to assemble sections which usually consist of screwing in a small number of bolts and connecting a few cables before powering the printer on and start printing.
While many 3D printers on this list only require a few steps, there are a few that require major assembly. We will make sure to point them out.

Print Quality

Print quality has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years. These printers listed here take them to the next level. FDM printers are now capable of producing parts that look indistinguishable from injection molded parts and resin printers create prints that look exactly like tabletop or scale miniatures.

Build Volume

If you’re looking to print large objects, then size does matter. While previously, most consumer 3D printers were very limited in build volume, many modern 3D printers are not so constrained. Most of the printers here are capable of printing large objects such as full size Iron Man helmets!

Extra Features

Extra features are a must on printers at this price bracket. Expect to see advanced features such as true automatic bed leveling, high speed printing, filament runout detection, WiFi connectivity and lots of upgrade options.

Top 3D Printers Under $1,000

FDM Printers

FDM or fused deposition modeling printers take plastic filament, melt it, and stack the extruded molten plastic in layers until the desired model is printed. Also known as filament printers, FDM 3D printers are the most common 3D printers used by both consumers and professionals alike. These machines listed below produce some of the best quality FDM prints and often are some of the fastest machines available. They are so good many professionals like ourselves use them as their workhorse machines.

Resin Printers

Resin 3D printers are perfect for users looking to produce miniatures for tabletop gaming or highly detailed objects that cannot be replicated on FDM printers. Until recently, resin 3D printing was reserved for professionals due to its extremely high price tag, but thanks to Anycubic and other manufacturers, resin 3D printing is now accessible to hobbyists and consumers. Resin SLA 3D printers are much messier to work with compared to FDM printers, requiring users to invest in cleaning equipment/chemicals, and resin is substantially more expensive to buy compared to FDM filament. Additionally, with most of the printers featuring tiny build volumes, resin 3D printers are usually only recommended for users looking to make tabletop miniatures or jewelry.

Since 2018, manufacturers have rapidly iterated on their printer designs, and as a result, the vast majority of current resin 3D printers share the same internals. Manufacturers have differentiated themselves by price and quality of life features. In 2022, most manufacturers will have released their latest generation of resin 3D printers, which we were not fully able to test at the time of this writing. However, we will update this as soon as our testing is complete.

ELEGOO Mars 2 PRO

The Pros

The Cons

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is so good, it made its way into all of our top picks articles. Despite being superseded by the newer Mars 3, the Mars 2 Pro offers a smaller overall footprint and lower lifetime costs as it’s much cheaper to buy and maintain. If you’re looking for a small form factor resin 3D printer, then the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is one of our top picks.

Elegoo quickly set itself apart from the competition with quality-of-life features such as a charcoal air filter, an easy-to-level print bed and one of the lowest initial prices for a monochrome LCD printer. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, like all resin 3D printers, produces excellent quality prints, which are often indistinguishable from cast resin miniatures.

Some users may take the issue that the lid has to be removed to access the printer as it takes additional space to store the lid. However, we found this to be a minor issue in the office. The Mars 2 has an extremely small print volume of 129mm (l) x 80mm (w) x 160mm (h) which limits the printer to very small prints.

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro features one of the largest resin 3D printer communities, which gives users a wealth of information if any issues come up. Coupled with Elegoo continuing to support the Mars 2 Pro despite the newer Mars 3 being released, the Mars 2 Pro is easily a top recommended small form factor resin 3D printer for under $1000.

Read Review: ELEGOO Mars 2 PRO

ELEGOO Saturn

The Pros

The Cons

The Elegoo Saturn returns from our top $500 list to the top $1000 list. Equipped with a large 4k monochrome LCD panel for quick and high-quality printing and an absurdly low price tag of $499, the Saturn quickly became the 3D printing industry’s equivalent of the 2020-2021 graphics card shortage. Prices quickly jumped to $700-800 due to demand, but thankfully fell back to under $500 in the last year due to supply catching up to demand.

The Saturn sports a much larger 9” monochrome LCD screen with an overall build volume of 192mm (l) x 120mm(w) x 200mm (h) which gives users a much bigger build volume to work around with. This often means that users can print 1:7 scale figures in 1 piece as opposed to several on smaller printers. Like all resin 3D printers, the Saturn can output excellent quality resin prints that rival injection-modeled tabletop miniatures.

However, users not requiring the larger print volume of the Saturn will quickly find themselves disappointed in the Saturn’s increased resin consumption and steeper learning curve due to the much larger build volume. This has resulted in many users being frustrated with wasted resin and failed prints. And the frustration is further compounded by how expensive resin is compared to FDM filament.

As of the time of this writing, Elegoo has released the Elegoo Saturn 2, which features a higher resolution 8K screen alongside a larger build volume. While it does offer more than the original Saturn, the Saturn 2’s lack of availability and higher costs leads us to still recommend the original Saturn as a top pick for a medium format resin printer for under $1000.

Read Review: ELEGOO Saturn

Anycubic Photon Mono SE

The Pros

The Cons

If the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is good, then the Anycubic Photon Mono SE refines the experience to the next level. The Photon Mono SE takes its place on our recommended small form resin 3D printers list as one of the most refined consumer printers on the market.

Sporting a monochrome LCD, it prints as fast and well as its competitors. However, the Photon Mono SE sets itself apart with its iconic gull-wing door design and updated bed leveling mechanism. Most consumer resin 3D printers use a removable top lid to access the print bed, which requires users to find extra room to place the lid aside while accessing the print bed. The Mono SE’s door design is a potentially huge advantage to users who are very limited in space for their 3D printing. Its spring-loaded leveling mechanism is our favourite method of leveling the bed plate as it ensures that the build plate is always perfectly level with the LCD screen.

While these pros would have made the Photon Mono SE an easy win on paper, we originally could not have recommended it due to its initial launch price and lack of software compatibility. It couldn’t have justified a launch price of 2x its closest competitor the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, when the Mars 2 Pro produced the same quality prints. But its recent price cuts have dropped it to roughly the same price as Mars 2 Pro. Likewise, with its software situation, it initially was not compatible with popular slicers such as Chitubox and Lychee Slicer. However recent updates to both programs have put the Photon Mono SE on par with all other resin printers on the market. These 2 changes have made the Photon Mono SE an easy recommendation for a resin 3D printer for under $1000.

Read Review: Anycubic Photon Mono SE

Anycubic Photon Mono X

The Pros

The Cons

Like the Elegoo Saturn, the Anycubic Mono X makes a return to the top $1000 resin printer list. Internally, it was identical to the Saturn with some additional features such as a superior bed leveling mechanism and built-in WiFi. However, at launch, its higher price tag and lack of software compatibility made it a hard sell compared to the Saturn.

Like the Saturn, it sports a 4k monochrome LCD which produces excellent quality prints. However, it does feature a taller print volume at 192mm (l) x 120mm (w) x 245mm (h), which gives it an impressive 40mm height advantage over the Elegoo Saturn.

We found the WiFi feature to be entirely useless, and despite the Mono X being available for a few years now, Anycubic has done nothing to ensure it works. However, that is not the case with slicer compatibility. At launch it was not compatible with popular slicers like Chitubox and Lychee. Still, over time both programs included support for the Mono X, making the Mono X an easy recommendation for us.

Anycubic has released its new Photon M3 line, which features a resolution and builds volume upgrade. However, due to the lack of its availability, we still recommend the Mono X.

Epax X1

The Pros

Fully leveled and ready to print out of the box
Beginner friendly
Great quality prints equal to almost all resin 3D printers in its class
Cheap and accessible replacement parts
Hinged door makes access to the build plate incredibly easy

The Cons

EPAX made a name for itself by learning from the user experience lessons from Anycubic and Elegoo and making highly refined resin 3D printers. The EPAX X1, at first glance, looks like a horrible deal as it shares the same hardware as the Anycubic Photon S and Elegoo Mars Pro but with a price tag of $100 more.

The EPAX X1 features a gull-wing door to access the build plate, something we much prefer over the removable acrylic lid of the Elegoo Mars Pro and Phrozen Sonic Mini. The EPAX X1’s door was designed to hinge halfway across the top panel rather than being at the back of the top panel, a flaw in the Anycubic’s design. This updated design allows users to rest the door at the top of the machine instead of requiring users to flip the door all the way to the back. To some, this would be considered a minor improvement, but we welcomed the change.

Sporting a tiny build volume of 115mm (l) x 65mm (w) x 155mm (h), on paper, it really does not stand out from the crowd. However, with the X1 arriving fully leveled and ready to print from the factory, brand agnostic part compatibility included resin profiles. Western-based aftermarket support set the EPAX X1 apart from its siblings. We would highly recommend it as one of the most beginner-friendly resin 3D printers we have reviewed. The EPAX X1 was truly a plug-and-play printer that both newcomers and professionals could appreciate.

Read Review: EPAX X1

Prusa MK3S

The Pros

Great print quality
Huge community and retailer support
More features than any other printers in its class
Can be extremely quiet in stealth mode. One of the quietest printers we have ever test
Very reliable and easy to use

The Cons

Despite originally being released in 2017, the Prusa MK3S+ remains one of the most popular medium-sized 3D printers on the market and for a good reason. Over the next four years, it received several updates to become the gold standard for modern 3D printers. Users can purchase a kit for $749 or opt for the fully assembled printer for $999, which places the Prusa Mk3S in the upper range of 3D printers for hobbyists.

Equipped with a huge number of features such as silent stepper drivers, filament runout detection, automatic bed leveling, a direct drive extruder and a removable flexible print surface that’s still considered class leading despite being released so long ago. However, its best feature is how well it is supported by both the company and the 3D printer community. With its ecosystem of branded slicer and filament, the Prusa MK3S+ can achieve high-quality prints and relatively high speeds.

Despite all of its praises, there is no looking away from the relatively small print volume of 250mm (l) x 210mm (w) x 210mm (h) and dated design completed with a monochrome LCD and click wheel navigation. There is also additional pressure from competitors such as the Creality Ender V2, offering nearly identical print quality at a tiny fraction of the price or the Voron series, which offers faster printing at the same price. Overall, we would highly recommend the MK3S to users looking for a high-performance workhorse of a 3D printer that works well out of the box. However, users looking for the bleeding edge of consumer 3D printers are best served by looking at some of the other printers on this list.

Read Review: Prusa MK3S

Voron 2.4 3D Printer

The Pros

The Cons

The Voron 2 printer was designed to be a large, no-compromise, high-performance CoreXY 3D printer. Combining many of the most advanced 3D printers features in an attractive, enclosed design, the Voron 2 aims to be one of the top-tier 3D printers on the market.

As a community-designed 3D printer, the Voron 2 has received several iterations to improve its usability and ease of assembly since its debut in 2018. The latest version is the Voron 2.4, whose plastic components were designed to reduce plastic usage and improve ease of assembly. Unlike other 3D printers on this list, there is no official Voron 2.4 kit. In late 2020, several AliExpress vendors produced assembly kits for the Voron 2, making it easier for hobbyists to build their own Voron 2. These kits vary wildly in price, from $799 to over $2000.

Unlike the RatRig3, the Voron 2.4 is not infinitely configurable and is officially supported in 250mm3, 300mm3 and 350mm3 sizes. This makes it a lot easier to configure and source but much more limited in terms of tweaking to a user’s exact specifications.

While the Voron 2.4 has a laundry list of features such as a direct drive extruder, belted z drives and WiFi connectivity, the crowning feature of the Voron 2.4 is its quad gantry leveling which physically levels the printer the fixed build plate, allowing the most accurate 3D printing currently available. The Voron 2.4 is currently the most accurate and fastest FDM 3D printer we have tested to date. Additionally, it is also one of the few enclosed printers we have tested, and that makes it capable of printing difficult materials such as ABS.

The largest disadvantage is the huge time sink it requires to build and tune the Voron 2.4 before it’s ready for primetime. The build manual is over 100 pages long and took us over 30 hours to complete the build. The Voron 2.4 is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Read Review: Voron 2.4 Printer

Original Prusa Mini+

The Pros

The Cons

Like its larger cousin, the Prusa Mini+ gives users one of the easiest and most seamless ways to start FDM 3D printing. While the Prusa Mini+ is Prusa’s first attempt at targeting the budget 3D printer market, it maintains the quality and user experience that the Prusa brand is known for. And it shows with the Mini+ sporting a laundry list of quality of life features that no other 3D printer in its price bracket can match while maintaining the print quality that rivals printers twice its price. Things such as a colour screen, automatic bed leveling, removable flexible build plate and upgraded extruder design are features usually found on printers with a price tag north of $1000.

The best feature, however, is the enormous support provided by Prusa and its community. The included Prusaslicer, in-house filament and support has made the Prusa Mini+ an all-in-one ecosystem that is ideal for users new to 3D printing. We were not surprised at the great print quality the Prusa Mini+ achieved out of the box with no tuning.

However, it is held back by its higher than average price tag, relatively small print volume of 180mm (l) x 180mm (w) x 180mm (h) and lack of upgradability which makes it a turn off to users who are interested in upgrading the Mini+. Additionally, the Prusa Mini+ is more difficult to assemble compared to other budget offerings, such as the Creality Ender 3 V2. The Prusa Mini+ is a top contender for newcomers to the 3D printing hobby looking at a more budget-friendly alternative to the larger Prusa MKS3+ and is content with the stock experience the Mini+ has to offer.

Read Review: Original Prusa Mini+

RatRig 3

The Pros

The Cons

If you’re looking to have one of the most configurable 3D printers currently on the market, then look no further than the RatRig3. With a supported build volume of 200mm3 all the way up to 500mm3, you’ll find a printer that is the right size for you. It is also configurable with just about any extruder, hotend and bed probe known to man, allowing users to customize their RatRig3 to their exact specifications.

When testing the RatRig3, we were extremely imprisoned with its 3-point true automatic bed leveling. This is different from most other forms of bed leveling where the printer adjusts to the bed, but instead, the bed adjusts to the printer. This allows the RatRig3 to be extremely dimensionally accurate, and we found it to be one of the fastest and most accurate printers we have tested to date.

If there are any downsides, one of the biggest would be while its customization potential is one of its largest strengths, it is also one of its largest weaknesses as its options for size, motherboards, hotends, extruders peb probes, and flexible build surfaces would make it extremely overwhelming to a new user. On top of that, it requires users to completely assemble the kit as it arrives as a collection of parts. We found we needed an entire weekend to build and get it ready for printing.

If you’re looking for a printer that can be tweaked to your specific needs down to the most minute detail, then the RatRig3 might be the printer you’re looking for.

Creality Ender 3 V2

The Pros

The Cons

Despite being labelled as a budget printer, the Creality Ender 3 V2 can easily hold its own against the most expensive printers on the consumer market. When Creality released the original Ender 3, it was a barebones machine but highly reliable, affordable and produced good quality prints. The Creality Ender 3 V2 took the fundamentals of reliability and affordability and added many upgrades to improve the overall user experience. No longer do you need to spend several hundred of dollars to get silent stepper drivers and a non-monochrome LCD.

This printer also has a respectable build volume of 220mm (l) x 220mm (w) x 250mm (h), which allows it to fit 90% of prints most users would need and arrives mostly assembled in 2 major parts and can be assembled and printing in about 30 minutes thanks to its well-documented assembly instructions. We found that the Ender 3 V2’s print quality is among the best of the budget 3D printers, rivalling the print quality of our printers that cost over $1000.

While reliability and print quality are kings with the Ender 3 V2, it has few. First, despite being equipped with TMC silent stepper drivers, which ensure that the motion of the 3D printer is incredibly quiet, we found that the printer as a whole is loud due to the noisy, poor-quality fans that are always on. Many users might not prefer having a glass print surface as it does make print removal tricky without tools or cooling the print surface to release completed prints. And lastly, the Ender 3 V2 does print relatively slowly on its stock settings. Users can tweak and tune the settings to improve print times, but out of the box, the Ender 3 V2 is slower than many of its rivals.

What sets the Creality Ender 3 V2 apart from the competition and makes it one of our top budget picks is its community and retailer support. The Ender 3 V2 boasts one of the largest communities, and users will be able to quickly find answers to their questions and any number of upgrades to their printer to take it to the next level.

Read Review: Creality Ender 3 V2

Anycubic Vyper

The Pros

The Cons

Recently, Anycubic was more synonymous with resin 3D printers than FDM 3D printers due to its success with its resin 3D printers. When they retired its ancient Mega line, many wondered if they would bow out entirely of the FDM 3D printer market. However, this was not the case with the Anycubic Vyper. The Vyper was Anycubic’s answer to the new generation of 3D printers, and it definitely has the fangs to take a bite out of its competition.

Sporting many high-level features such as automatic bed leveling, a colour touchscreen, a dual drive extruder and a magnetic flexible build plate, it definitely aimed to take the crown away from Prusa as one of the most feature-packed consumer 3D printers on the market. It definitely did threaten Prusa with its great print quality, ease of set up and sub $500 price tag.

However, it was not a complete win for Anycubic. Users complained about the quality control of its dual drive extruder as some were flawless while others had print quality issues due to low-quality components within it. Its user experience was not nearly as polished as Prusa, as the software included was outdated and required some tuning from users before it fully realized its print quality potential. Finally, its community was very small compared to the Prusa community, making sourcing community help that much harder. Overall, from a value standpoint, the Vyper is one of the strongest contenders in the sub $500 category.

Artillery Sidewinder X1

The Pros

Direct drive extruder and volcano style hotend for under $400. No other large format printer in its class has these features
Prints well out of the box with no tuning
Glass build plate provides good overall adhesion, making everyday printing reliable
Mains powered heated bed allows the printer to heat up very quickly
Ribbon cables provide a very clean and professional aesthetic

The Cons

Making our way into both our top $500 and top $1000 category, the Sidewinder X1 is definitely a fan favourite. Artillery made a name for itself as an excellent quality large format 3D printer.

The Artillery Sidewinder is often recommended as the top contender for the best affordable large format 3D printer alongside the Creality CR-10S Pro. With a build volume of 300mm (l) x 300mm (w) x 400mm (h), it has the largest build volume on our list. On our FDM list, this is one of the few options that come nearly assembled out of the box, making it an excellent choice for professionals who want to get up and running with minimal setup time. We were particularly happy with its extremely sturdy frame, ceramic coated glass bed, direct drive extruder and quiet fans, which resulted in quick, high-quality 3D prints while being amongst the quietest printers we have tested.

We found relatively minor issues, such as the frustrating spool holder design and found that the Sidewinder X1 went through multiple revisions due to quality control without customer consultation. Often priced at $499 or lower when on sale, it is amongst the most affordable large format 3D printers while maintaining high reliability and print quality. Tinkers would also be extremely happy with the wealth of upgrades and mods available to them. When picking an Artillery Sidewinder X1, users should be aware of picking up their V4 version, which fixes most of the quality control issues found on Artillery’s earlier models.

Read Review: Artillery Sidewinder X1

Final Verdict

When looking to spend this much money, it is crucial you’re getting your value out of it. The good news is that there are several printers out there that can satisfy any type of consumer or professional requirement. The bad news is that there are so many good options, it’s difficult to pick just one.

No matter what kind of 3D printer you’re looking for, you’ll be making the right choice with one of these printers on this list!

Disclaimer
3DGearZone.com is a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We don’t guarantee, however, that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services. 3DGearZone.com is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Sources
1. ELEGOO.com, “ELEGOO, INC.” Accessed July 26, 2022.
2. Anycubic.com, “Anycubic 3D Printing” Accessed July 26, 2022.
3. Prusa3d.com, “Prusa Research a.s.” Accessed July 27, 2022.
4. Artillery3d.com, “Shenzhen Yuntuchuangzhi Technology Co., Ltd.” Accessed July 27, 2022.
5. Creality.com, “Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd” Accessed July 27, 2022.

Paul Chow

Paul’s been prop making since 2012 and has garnered an extensive experience in woodworking, CNC machining, 3D modelling and printing experience. Getting his first 3D printer in 2016, he dove deep into the world of 3D printer building, repair, upgrading and tinkering. He has built, tested and upgraded dozens of printers ranging from large & small, resin or FDM and ready to print fully custom builds.

Best 3D Printers Under $1,000

Elegoo Mars 2 PRO

ELEGOO Saturn

Anycubic Photon Mono SE

Anycubic Mono X

EPAX X1

What To Look For In A 3D Printer Under $1,000

Reliability

Ease of Set Up

Print Quality

Build Volume

Extra Features

Table of Contents

Top 3D Printers Under $1,000

FDM Printers

Resin Printers

ELEGOO Mars 2 PRO

The Pros

The Cons

ELEGOO Saturn

The Pros

The Cons

Anycubic Photon Mono SE

The Pros

The Cons

Anycubic Photon Mono X

The Pros

The Cons

Epax X1

The Pros

The Cons

Prusa MK3S

The Pros

The Cons

Voron 2.4 3D Printer

The Pros

The Cons

Original Prusa Mini+

The Pros

The Cons

RatRig 3

The Pros

The Cons

Creality Ender 3 V2

The Pros

The Cons

Anycubic Vyper

The Pros

The Cons

Artillery Sidewinder X1

The Pros

The Cons

Final Verdict

Printer Reviews

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Brands

3D Printer Brands

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