April 2024
3D Printers: MetaRanking
This page highlights the aggregate summary of 3D printers rankings posted by key online experts, as of April 2024.
Summary
On 2 Apr 2024, ReviewFinder team examined a total of 93 3D printer endorsements from 10 reputable publishers.
71 3D printers were endorsed in total, only 17 made it into this month's ranking. (ReviewFinder requires a minimum of 2 endorsements to be included)
As of 2 Apr 2024, Bambu Lab P1S takes the cake as the most critically-acclaimed 3D printer with 3 expert endorsements. 3 experts out of 3 recommended it as the '#1 3D printer' this month.
Brand breakdown
-
Creality 3D: 7 3D printers
(#1 is Creality Ender 3 V2)
-
Anycubic: 7 3D printers
(#1 is Anycubic Kobra 2)
-
Prusa: 4 3D printers
(#1 is Original Prusa i3 MK3S+)
-
Monoprice: 4 3D printers
(#1 is Monoprice Select Mini v2)
-
Elegoo: 4 3D printers
(#1 is Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro)
Price breakdown
At a glance - April Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | 3D Printer |
Wirecutter
|
Tom's Hardware
|
All3DP
|
TechRadar
|
Tom's Guide
|
Omnicore
|
PCMag
|
Digital Trends
|
Popular Mechanics
|
CNET
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
+1 | Check price |
Bambu Lab P1S
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
|
2
|
-1 | Check price |
Bambu Lab A1 Mini
|
1
|
10
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
|
3
|
+1 | Check price |
Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
|
2
|
8
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
4
|
+2 | Check price |
LulzBot Mini 2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
10
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
|
5
|
+3 | $199 |
Creality Ender 3 V2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
|
6
|
+3 | $300 |
Anycubic Kobra 2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
|
13
|
-8 | Check price |
Original Prusa MK4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
|
14
|
+1 | Check price |
Formlabs Form 3+
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
15
|
-8 | $219 |
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
|
-
|
5
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
16
|
- | $360 |
Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
17
|
- | $1999 |
Dremel Digilab 3D45
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
|
18
|
- | $1378 |
MakerBot Replicator+
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
|
19
|
- | Check price |
FlashForge Adventurer 4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
|
20
|
- | $190 |
Anycubic Photon Mono 2
|
-
|
13
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
|
21
|
- | $299 |
Toybox 3D 1-Touch
|
-
|
-
|
11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
22
|
- | $549 |
SnapMaker Artisan
|
-
|
15
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
23
|
- | $370 |
Anycubic Photon Mono M5S
|
-
|
14
|
13
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
We ranked Bambu Lab P1S #1 in April 2024 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
- Out of those, 3 experts ranked Bambu Lab P1S as #1.
Tom's Hardware
Best 3D Printer Overall
|
Blazing speed
Enclosure for high temperature printing
Simple auto bed leveling
All metal hotend
Optional 4 color AMS
|
Pricey
Mediocre UI
|
All3DP
Best 3D Printer Under $1,000
|
Enclosed volume with temperature regulation
Fast, high-quality printing & effective cooling
AMS compatible
|
CNET
Best overall 3D Printer
|
Fully enclosed
AMS compatible
Very fast
Great finished product
|
Control screen is unhelpful
|
We ranked Bambu Lab A1 Mini #2 in April 2024 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Bambu Lab A1 Mini as #1.
Tom's Hardware
Best Compact 3D Printer
|
Speed
Quick change nozzle
Direct Drive
Auto bed leveling
Inexpensive AMS (optional)
|
AMS takes up a lot of space
|
All3DP
Best 3D Printer Under $500
|
Quick and quiet printing
Fully automatic calibration and setup
Excellent layer uniformity
|
CNET
Best Budget 3D Printer with Color
|
The best setup experience
4-color printing on a budget
Good app experience
Suprisingly fast
|
No real modification path
AMS Lite is wobbly
Awkward shape and footprint
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend 3D printers.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of 3D printers, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for April 2024 ranking
Wirecutter
Tom's Hardware
All3DP
TechRadar
Tom's Guide
Omnicore
PCMag
Digital Trends
Popular Mechanics
CNET
We ranked Bambu Lab X1 Carbon #3 in April 2024 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Best Professional 3D Printer
|
AMS features intuitive guided operations for loading and unloading material
Rigid steel frame, aluminum shell, and CoreXY motion system
LIDAR-assisted automatic calibration and inspection
High speed multicolor printing with AMS
Enclosed build volume
|
Cool Plate and glue stick included instead of PEI Textured Plate
Default purging process involves wasting material
|
All3DP
Best Premium
|
Fabulous design and build quality
High print speeds
Simple, slick user-friendly experience
|
We ranked LulzBot Mini 2 #4 in April 2024 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
PCMag
Best Open-Frame 3D Printer for Hobbyists and Schools
|
Easy to set up and use.
Powerful software.
Quiet operation.
Supports a variety of filament types.
LCD with SD-card slot.
Self-leveling print bed.
Easy to remove finished objects from print bed.
Works with Windows, macOS X, and Linux.
|
Print quality inconsistent at times.
No bundled filament.
Open frame increases risk of burns from a hot extruder.
Relatively sparse connectivity options.
|
We ranked Creality Ender 3 V2 #5 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
We ranked Anycubic Kobra 2 #6 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
PCMag
Best Budget 3D Printer for First-Timers / Editors' Choice
|
Affordable
Prints fast and accurately
Easy to assemble
|
Very noisy fans
Leveling software is inconsistent
Can get worryingly hot
|
CNET
Best budget fast 3D printer
|
Entry-level pricing
Auto bed leveling
Extremely fast
|
Needs more part cooling
|
We ranked Original Prusa MK4 #7 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
TechRadar
A high-speed 3D printer with smart innovations
|
Reliable and efficient
Versatile and customizable
Easy to use
Open-source
|
Relatively expensive for beginners
|
CNET
Best 3D Printer for Quality
|
Excellent quality prints
Fast but not jerky
Excellent support
Open Source
|
Too expensive
Wi-Fi setup is unfriendly
|
We ranked Formlabs Form 3+ #8 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best resin-based 3D printer / Editor's Choice
|
Fast printing
High-quality results
Extensive amount of resins available
|
No third-party resin support
Expensive
|
PCMag
Best 3D Resin Printer for Rapid Prototyping and Parts Production
|
Excellent print quality
Full SLA workflow solution
Nearly fume-free operation
USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connectivity
Responsive phone customer service
|
Difficult to remove printed objects
Problematic resin-tray seating process
Steep learning curve for using supports
Requires lots of isopropyl alcohol
|
We ranked Creality Ender 3 V3 SE #9 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Fastest Budget 3D Printer
|
Klipper firmware
Excellent Auto bed leveling
Direct drive
|
Accelerometer not included
|
All3DP
Under $200
|
Reliable auto-bed leveling system
It’s quiet
Great bang-for-buck ratio – cheap and capable
|
We ranked Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro #10 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Best 3D Printer for Beginners
|
Powerful direct drive extruder
“Sport” mode part cooling fan
Linear rods enable fast printing speed
Synchronized dual Z-axis threaded rods
Textured PEI build platform excels at part adhesion
|
Build platform leveling requires manual input
|
TechRadar
A great choice if you're learning the ropes
|
Fast and precise
User-friendly design
Reliable print quality
|
Limited filament compatibility
May be expensive for new starters
Initial setup complexity
|
We ranked Dremel Digilab 3D45 #11 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
We ranked MakerBot Replicator+ #12 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
PCMag
Best 3D Printer for Product Designers/Engineers / Editors' Choice
|
Easy to use.
Very good print quality.
User-friendly yet powerful software.
Prints via USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi, and from a USB thumb drive.
Safe design for an open-frame printer.
Relatively quiet.
|
Printer setup through MakerBot Mobile app can be tricky.
Somewhat pricey filament.
|
We ranked FlashForge Adventurer 4 #13 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Guide
Best intermediate 3D printer
|
Swappable nozzles provide material flexibility
Handles multiple materials with ease
Good price
|
No automatic bed leveling and filament loading
Changing nozzle is rather a tricky process
|
CNET
Best 3D printer for ease of use
|
Easy swap nozzles
Great for schools
|
Smaller build plate
|
We ranked Anycubic Photon Mono 2 #14 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Best Resin 3D Printer for Beginners
|
Detailed 4K prints
Fast setup
Effortless print removal
Easy to navigate menus
Generous anti-scratch film to protect the glass
|
Slippery feet on the base
Lightweight and cheap feel
|
CNET
Best inexpensive resin 3D printer
|
Small footprint
Astounding quality
Great price
|
Too small for anything but minis
|
We ranked Toybox 3D 1-Touch #15 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
All3DP
Best Toy 3D Printer
|
Massive toy library to print
Kid-friendly experience
Snappy on-device UI and app-based control
|
PCMag
Best 3D Printer for Kids / Editors' Choice
|
Reliable, misprint-free printing
Easy setup
One-touch operation
Well-composed help resources
Access to more than 2,000 printable toys and projects
Lets you create your own printable designs
|
Tiny build area
Not ideal for importing 3D files created elsewhere
|
We ranked SnapMaker Artisan #16 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Best Combo 3D Printer / Laser Engraver
|
Huge build volume
Great at printing, laser cutting and CNC machining
Included enclosure
|
Very expensive
Huge footprint
Can't handle TPU Filament
|
All3DP
Best 3-in-1 3D Printer, CNC, Laser
|
Three creative tech tools in the footprint of one
Overall presentation of the Artisan is premium
Decent dual extrusion printing experience
|
We ranked Anycubic Photon Mono M5S #17 in April 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best 3D printers” rankings.
Tom's Hardware
Best Ultra High Resolution 3D Printer
|
Eye-popping 12K prints
Auto leveling
High speed printing
Smart sensors
|
Release film has short life span
Specialty resin is pricey
|
All3DP
Best Resin 3D Printer Under $500
|
Capable of fast, high-res printing
Resin level & print failure smarts
Well-implemented Wi-Fi connectivity
|