From pre-made choices to DIY options you can build for basically free, the best Ender 3 enclosures offer something for everyone

The choice I’d recommend for 80% of folks is the official Creality Ender 3 Enclosure.

It’s easy to assemble, with a good-sized viewing window. It’s particularly good at printing heat-sensitive materials – and is more affordable than you’d expect

If your priority is 360-degree visibility, you should check out the 3D UpFitters Ender 3 Enclosure. it’s a little more complicated to assemble, but it’s a great pick for more detailed projects where you need a clearer view.

We’ll highlight the best among these popular Ender 3 add-ons, and also provide a few top Ender 3 enclosure buying tips to keep in mind.

Buyable Ender 3 Enclosures

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Official Creality Ender 3 Enclosure

• Price: Check price at Creality store / Check here on Amazon
• Assembly: Easy-to-assemble iron pipe/three-way connector frame
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 S1 Plus
• Printer Access: Large front door with zip
• Print Visibility: See-through front screen with zip, velcroed side and top opening

Although Creality opted not to equip the Ender 3 with an enclosure, the company offers its very own official-vetted enclosure for the Ender 3 in all its incarnations.

The enclosure’s biggest strength is that it’s designed specifically for the Ender 3, so no faffing around checking dimensions – the Ender 3 just fits, with room to spare.

It also offers sufficient top space to squeeze in a spool of 1kg filament.

With toolless, easy assembly, the official Creality enclosure consists of a rigid iron pipe frame held together by three-way connectors, on top of which sits a heat-containing cover to prevent drafts.

The inner layer is made of an aluminum film, while a flame-retardant fabric coats the outer layer.

The official Creality Ender 3 enclosure can maintain temperatures far better, ideal for printing with ABS, ASA, PC, and other heat-sensitive materials. Creality says the enclosure helps muffle printing sounds and has also thrown in a handy side-mounted tool pouch.

A zipped window that runs almost the front and top of the enclosure offers easy access to the printer and a good-sized viewing window.

Smaller right side and top openings with velcro covers grant two additional angles to access the printer without removing the entire enclosure.

3D UpFitters Ender 3 Enclosure

• Price: Starting at $200.00
• Assembly: Fairly involved, comes with high-quality, well-guided assembly instructions
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 S1 Plus
• Printer Access: Hinged front door with magnetic latch and left-side door
• Print Visibility: Acrylic see-through panels on all sides

If you’re looking for a sturdier alternative to Creality’s tent-style enclosure above, 3D UpFitters’ Ender 3 kit is a solid option.

The company specializes in 3D printer enclosures and levies that expertise to offer some of the best options on the market.

The enclosure is made of high-quality acrylic panels held together by ABS connector brackets. This means complete visibility of the printing process from all angles and the ability to maintain an internal temperature above 30°C.

A hinged front door with magnetic latches and a side-mounted two-panel swing door means easy access to the printer.

The kit even comes with a custom mount and extender cable to position the Ender 3’s power supply outside the enclosure.

It also features cable routing holes to position the printer’s display outside the enclosure for easy print control. 3D UpFitters’ Ender 3 enclosure starts at around $200.00.

The company offers a range of add-ons, including a carbon air filter, temperature gauge, spool holder, vent system with fan/dryer hose adapter, interior LEDs, etc.

You can shave off a few dollars by opting to print the connectors yourself using ABS, something the company facilitates by providing STL files.

Assembly is reasonably involved and takes some time, but 3D UpFitters’ high-quality instructions are good enough for those usually daunted by DIY assembly to follow.

Innovator 3D Printer Enclosure

• Price: Starting at $165
• Assembly: Fairly complex, Fairly involved, comes with high-quality, well-guided assembly instructions and videos
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 S1 Plus
• Printer Access: Hinged front door
• Print Visibility: See-through acrylic front and side panels

If you’re looking for an enclosure that ships with all the bells and whistles with the price tag to match, then look no further than Innovator 3D Printer Enclosure. 

Designed from the ground up to create a sealed, heat-retaining cocoon for your Ender 3 to thrive in, the Innovator 3D Printer Enclosure is pieced together using large sheets of sturdy metal, see-through acrylic panels, and heavy-duty hardware.

It’s designed to maintain ideal printing temperatures, and also ships with a built-in 2-phase HEPA/activated carbon filtration system to clean air contaminated by fumes and particles (VOCs), partially useful if you’re working with ABS and other filaments that give off more fumes.

The enclosure also has its own internal control panel, and there’s also a smart heater with the ability to set a desired temperature – and even an option to add internal lighting.

It’s a more involved setup than an enclosure tet, though there’s good instructions to make sure it isn’t too taxing for you. On my Ender 3 V2 Neo, I’d say it’s overkill, but if I’m working on my Ender 3 S1 Pro, and want to print tougher filaments, I’d prefer something like this. 

The Innovator 3D Printer Enclosure comes in two sizes, with the larger option big enough to house even the largest Ender 3 models like the Ender 3 Max and Ender 3 Max Neo.

Wham Bam HotBox V2 Enclosure

• Price: Starting at $120.00
• Assembly: Pre-assembled, effortless two-minute set-up
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Neo
• Printer Access: Large zipped front/top door
• Print Visibility: See-through front panel

Wham Bam’s HotBox V2 enclosure is a solid option if you want to transform the Ender 3 into an ABS-ready printer with as little hassle as possible.

It comes fully assembled with a setup involving no more than two zippers.

The HotBox V2 is made up of a semi-rigid, lightweight polymer honeycomb insulating structure with a high-grade Nylon 600D outer layer and metallic heat-containing internal lining.

These materials keep out drafts and maintain a steady internal temperature.

A large front-facing velcro panel allows you to view and access the printer, while dual side-mounted zippers see the front and cover open up completely for even easier access to the printer.

There are metal-lined filament passages mounted throughout, with plugs to seal them when not in use.

Cable passages and velcro retainers feature on all sides, along with an air vent port, and even an in-built thermometer for monitoring. The top panel features a velcro panel for the Ender 3’s spool holder to sit outside the enclosure.

Other notable features include loops for a pair of LED light bars on the front panel should you fancy the upgrade along with a useful tool pouch on the enclosure’s side.

It folds up flat for easy transportation and storage.

DIY Ender 3 Enclosures

Photography Studio Tent

• Price: Up to $50
• Assembly: None required, pop-up tent
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro
• Printer Access: Zipper door or flap
• Print Visibility: Poor, tent is designed to reflect light so isn’t see-through

A repurposed photography studio tent offers a solid enclosure option, but one that is easy to set up and won’t break the bank. 

Tents are widely available in a range of sizes to fit all Ender 3 models – just make sure you measure up before buying. If you can’t find one with enough height, consider mounting the spool outside of the tent

The tents are typically made of flame-retardant plastic sheets (to cater for photography lights placed inside) that do a reasonably good job of containing heat, offering the Ender 3 a cozy environment to print filaments like ABS. It’s not the most insulative, but for those on a budget, it’s more than sufficient for most print projects.

The major downside of a tent is that the plastic sheets are designed to reflect heat and have a murky white finish. As a consequence, photography tents offer no visibility of the printer, but do come with a zipper door or flap that makes accessing it easier. 

The material is also easy to make holes in to feed in cables or filament, giving you more flexibility. And, putting it together takes no effort at all – they ship preassembled, and all you need to do is place the Ender 3 inside.

Exercise and Kids Mats

• Price: $20.00-$30.00
• Assembly: Very easy, interlocking puzzle teeth
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Neo
• Printer Access: Easily remove one of the mats to access the printer
• Print Visibility: Poor

Although not the first thing that comes to mind, foam exercise and kid’s play mats constitute a viable DIY option for an Ender 3 enclosure.

In particular, mats that have interlocking puzzle teeth on the sides can be combined easily and quickly to create a cube large enough to house an Ender 3.

No need for tools or screws – simply push them together.

While their material (usually ethylene vinyl acetate) may not be known for its insulative properties, and the imprecise, toothy cuts may be prone to letting through small drafts, these mats prove surprisingly competent at maintaining a steady temperature.

Due to manufacturers having to stick to rigid standards, they are generally non-flammable.

They are also comparatively cheap when stacked up against pre-made enclosures. Expect to pay as little as $20.00 to $30.00 for the six panels required for a six-sided cube enclosure.

There are, of course, downsides.

Unless you carve out an opening and install an acrylic panel, there’s no way to monitor a print without removing one of the mats. Depending on the mat’s thickness, fitting in an opening for the filament spool might be troublesome, too.

IKEA LACK Table

• Price: $13.00 IKEA LACK table, $60.00 panel kit, cost of filament to 3D print brackets
• Assembly: Complex
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Neo
• Printer Access: Hinged front door
• Print Visibility: Excellent, see-through front, back, and side panels

A favorite among seasoned makers, the IKEA LACK table enclosure is a classic DIY option.

Though not initially conceived for the Ender 3, it works a treat to transform any small-ish open-design printer into a machine capable of handling even the most temperamental filament types.

The basic idea is to take a cheap, sturdy, and readily available IKEA LACK side table, then mount acrylic panels on the front, back, and sides with 3D printed brackets to create a toasty thermal environment for ABS, Nylon, PC, and more to thrive.

You won’t need custom-cut acrylic panels as you can buy kits from Amazon and the like.

These include cut-to-size acrylic panels with cabling holes, magnets, and hardware. STL files for the 3D printed parts are also available on sites like Thingiverse.

Visibility is unsurprisingly excellent, with views of the printer from the front, back, and sides.

Kits also generally include a hinged door or a removable front panel for printer access.

You can even stack multiple LACK tables to create storage space or fashion and attach all manner of creative add-ons like lights, a thermometer, or an external spool holder to the side table’s wooden frame.

Whatever way you look at it, this is a DIY project, so assembly is very much hands-on with a good dose of problem-solving if you don’t go down the kit route – one for the experienced DIYers or motivated beginners out there.

Wood Enclosure

• Price: $100.00-$200.00 depending on the cost of wood
• Assembly: Medium-hard difficulty
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 S1 Plus
• Printer Access: Optional hinged front door or removable panel
• Print Visibility: Potentially excellent if using four acrylic panels

Similar to the IKEA LACK build, a wooden enclosure is a viable alternative to a pre-made option, especially if you’re good with your hands and have some woodworking experience.

Generally, those who’ve gone down this route build a wood frame and then attach wood panels and one acrylic panel on the front for visibility to create an enclosed space for the Ender 3.

Assembly can vary in complexity depending on your plans.

Wood is one of the more workable materials, but you need the right tools – a circular saw, drill, etc. The lack of precise guides means you’ll need to measure the correct dimensions yourself.

The whole project could cost next to nothing if you can gather up any spare wood lying around and 3D print the brackets for the acrylic panels.

Otherwise, expect to pay anywhere from $100.00 to $200.00, depending on the cost of wood in your area.

Plastic Sheets and PVC Frame

• Price: $20-$40
• Assembly: Medium complexity
• Compatibility: Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 Neo, Ender 3 V2 Neo, Ender 3 Max Neo, Ender 3 S1, Ender 3 S1 Pro, Ender 3 S1 Plus
• Printer Access: Door cut into sheet with velcro holds or removable sheet
• Print Visibility: Poor, unless you use see-through material

It’s possible to piece together an inexpensive, rudimentary Ender 3 enclosure with no more than a sheet of plastic, a basic frame made of PVC, for example, and strong adhesive like duct tape.

The process is pretty intuitive.

It involves assembling a frame, draping the sheet over and holding it down with tape. The printer then sits underneath, benefiting from the right controlled thermal environment to handle heat-sensitive filament.

In terms of equipment, we recommend any non-flammable and heat-resistant plastic sheet; the thicker, the better, as extra width generally pumps up the insulative properties.

Depending on your visibility preference, you may also want to go for see-through sheets.

As for the frame, a popular option is PVC, as it can be combined without tools, relying instead on friction to hold it together. This makes it easier to build and disassemble for transportation or storage.

Another popular alternative is to 3D print the frame yourself, further reducing costs.

Assembly shouldn’t be too taxing but could vary depending on the frame material you go for.

For printer access, you can either remove a section of the sheet as needed or cut out a door and attach velcro dots to the frame to keep it closed during printing.

Advantages of an Enclosure for Your Ender 3

Temperature Control

An enclosure creates a stable thermal environment.

Without an enclosure, the Ender 3 is subject to ambient temperature fluctuation caused by natural shifts and factors like drafts.

An enclosure allows for a consistent environment, essential if you need consistent and reliable results when reproducing the same model and part.

Fumes, Odors, Noise Reduction

An Ender 3 enclosure contains the fumes created when melting certain filament types.

These fumes can have hazardous consequences when breathed in. Similarly, many heat-sensitive filament types produce unpleasant odors, which an enclosure can help reduce, which is useful if you can’t set up the printer in a well-ventilated area.

A further benefit is noise reduction. An enclosure can help muffle stepper motor and fan noise.

Safety

An enclosure offers a protective cocoon around the Ender 3 to shield it from accidental knocks and bumps, and also protect users, children, and others from injuring themselves on the hot nozzle or heated bed.

Storage

An enclosure protects a printer from dust and debris when not in use, extending its lifespan and minimizing the need for regular cleaning.

Buyer’s Guide – Things to Consider When Choosing an Enclosure For Your Creality Ender 3

The Differences in Enclosing Each Ender 3 Printer

While they’re all based on the same core frame, components, and design, some Ender 3s have a different-sized footprint. So, it’s super important to buy an enclosure large enough to house your specific Ender 3 model.

The Ender 3 V2, Ender 3 Pro, and Ender 3 Neo are the same as the original Ender 3, but some are larger, like the Ender 3 Max, Ender 3 S1 Plus and S1 Pro, Ender 3 Max and Max Neo.

Here are their dimensions for easy reference:

Material Choice and Potential Issues

Pay close attention to the properties of the material used to make an enclosure.

Non-flammable and heat-resistant materials are a must-have as they drastically reduce the potential for fires. You’ll also want to consider their insulative properties, favoring those that naturally trap heat, such as acrylic.

For parts like brackets that you can 3D print yourself, we suggest avoiding PLA due to its low melting point in favor of ABS, which can withstand the higher temperatures created by an enclosure.

Exhaust Stem

Although not essential, you may want to consider an enclosure, whether DIY or pre-made, fitted with a vent/exhaust and air filtration system.

These can help filter out toxic fumes and funnel hot air away from the Ender 3’s more sensitive components, such as the power supply and other electronic parts.

Effects of Temperature of the Ender 3’s Hardware

Although trapping in heat does wonders for 3D printing ABS and other filaments, it can wreak havoc on the Ender 3’s components.

In particular, too much heat can affect the lifespan and performance of electronic parts such as the power supply, display, and mainboard.

We recommend enclosures that offer well-placed vents to move air away from these components like on the 3D UpFitters enclosure or allow you to house them outside the enclosure or away from the heat sources (nozzle and bed).

Assembly and Storage

Consider how easy an enclosure is to assemble and disassemble, especially if you don’t plan on having a permanent setup.

For example, an IKEA LACK Table enclosure is more or less impossible to disassemble quickly. On the other hand, a tent-style option like the HotBox V2 folds away for storage in seconds.

FAQs

If you enjoyed this article, check out our other Ender 3 upgrade guides to learn more:

• Ender 3 Laser Engraver & Cutter Upgrades Reviewed for V2/Pro Models
• Dual Extruder Upgrades for Creality Ender 3: Pro, V2, and S1
• Top Ender 3 Direct Drive Upgrades for 2023: V2 and Pro
• Best Ender 3 Extension Kit Upgrades
• The Best Auto Bed Leveling Upgrades for Ender 3
• Comprehensive Guide to Every Type of Ender 3 Fan Upgrades
• Best Hot End Upgrades for Ender 3 Pro/V2

I’ve been there – wispy plastic residue ruining otherwise perfectly good prints.

In short, it all comes down to dialing in the best Ender 3 retraction settings.

This guide will cover everything I’ve learned about this all too common phenomenon – how to set the perfect Ender 3 retraction settings, along with a few housekeeping tricks I use to prevent stringing.

You’re likely here for specific slicer settings, so I’ll provide those, too. Let’s jump in – here’s how to reduce stringing with the best Ender 3 Retraction Settings.

What Causes Stringing?

First, what causes stringing? 

Stringing is the name given to the wispy, cobweb-like strands of filament that trail behind the nozzle when it shifts from one part of a print to another.

It also pops up in gaps (or open air) between two separate vertical parts of a print or any area where no active printing (or deposition) happens.

It’s a byproduct of the ever-present, natural pressure in the filament path continuously pushing plastic through the hot end.

In other words, although the extruder’s gears are no longer actively feeding filament, tiny traces of melted plastic leak out of the nozzle.

Stringing happens when the flow of molten plastic isn’t controlled by the usual deposition of plastic onto a pre-existing layer.

As stringing is linked to the behavior of melted plastic, filaments that print at higher temperatures are more susceptible.

Filaments like PETG are well-known for stringing for this reason, but the most popular Ender 3 filaments, PLA and ABS, are by no means immune to the problem.

Best Retraction Settings For The Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, and Ender 3 V2

Now that we understand what each Ender 3 retraction setting does, here’s my optimal retraction settings:

• Retraction Distance: 5 mm
• Retraction Speed: 25 mm/s to 50 mm/s
• Retraction Extra Prime Amount: 0 mm/s
• Retraction Minimum Travel: 1.5 mm
• Maximum Retraction Count: 10
• Minimum Extrusion Distance Window: 10 mm
• Limit Support Retractions: Toggled On
• Combing Mode: Within Infill

These work not just on the classic Ender 3 but also as solid Ender 3 V2 and Ender 3 Pro retraction settings — though you can still tweak these based on the results you want.

With these dialed in, it’s crucial to perform an Ender 3 retraction test, such as this one, and adjust the Ender 3 retraction settings as needed. 

You’ll also find a selection of calibration shapes for testing in the Cura marketplace. This video offers a guide on how to get the best out of these types of tests.

Ender 3 V2 Neo Retraction Settings

Though the Ender 3 V2 Neo is based on the V2, it benefits from slightly tweaked retraction settings to remove stringing on the Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, and Ender 3 V2.

• Retraction Distance: 6.5 mm
• Retraction Speed: 45 mm/s

As always, your results with these settings may vary depending on filament type and print speed, but they’re a solid starting point.

I don’t recommend lowering the retraction settings below 5 mm as this makes stringing worse in my experience. You can also read my full test of the Ender 3 V2 Neo.

Ender 3 S1 Retraction Settings

As the Ender 3 S1 features a direct drive extruder, the filament path is much shorter, meaning you can get away with a shorter retraction distance.

• Retraction Distance: 0.8 mm
• Retraction Speed: 35 to 45 mm/s

These are also Ender 3 direct drive settings applicable to any Bowden Ender 3s you’ve upgraded to a direct drive extruder.

Ender 3 S1 Pro Retraction Settings

As the Ender 3 S1 Pro is essentially a bulkier version of the Ender 3 S1, the retraction differences don’t differ much between them.

However, the Ender 3 S1 Pro tends to combat stringing more effectively with a slightly higher retraction speed.

• Retraction Distance: 0.8 mm
• Retraction Speed: 50 mm/s

You may want to slightly drop the retraction speed – to somewhere around 0.6 mm – if this doesn’t produce any substantial stringing, but I don’t recommend reducing the speed below 50 mm/s. You can read more in my full test and review of the Ender 3 S1 Pro.

At lower speeds, stringing intensifies and becomes more annoying to deal with. Some other users online have also found success with speeds up to 60 mm/s, so don’t hesitate to raise it a few millimeters if you’re still seeing stringing.

Another useful tip that affects stringing, but only applies to PLA, is to lower the nozzle temperature to around 195°C – rather than the 200-210°C typically recommended by filament manufacturers. This very slightly reduces how fast the filament melts, but enough to substantially reduce stringing, especially when paired with my recommended retraction settings.

How the Right Ender 3 Retraction Settings Stop Stringing

Retraction Settings

Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce or eliminate stringing, the most effective of which is tuning the retraction settings for the Ender 3 in your slicing software.

Retraction is a mechanism built into the extruder that retracts the filament by a short distance.

Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, and Ender 3 V2 retraction settings determine when and by how much to pull back the plastic into the nozzle when traveling between points or over a gap. Doing so relieves the built-up pressure in the nozzle and prevents the oozing that leads to stringing.

If you’ve ever glanced at slicer retraction slicing, you’ll know there are quite a few tweakable options. We’ll cover what each one does below. 

For clarity and to serve as many readers as possible, we’ll focus on Ender 3 Cura retraction settings, given it’s the most popular 3D printing slicer. Note that other slicers feature variations on the names of these settings, but they serve the same function.

Enable Retraction

This setting tells the printer to use its retraction mechanism. Though this setting is typically ticked on by default, it’s worth double-checking. All the settings below are redundant without retraction enabled.

Retraction Distance

Retraction distance determines the length of filament pulled back by the extruder for each retraction move (specifically, how much the filament travels within the hot end), but also how much filament is extruded back through the hot end after the retraction move. 

Retraction distance is arguably the most important setting along with speed. It’s a crucial factor in reducing instances of Ender 3 stringing.

As with most aspects of 3D printing, there’s a balance to strike when it comes to tuning retraction settings for the Ender 3.

A short retraction distance won’t be enough to prevent stringing, but you run the risk of filament not reaching the nozzle when needed if you dial in a distance that’s too large. Additionally, retracting too far can cause molten plastic to solidify and clog the hot end.

Retracting the filament too far can also cause what’s known as filament grinding, an issue caused when the extruder gears gnaw away at the filament as it makes repeated passes over the same area. 

Degraded filament has a tougher time making its way through the hot end to the nozzle, which can ruin prints. Parts requiring lots of retraction moves in quick succession are especially prone to filament grinding.

Bowden systems, such as those found on the Ender 3, Ender Pro, and Ender 3 V2, typically need a longer retraction distance due to the larger gap between the extruder and print head assembly. 

For the Ender 3 S1 and Ender 3 S1 Pro, you can get away with a lower distance because these printers have direct drive extruders, so there’s a shorter filament path.

Retraction Speed

Retraction speed signals how fast the extruder drive gear pulls filament back for every retraction move.

It’s directly related to retraction distance: how fast the defined length of filament travels when retracted. Higher speeds reduce stringing because the filament is whipped up into the nozzle before stringing can occur.

Much like retraction distance, it’s not a case of simply cranking up the retraction speed to solve all your stringing woes.

There’s a balance between reducing stringing with a nippy retraction and setting it so high that it affects the consistency and quality of subsequent printed layers.

Filament grinding is a concern at higher retraction speeds, so tread carefully here to avoid degrading your filament. Another common issue sees the solid filament located higher up in the hot end separate from the molten portion lower down, which can lead to clogs and jams.

Retraction Extra Prime Amount

Following a retraction move, the retraction extra prime amount settings determine how much additional filament is primed to compensate for potential oozing during a travel move. It helps top up the nozzle with the filament when the printer returns to printing.

In most cases, the retraction extra prime amount is best left at its default settings of 0 as it tends to leave blemishes and blobs on your prints when the retraction speed and distance are set correctly.

Retraction Minimum Travel

Retraction minimum travel sets a minimum distance of travel threshold beyond which retraction is triggered, and the filament is then pulled away from the nozzle.

The idea here is to limit the number of unwanted retractions in quick succession over a small area. Set too low, and when combined with aggressive retraction speed/distance settings, it can exacerbate grinding and damage your filament.

Maximum Retraction Count

Maximum Retraction Count sets a maximum cap on the number of retraction moves within a set length of filament defined by the minimum extrusion distance window (more on that just below).

The setting is designed to protect the filament from repeated gear pressure on the same portion of filament, which can lead to grinding problems.

Minimum Extrusion Distance Window

Minimum Extrusion Distance Window determines the length of filament the maximum retraction count setting applies to.

Again, the core function of this setting is to avoid damaging your filament through repeated and unnecessary extruder pushing and pulling.

Limit Support Retractions

Here you can toggle whether the retraction mechanism and all the other retraction settings apply when traveling between or within support structures.

Turning it on can cause stringing between support portions of a print but can drastically reduce the overall print time. As you’ll remove stringy supports once a print finishes, the overall quality of your part isn’t affected.

Combing Mode

This setting gives you several options to signal how the printer should behave when traveling from one portion of a print to another.

Generally, this keeps the nozzle within previously printed areas. The aim is to keep retraction moves to a minimum and shorten print times. The setting ensures any stringing occurs within the limits of your print and not on the outer surface or walls at a nominal cost to travel times.

You’ll find four combing mode options:

• Off – The printer will retract for every travel move and do so in a straight line to the next point.
• All – The printer will ensure all travel moves occur within already printed areas.
• No in Skin – The printer avoids skin/surface areas when traveling.
• Within Infill – The printer keeps the nozzle within infills when traveling.

Other Slicer Settings That Can Help Prevent Stringing

Print Temperature

To understand the way hot end temperature can lead to stringing, think of what happens when you feed filament into the extruder before a print.

The printer bumps the temperature way up, which causes the filament to flow uncontrollably out of the nozzle, creating a mound of plastic spaghetti on your print bed.

This is the pressure built up in the filament path (caused by the extruder gears pushing and the hot end liquifying the plastic) releasing through the only available opening, the nozzle.

It’s vital to have the correct hot end temperature for your filament type as recommended by the manufacturer to keep this pressure in check.

Set too high, this leads to over-extrusion manifested as stringing during travel moves and blemishes when printing, or retraction moves stretching rather than pulling the filament, negating the benefit of retraction.

By dialing down the temperature, you are effectively limiting the flow of filament and, by extension, oozing.

Here are the general ranges for each filament compatible with the Ender 3.

• PLA – 190°C to 230°C
• ABS – 210°C to 250°C
• TPU – 210°C to 230°C
• PETG – 220°C to 250°C

We recommend lowering the temperature in small increments. Doing so along with dialed Ender 3 retraction should help prevent stringing issues.

Travel Speed

Though not as impactful as retraction and temperature settings, travel speed can help prevent stringing.

By increasing the travel speed, you’re ensuring the nozzle shifts from printed area to printed area faster, limiting the window for oozing.

As always, balance is essential.

Pushing the travel speed too high can open the door to a host of other problems linked to print quality and under extrusion. Start with 150 mm/s and adjust upwards as needed, but avoid exceeding 200 mm/s.

Other Ways To Stop Stringing

Buy Quality Filament

However tempting it may be to save money by buying cheap filament, we recommend spending a little more on a proven, quality brand.

Poor quality additives and a shoddy manufacturing process can exacerbate stringing. Be sure to consult our guide to the best Ender 3 filament for our top recommended brands.

Proper Filament Storage

Good quality filament is one thing, but you must also store it correctly to keep it moisture-free. When water seeps into the filament, it can accentuate the oozing that leads to stringing.

As the moisture heats up, it releases extra pressure, which, when combined with the pressure caused by the extruder gear and hot end temperature, can push unwanted filament through the nozzle during travel moves. 

Check out our guide to storing filament the right way for more information.

Replace The PTFE tubing

If you’ve dialed in the proper settings, bought quality filament, and kept it dry, but stringing persists, then the problem is likely linked to the PTFE tubing degrading.

Through repeated exposure to high temperatures at the point where it meets the hot end, the PTFE tubing’s lubrication degrades over time, which can affect the efficiency of retraction.

Replacing or cutting back the Bowden tubing is one of the easiest Ender 3 upgrades. Check out our guide to best Ender 3 upgrades for more information.

Alternatively, you can eliminate the problem by upgrading your Ender 3 to a direct drive extruder setup, which doesn’t have Bowden tubing. Check the link just above for more details.

Maintain and Clean The Nozzle

Residual build-up on the nozzle is a natural part of 3D printing, especially if you’re a heavy user.

If left unchecked, this build-up can lead to stringing because it affects extrusion and can stick to fresh filament flowing from the nozzle.

Regularly wiping the nozzle with a wire brush or removing the part entirely for a thorough clean should eliminate the problem.

FAQs

If you enjoyed this article, check our other guides to learn more:

• Ender 3 Print Speed Preferences (Max for V2 & S1)
• 4 Methods to Fix PETG Stringing (Fixes 90% of Issues)
• Pillowing, Stringing, and Layer Splitting – Three of the Worst 3D Printer Issues Solved

That’s why I’ve decided to share the best Ender 5 Pro upgrades I’ve found from my 2 – 3 years using the printer.

I’d recommend most casual users add a new build plate for their first upgrade. The Creality flexible PEI build plate has made my prints more consistent, with better first-layer adhesion and scraper-free removal.

Makers who want to print with more materials should prioritize E3D’s V6 hot-end upgrade, which will let you print at the temperatures that PETG, PC, and nylon demand.

Those are my top two picks – but there are a ton of Ender 5 Pro upgrades that will improve the quality of your prints, as well as convenience add-ons to make your time with the printer more enjoyable.

This guide will share my recommendations for the upgrades I’ve personally found most useful – both paid and (more or less) free, 3D printed modifications.

3DSourced is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Paid Ender 5 Pro Upgrades

Ender 5 Pro Build Plate Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $20-$25

Swapping out the stock Pro build plate is one of the most cost-effective Ender 5 Pro upgrades you can make.

Doing so improves first-layer adhesion – the first step to a successful print – opening the door to better performance with more demanding filament types. A better build plate also makes print removal a lot easier.

While there are numerous third-party options, Creality has done well to offer a good selection of in-house developed Ender 5 Pro build plate upgrades.

PEI-Coated Build Plate

The Creality flexible PEI build plate is a popular option that will set you back a reasonable $25.

The PEI surface has excellent adhesive properties and better first-layer adhesion compared to the stock plate, so there’s no need to rely on additional glue, tape, and the like.

The plate’s spring steel base attaches to the Ender 5 Pro’s magnetic bed, removing the need for clips, making it one of the easiest Ender 5 Pro upgrades to install.

Creality’s plate can handle temperatures up to 200°C and boasts well-distributed temperature stability. The build plate’s flexible properties allow scraper-less print removal; simply bend the plate, and prints pop off.

It’s a solid pick for PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU printing.

Tempered Glass Build Plate

Creality’s Tempered Glass Build Plate is another popular option.

It’s made of tempered, strengthened glass with carbon and silicone thrown in for good measure, allowing it to handle temperatures up to 400°C.

The glass bed is compatible with virtually every filament type out there, with notably good PLA performance. Still, a bit of adhesive help, like tape or glue, for more challenging materials like ABS is often needed. 

The smooth finish makes it a top pick for makers who prefer a clean underside for their prints and don’t mind drafting in a handful of clips to keep the build plate in place. Expect to pay under $20 for Creality’s Tempered Glass Build Plate.

Ender 5 Pro Enclosure Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $80-$90

If you plan on printing ABS or other materials sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations, an enclosure is a must-have upgrade.

Without one more challenging filament types are likely to warp due to the open-air design of the Ender 5 Pro.

While you can piece together your own DIY solution and potentially cut costs, Creality conveniently offers its own manufactured solution designed to fit the Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, and Ender 5 Plus.

Easily assembled and storable, the Creality enclosure consists of a flame-retardant, aluminum-lined tent that sits atop an iron pipe support frame.

It features a see-through window for print monitoring and a large zipped front door to access the printer.

The enclosure is designed to maintain a stable internal temperature and protect against drafts.

Additional benefits include protecting your Ender 5 Pro from airborne debris like dust. It’s the best Ender 5 enclosure I’ve found, and also provides a good level of noise dampening (helpful if you’re running overnight print at home).

Ender 5 Pro Auto-Bed Leveling Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5 Pro
• Price: $40-$50

Although bed leveling is an unavoidable and necessary part of 3D printing, you can remove much of the difficulty and tedium by upgrading to automatic bed leveling.

Antclabs’ BL Touch sensor is a popular option, but Creality also has its own, cheaper CR Touch equivalent.

Both are compatible with the Ender 5 Pro.

Although the setup isn’t as straightforward as installing other Ender 5 Pro upgrades, the process is suitable for even those with little DIY 3D printer modification experience.

The BL Touch and CR Touch come in kits consisting of the required mounting brackets, cabling, and screws.

Ender 5 Pro Extruder Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $50-$60

If you plan on printing with flexible filament like TPU, we highly recommend an Ender 5 Pro extruder upgrade.

An extruder with a shortened and tighter filament path ensures flexible filament doesn’t bend or jam, one of the major issues owners encounter with the stock Ender 5 Pro’s Bowden system.

E3D’s Titan extruder is among the most popular options and comes from a company with an established reputation for producing quality parts.

It’s a rugged but compact and lightweight extruder that allows you to use the Ender 5 Pro’s existing Bowden tubing with a simple adapter or shift to a direct drive system.

The latter involves a little more leg work and additional components, but significantly improves the Ender 5 Pro flexible prints.

Ender 5 Pro Hot End Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $55-$60

For makers that want to dabble with more exotic filament than standard ABS and PLA, upgrading the Ender 5 Pro with a hot end capable of higher temperature opens the door to materials like PETG, PC, and Nylon.

E3D’s V6 is a solid pick with a loyal horde of adopters who are more than willing to sing its praises.

It features an all-metal design and can reach temperatures up to 300°C.

The precision heat break ensures better control over filament flow while enhancing retraction responsiveness, reducing potential oozing, and fixing stringing problems.

Ender 5 Pro Nozzle Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $15-$20

Alongside an extruder upgrade, beefing up the Ender 5 Pro with a brand new nozzle can do wonders when working with abrasive filaments or as a way of extending the gap between nozzle replacements.

E3D’s hardened steel V6 nozzle and Micro Swiss’ A1 hardened steel plated nozzle are both excellent picks, suitable for materials like metal-fill, wood-fill, carbon-fiber fill, NylonX, and other specialist abrasive filament types.

Ender 5 Pro SD Card Extension Upgrades

• Compatibility: Ender 5, Ender 5 Pro, Ender 5 Plus
• Price: $15

More a convenience upgrade than a performance mod, an SD Card extension can tweak the Ender 5 Pro to accept full-sized SD Cards rather than the easily lost and hard to manipulate micro SD Cards. 

Creality has its own extension cable that plugs directly into the Ender 5 Pro SD Card slot with a ribbon leading to a standard SD Card slot.

The cabling can be a little unsightly and break the Ender 5 Pro’s aesthetic, but there are clever owner-made solutions to tuck it away, as we’ll see in the next section.

Free 3D Printed Ender 5 Pro Upgrades

Ender 5 Bed Support

To ward off any unwanted build platform movement or shifting, we recommend installing bed supports to add extra rigidity and improve printing performance.

The general format is two rigid support arms that sit below the platform. 

We particularly like Raggio’s version. To install the bed supports, you’ll need no more than a handful of zip ties for an extra snug fit, as the arms are designed to friction fit with the bed screws.

Bed Wire Strain Relief

Due to how the Ender 5 Pro is designed, the bed wiring is unsupported and prone to wear and tear as they connect and rub with the printer when the bed moves. 

To avoid fraying the cables and prevent malfunctions, or worse, a fire hazard, we recommend installing a bed strain relief add-on to support the cabling.

This bed strain relief model by grizzlyeric stands out for offering a friction fit instead of having to source a bolt. 

Extruder Wire Strain Relief

Much like the bed wires, the Ender 5 Pro’s extruder wiring is left to dangle with little support. It tends to rub against the printhead mount. In time, the cables can fray, causing all manner of issues. 

Installing a 3D printed extruder wire strain relief, such as this one by kawi63603, is an elegant way to ward off any potential problems.

It’s a small change, but it could save maintenance headaches and costs in the long run.

Tool Holder

Though not a necessary upgrade, a tool holder can tidy up the workspace around the Ender 5 Pro and offer easy access to your most-used accessories.

Thingiverse contributor rempel’s Ender 5 tool holder features a cutter holder, holes for Allen keys, a spot for a screwdriver, space for spanners, a spatula holder, and a scraper holder, all in a compact add-on that mounts directly onto the Ender 5 Pro’s frame.

Filament Guide

Bowden systems are notoriously prone to causing all kinds of trouble for the filament as it feeds into the extruder, especially flexibles which tend to bend, clog, and snap.

The Ender 5 Pro’s design means the filament has very little support before the extruder. A 3D printed filament guide is a must-have upgrade to give your filament a fighting chance.

D_jespersen, a prolific Ender 5 Thingiverse contributor, has come up with a simple but elegant solution that you can more or less 3D print yourself.

You’ll need some hardware and fittings to get it mounted, but once the installation is done, the guide will drastically reduce the amount of extruder-related problems.

Cooling Duct

If cooling is causing you warping and curling headaches, installing a cooling duct can significantly increase overall print quality.

McGybeer’s version sits below the printhead fan and redirects air to the printed filament while avoiding the nozzle for quick evacuation of hot air.

It’s compact, light, and mounts using the existing fan screws on the Ender 5 Pro.

Camera Mount

Another of the more optional Ender 5 Pro upgrades, an Ender 5 Pro camera mount is a handy add-on if you need to monitor prints remotely.

It mounts to Ender 5 Pro’s frame with 4mm bolts and T-nuts and pretty much does what it says on the tin. It’s designed for light cameras like the magnetic base Wyze and other low-cost, heavy-duty models.

Thanks to Thingiverse contributor FrogmanDave for the model.

SD Card/USB Holder

As any seasoned 3D printer will tell you, part of the hobby involves amassing a catalog of SD Cards and USB sticks.

To help you sort through these, keep them safe, and add a bit of quality-of-life sheen to your Ender 5 Pro, a dedicated SD Card/Holder is a great upgrade.

We particularly like Pugwash’s Thingiverse version as it’s built to friction sit in the printer’s V-Slot perfectly, a novel way to use the space and fill a gap that all too often attracts bits of stray filament.

Multiple versions are available with different SD, micro SD, and USB slot combinations to suit your needs.

If you’ve installed an SD Card extension, there’s also another option designed to house the cabling and sit on top of the Ender 5 Pro’s SD Card slot. It also features an Ender logo, so you’ll be keeping the printer’s branding intact with this one.

You can grab it here on Thingiverse, courtesy of maker BoothyBoothy.

FAQs

If you enjoyed this article, check our other Ender 5 guides to get some more inspiration:

• What are the Top Ender 5 Plus Upgrades?
• Best Ender 3 S1 Upgrades
• My Favorite Ender 5 Enclosures
• Ender 3 vs Ender 5 – Which is Right for You?
• Check the best Ender 3 mods here

But for most makers – using PLA and wanting a balance between speed and quality – I recommend 50 – 80 mm/s for your Ender 3 speed settings.

The Ender 3 can achieve a maximum print speed of around 200mm/s – but that’s only sustainable for very specific prints!

In this guide, I’ll discuss the best Ender 3 print speed settings I’ve found for all the main filaments, including:

• ABS – 40 – 60 mm/s
• TPU – 10 – 30 mm/s
• PETG – 20 – 40 mm/s

I’ll also explain the differences between the ideal settings for V2 and Pro variants of the Ender 3, too.

For clarity, we’ll focus exclusively on print speed as it appears in slicing software, measured in mm, and representing how much filament the Ender 3 can deposit for every second of printing.

Ender 3 Print Speed Settings For Different Filament Types

The factor that most impacts the Ender 3 print speed is the type of filament used.

Depending on the filament, the settings required are vastly different. We have a dedicated article that dives into the intricacies of the best Ender 3 filament for those wanting a more in-depth look. 

Below, you’ll find a brief breakdown of the best speed settings for the four most popular Ender 3 filament types – PLA, ABS, TPU, and PETG.

Ender 3 PLA Print Speed

If you’re just starting your 3D printing, PLA is likely your first port of call.

The Ender 3 shines brightest when printing this plant-based filament. Models, household items, figurines, toys, printer parts/mods – these are viable applications for PLA.

For a solid balance between Ender 3 print speed and print quality, we recommend 50-80 mm/s.

For parts where finish and detail don’t rank as top priorities, feel free to crank up the speed to reduce print times.

Among the Ender 3-compatible filaments, PLA is the least fussy, so don’t hesitate to experiment with higher speeds, especially if you’re not concerned about detail and finish quality.

Here are a few additional settings to get you started:

• Extruder Temperature – 190° to 230°, adjust based on manufacturer recommendations.
• Heated Bed Temperature – 60° should suit most PLA projects.
• Retraction Speed – 6 mm at 25 mm/s. Lowering retraction speed and raising the Ender 3 print speed can lead to stringing, so be wary of pushing these settings too far.

Ender 3 ABS Print Speed

ABS comes second to PLA as the most popular filament to use on an Ender 3.

As ABS is tough and durable (and more flexible than PLA), suitable applications cover all types of parts subject to heavy wear and tear.

Though the stock Ender 3 can print ABS out-of-the-box, an enclosure is a must-have add-on for the best results. Without one, you’ll grapple with warping and cracking issues.

Read our guide to the best Ender 3 enclosures for a few top buyable and DIY homemade recommendations.

Typically, the Ender 3 print speed can be set to around 60 mm/s for ABS, though you may have success dropping as low as 40 to 45 mm/s.

• Extruder Temperature – 220°C to 250°C. Again, refer to manufacturer recommendations.
• Heated Bed Temperature – Around 110°, though this can vary from brand to brand.
• Retraction Speed – 6 mm at 40 mm/s. Adjust as needed to lessen stringing.

Ender 3 TPU Print Speed

Known for its rubber-like properties, TPU offers a solid option for parts subject to heavy forces and impacts, such as sporting goods, phone cases, drive belts, bumpers, and RC car tires. 

Much like ABS, printing TPU with the stock Ender 3 configuration can be quite challenging. But, with a few choice upgrades, namely an all-metal hot end and Capricorn Bowden tubing, it’s possible to pump out excellent quality prints.

Check out our guide to printing TPU on the Ender 3 for more details.

When printing TPU, slow Ender 3 print speed settings are critical. We recommend around 25-30 mm/s at most. For solid first layer adhesion, we recommend as low as 10 mm/s.

Here are a few other recommended settings:

• Extruder Temperature – Typically, 210°C to 230°C. To reduce jamming, clogging, and TPU  sticking to the nozzle, you may want to crank the temperature up a few degrees above the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Heated Bed Temperature – Unlike PLA and ABS, TPU doesn’t imperatively need a heated bed, but anywhere from 20°C up to 60°C should help the print process move along nicely.
• Retraction Speed – TPU prefers a shorter retraction distance and speed to limit the filament moving about inside the Bowden tube, which can lead to bending and clogging. Aim for 3 mm at 20 mm/s to begin, then move lower, but stop if you hit any signs of stringing.

Ender 3 PETG Print Speed

Borrowing the best properties of PLA and ABS, PETG filament is popular for being easy to print, odorless, durable, and flexible.

It’s the filament of choice for impact and temperature-resistant parts, notably those exposed to heat or the elements. PETG’s smooth finish makes it a solid alternative to PLA for decorative projects.

Though far easier to print than ABS and TPU, PETG can produce stringing issues if printed too quickly. Dial your Ender 3 speed to 40 mm/s. There’s also a marked uptick in quality at even slower speeds, such as 20 mm/s.

• Extruder Temperature – Manufacturers usually recommend 220°C to 230°C.
• Heated Bed Temperature – 65°C-70°C give or take a few degrees in each direction. It’s worth experimenting to find the best setting.
• Retraction Speed – The idea here is to reduce the potential for stringing, so we recommend 4 mm at 25 mm/s. Some Ender 3 owners report success with low retraction distances but higher retraction speeds, so feel free to experiment here to see what works best for you.

Ender 3 Print Speed Settings For Different Model/Part Types

The type of model/part also has an impact on Ender 3 print speed. In essence, determining the right speed depends on the level of detail or surface finish quality you’re aiming for.

Detailed Prints

As a general rule, very detailed models with plenty of fine detail require a slow speed.

A higher speed will churn through the print, which doesn’t give the printer enough time to carve out intricacies and small features.

For detailed prints, mainly decorative pieces such as models and figurines, we don’t recommend going any higher than 60 mm/s. Drop as low as you want, but try to find a balance to avoid prints taking days to complete.

3D printing takes long enough at the best of times, so it’s best to exercise restraint when it comes to print speeds.

Larger Prints

Conversely, a higher print speed is entirely reasonable for larger, functional parts where detail and aesthetics aren’t necessary. The same applies to parts with no details, such as large geometric shapes or functional 3D prints with little to no surface features.

Don’t hesitate to up the speed to 80 mm/s or even higher if you aren’t worried about how the print looks. Some Ender 3 owners report decent results at speeds up to 120 mm/s, though the final print invariably includes blemishes, imperfections, and signs of ghosting.

With all this in mind and, in keeping with 3D printing’s DIY roots, we highly recommend experimenting and tinkering with different Ender 3 speed settings to find that sweet spot between quality and speed.

Remember, there’s no perfect answer, and it ultimately comes down to what works best for your needs and projects.

Max Print Speed For All Ender 3 Models

So, how far can you push the Ender 3 print speed? According to official figures provided by Creality, here are the maximum print speeds for each Ender 3 model:

• Ender 3 – 200 mm/s
• Ender 3 Pro – 180 mm/s
• Ender 3 V2 – 180 mm/s
• Ender 3 Max – 100 mm/s
• Ender 3 S1 – 150 mm/s
• Ender 3 S1 Pro – 150 mm/s

It’s worth noting that these Ender 3 max speed values represent an absolute, theoretical cap on print speed, generally referring to Ender 3 travel speed rather than the speed at which filament is deposited. 

As such, we don’t recommend dialing in Ender 3 print settings anywhere close to these maximum limits. Key in a higher value and the firmware will either have a fit or push it back down to the max print speed.

It’s unlikely you’ll ever approach these speeds; if you do, the print quality and finish will suffer as a consequence. These breakneck speeds almost guarantee you’ll bump into a host of adhesion, stringing, ghosting, and layering issues.

For these reasons, the recommended Ender 3 print speed setting is much lower for most print projects at around 50-80 mm/s.

Can You Make Ender 3 Print Faster?

If you want to crank up the print speed on your Ender 3, should keep in mind that if you print too fast, the quality of the print can suffer. When you increase the print speed, you also run the risk of experiencing issues such as layer shifting, under-extrusion, and stringing.

To ensure that your prints come out as intended, it is best to gradually increase the print speed while keeping a close eye on the quality of the print. Make sure to check for any signs of the aforementioned issues as you gradually increase the speed. This way, you can find the maximum speed that your printer can handle without compromising the quality of your prints.

FAQs

If you enjoyed this article, check our other guides to improve your prints:

• The Most Effective 3D Printing Speed Settings for Each Filament
• Ender 3 Retraction Settings: Minimise Stringing for V2 & S1
• How long does it take to 3D print something?
• Best 3D Print Speed Settings for Every Filament

But if you’re looking to expand your Ender 3’s functionality with hardware upgrades – such as automatic bed leveling, thermal runaway protection, and PID tuning – you’ll need to install more specialized firmware.

Firmware like Marlin and Jyers will expand the capability of your device and are easier to install than you might think.

Those are my top two recommendations, but the right firmware for you will depend on the specific changes you’re looking to make.

I’ll explain the particular merits of each to help you make the right choice – including how easy they are to install.

If you happen to own an Ender 3 V2, you’re in luck. A simple microSD card and the requisite files are everything you’ll need to install fresh firmware.

It’s a little more “hands-on” for Ender 3/Pro, but if you follow the steps in this guide, you’ll be able to set it up without any of the beginner mistakes I made the first time around!

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Official Creality Ender 3 Firmware

If you want the most frictionless path to upgrading your Ender 3’s firmware and don’t want to tweak the code, drawing from Creality’s pool of official firmware updates is the way to go. 

Unsurprisingly, these are tuned to suit the Ender 3, meaning you won’t encounter any compatibility issues, and there’s a version for every iteration of the Ender 3. These include the older 8-bit mainboards and the newer 32-bit V4.2.2 and V4.2.7 boards found on the Ender V2.

Over on Creality’s official forum, you’ll find a wealth of firmware versions.

There is all manner available based on your printer and options for specific hardware upgrades such as BL a Touch and a filament runout sensor. You also benefit from thermal runaway protection in the latest Creality firmware, which itself is reason enough to push through an update.

To install on the Ender 3 V2, load the BIN file onto a microSD card and pop it into the mainboard’s microSD card slot.

The process is more involved for the stock Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro. You’ll need to flash a bootloader onto the printer using an Arduino Uno, then upload the new firmware to your printer’s mainboard.

Marlin 2.0

Marlin is an open-source firmware with a long history dating back to the early days of RepRap printers.

It’s used by many of the leading consumer printer manufacturers. Creality uses an altered and customized version for its official firmware.

So what sets it apart from Creality’s official Ender 3 firmware?

Adaptability, features, and self-configuration. If you need to tune the firmware to suit particular upgrades, fix bugs, and fine-tune the real-time coordination of the printer’s active parts, then Marlin 2.0 offers an extra degree of freedom.

PID heater control, linear advance, automatic bed leveling, power loss recovery – these are a taste of the advanced, sophisticated functions Marlin offers to those partial to tinkering their way to higher quality prints.

You can freely toggle features on and off to find the perfect mix for your needs.

Alternatively, there are great pre-configured Ender 3 profiles that you can upload straight to the printer. And, should you stumble, there’s strong community support ready to help you troubleshoot.

It’s compatible with both the older 8-bit Ender 3s along with the newer 32-bit variants, though the installation process differs as we saw above with the official Creality Ender 3 firmware.

TH3D Unified Firmware

TH3D Unified firmware is among the most accessible Ender 3 firmware options out there.

It makes tweaking settings easy while guaranteeing version stability through heavy testing, so you’re unlikely to meet any bugs or problems. Most of its iterations have pre-configured profiles specifically for the Ender 3, all tuned to work from the get-go.

TH3D is based on Marlin 2.0. It bundles in all the firmware’s basic benefits but throws in a few unique features such as:

• PID autotuning
• Power loss print resume
• Preheating for different filament types
• Assisted bed leveling
• Support for E3D V6 hot end upgrades
• Manual mesh leveling support

Much like the other firmware options in our guide, Ender 3 V2 owners have it easy with a simple microSD card upload to the mainboard. Ender 3 and Pro users will need to draft in an Arduino and flash the board with a bootloader before uploading the firmware file.

Klipper

A one-person-developed open-source firmware, Klipper is designed to dramatically boost the printing speed of the Ender 3.

Klipper achieves this by delegating computational duties to a single-board computer such as a Raspberry Pi. The board takes care of the G-Code processing side of things and calculates printer movements.

Doing so introduces more processing power into the mix than you’d get with the Ender 3’s mainboard alone.

With that extra outside SBC help, the Ender 3’s mainboard is left to concentrate exclusively on executing the G-Code commands, resulting in faster and quieter printing thanks to high-precision acceleration physics and machine kinematics-based stepper movements.

Aside from this unique approach, Klipper has a stacked feature set.

These include:

• Smooth pressure advance to reduce ooze
• Input shading to counter vibrations
• Custom programmable macros
• Automatic bed leveling support
• Thermal runaway protection
• Stepper phase end stop algorithm to improve first layer adhesion
• Support for filament sensors

Just to name a few…

It goes without saying that using a Raspberry Pi alongside the printer itself adds another layer of complexity.

In our estimation, Klipper is an advanced option better suited to seasoned tinkerers with experience working with SBCs and happy to configure the firmware themselves.

It’s also worth checking out Fluidd, a bespoke UI for Klipper if you decide to take the plunge.

It’s a lightweight and responsive interface to tame and shape the firmware to your needs. If you’ve never dabbled in similar projects, we highly recommend more beginner-friendly options such as TH3D Unified firmware or Creality’s official Ender 3 firmware.

Jyers

An up-and-coming firmware that’s slowly gaining traction among Ender 3 owners, the Jyers firmware is one to keep an eye on.

It’s based on Marlin 2.0 and is incredibly user-friendly.

Notable features include a revamped Ender 3 menu with manual leveling, Z offset, preheat, change filament menus, labeled error messages, M600 G-Code, PID autotune, and manual mesh leveling.

We can’t recommend it as it stands due to various major bugs hampering an otherwise excellent set of features. However, active development should see these smoothed out before long, at which point Jyers has everything to make it a superior alternative to the official Creality firmware.

If you are nevertheless tempted and don’t mind navigating the bugs, installation follows the usual Arduino Uno bootloader flash and firmware installation for the Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro.

Installing Jyers on the Ender 3 V2 requires no more than a formatted microSD card and the firmware files.

What You’ll Need to Update Your Ender 3 Firmware

Depending on what Ender 3 version you have, you’ll need to make sure you have all the right gear to get started.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of everything you need if you have an Ender 3, Ender Pro, or the newer Ender 3 V2.

Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro

• Arduino Uno or other microcontroller
• Five female-to-female jumper cables
• One male-to-female jumper cable 
• USB cable
• PC
• Latest version of the firmware you plan to install
• Latest version of Arduino IDE software
• Single-board computer for Klipper
• Micro-USB cable for Klipper

Ender 3 V2

• A clean, formatted microSD card
• Latest version of the firmware you plan to install
• PC
• Unzip program such as WinRAR (optional – only needed if the download comes as a RAR file)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Code (optional – only needed to tweak and modify the firmware’s code)
• Single-board computer for Klipper
• Micro-USB cable for Klipper

Ender 3 S1/S1 Pro

• A clean, microSD card formatted to FAT32
• Latest version of the firmware you plan to install
• PC
• Unzip program such as WinRAR (optional – only needed if the download comes as a RAR file)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Code (optional – only needed to tweak and modify the firmware’s code)

Ender 3 V2 Neo

• A clean, microSD card with a capacity of no more than 8 GB formatted to FAT32
• Latest version of the firmware you plan to install
• PC
• Unzip program such as WinRAR (optional – only needed if the download comes as a RAR file)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Code (optional – only needed to tweak and modify the firmware’s code)

FAQ

If you enjoyed this article, check our other Ender 3 software guides to help get the most from your 3D printer:

• The Best Ender 3 3D Printing Software Overall
• Which Slicer Tool is Best for Ender 3? (Free and Premium)

That’s not to say the Ender 3 S1 isn’t already a great machine. On the contrary, Creality has made some excellent upgrades on the S1: namely a direct drive extruder, automatic bed leveling, and a refreshed overall design, but it can still benefit from upgrades.

Whether you own an Ender 3 S1 and fancy leveling up its printing potential, or are weighing up the merits of buying one, this guide has you covered with a dive into the best upgrades for Ender 3 S1.

Is the Ender 3 S1 a Good Choice for Upgrades?

Yes, the Ender 3 S1, like the previous Ender 3 printers, is very versatile. It keeps to the standard gantry style FDM construction we know and love, which means an open design, leaving plenty of space for upgrades. 

Like other Creality printers, it’s mostly open source, and taps into the DIY ethos that defined the early days of consumer-level 3D printing.

But, where the Ender 3 S1 differs from the original Ender 3 and even the more recent Ender 3 V2, is that it’s already well-equipped for tougher print jobs – even without any upgrades.

Creality balance out-of-the-box usability and functionality, while still allowing plenty of scope for upgrades, knowing that the community would want to make a great printer even better. 

In a sense, the Ender 3 S1 is a refinement of all the community’s upgrades for the original Ender 3, which Creality wisely caught on to and integrated.

Another aspect that makes the Ender 3 S1 so popular is the range of upgrades available. So many of the original Ender 3 upgrades are also compatible with the Ender 3 S1, meaning there’s years of upgrades out there for you to choose from. 

Whether it’s the heated bed, the print head, the filament sensor, cabling, or adding convenience-based upgrades like LED lights or a webcam, you’ll find every flavor of upgrade out there without having to dig too deep at all.

Additionally, because of what a good printer it is when it leaves the factory, the Ender 3 S1 has sold well, leading to a thriving community working hard to share and propagate upgrades to help other users improve their machine.

Best Ender 3 S1 Upgrades

Though there are hundreds of potential upgrades out there, we’ve hand-picked our selection of the best ones out there.

Fan Duct Upgrade

• Parts Required: 3D printed fan duct and a set of screws
• Cost: No more than $5.00 in filament and screws
• Manufacturer: N/A
• What It Upgrades: Improves filament cooling as it leaves the hot end

While the existing fan duct on the Ender 3 S1 is by no means shabby, the printing process can always benefit from some beefed-up cooling. 

This upgrade fastens a chunkier fan duct to the printer, channeling more air to the filament as it’s extruded to offer more streamlined airflow, improving overall quality and speeding up the bonding process for tougher, more durable prints.

As upgrades go, a new fan duct costs next to nothing because you can print the part yourself and only need to buy a few screws to attach it to the print head. 

Better yet, it’s compatible with both the Ender 3 S1 and Ender S1 Pro. Installation is fairly straightforward, latching onto the Ender 3 S1 print head assembly and doesn’t involve any modifications.

PEI Flexible Build Surface Upgrade

• Parts Required: PEI flexible build plate
• Cost: Check latest price at Amazon here
• Manufacturer: Creality
• What It Upgrades: Better high-temperature filament adhesion and easier print removal

The stock PC flexible build surface that ships with the Ender 3 S1 is adequate, but installing a PEI flexible plate can improve performance when working with more temperature-sensitive and demanding filaments. 

It also improves adhesion thanks to its rough texture, while the flexible characteristic makes removing prints effortless, with a simple flex popping off the finished print.

Creality offers its very own PEI flexible build surface over on the Creality Store, but you can get a third-party version for about half the price without much difference in quality, if you prefer. 

Though, check you’re getting the right size for your Ender 3 S1 or Pro. As upgrades go, installation is by far the easiest: simply remove the existing plate, and snap on the new PEI replacement using the bed’s magnetic surface.

Webcam Upgrade

• Parts Required: Webcam
• Cost: $50 – $300
• Manufacturer: Various
• What It Upgrades: Remote print monitoring and recording

A webcam upgrade allows you to monitor prints remotely – great if you’re worried about errors ruining a 12-hour print. 

You can also capture video, time-lapses, and stills to share on forums, YouTube, and with other maker friends. While it’s by no means a necessary upgrade, a webcam is a nice luxury to have for more serious makers who lean on programs like Octoprint to control and monitor their printing setup.

As for what webcams, there are countless options out there, with a variety of potential picks covering all resolutions, frame rate, focus-types, and so on. 

We’ve written a dedicated article about the best webcams for 3D printing for details, but for us, the Logitech C920 and Raspberry Pi camera module V1 are two of the best to pair with the Ender 3 S1 and Ender 3 S1 Pro. 

If your budget allows it, aim for 1080p and 30 FPS, along with a webcam that comes with a mount.

Bed Handle

• Parts Required: 3D-printed bed handle
• Cost: A few dollars of filament
• Manufacturer: N/A
• What It Upgrades: Easier and safer bed movement

A bed handle upgrade is about pure convenience and makes interacting with the bed much safer when it’s heated up to printing temperature. 

You can 3D print this upgrade rather than buying, and then fix it to the bottom of the bed via the existing knobs, so there’s no need for any additional hardware. Your only cost is the filament, making this a cost-effective option.

It’s by no means strictly necessary and doesn’t improve the printing performance of the Ender 3 S1 and Ender S1 Pro, but the curved design does make pulling the bed out at the end of the print to remove a model a lot more straightforward.

All-Metal Heat Break

• Parts Required: Creality All-Metal Hot End Kit
• Cost: Check latest price at Amazon here
• Manufacturer: Creality
• What It Upgrades: Print at a higher temperature

The hot end on the stock Ender 3 S1 is capable, and fares well with filaments like PLA and ABS, but is lined with a PTFE tube that can degrade over time at temperatures exceeding 250°C. 

This degradation not only affects the structural integrity of the tubing, affecting printing performance – but also releases toxic fumes.

By upgrading to an all-metal hot end, you remove these potential issues, opening the door for printing at higher temperatures, and therefore more filament options. For convenience and guaranteed compatibility with the Ender 3 S1, we recommend Creality’s All-Metal Hot End Kit.

There are some downsides here, though, namely that all-metal hot ends require more retraction tweaking as filament tends to attach to the heat break cavity if retracted too far. 

Another potential issue linked to this is clogging caused by heat creep. The filament may melt earlier than required, causing it to solidify in the heat break and clog the pathway. To counteract this, you’ll need to dial in cooling along with the right Ender 3 retraction settings.

Note: the Ender 3 S1 Pro already houses an all-metal hot end, courtesy of its Sprite Extruder Pro extruder/print head.

Improved Heated Bed Insulation

• Parts Required: Sheet of insulation
• Cost: Check latest price at Amazon here
• Manufacturer: Any brand
• What It Upgrades: Less power consumption and improve heated bed temperature stability

Again, the stock Ender 3 S1 heated bed is perfectly fine, but lacks some efficiency as it has no insulation material to maintain temperatures, requiring more power to get up to temperature and keep it toasty enough during the printing process. 

All you’ll need is a sheet of insulation (cotton is a popular option) specifically designed for heated beds, which then sticks to the bottom of the build surface. 

Most of the sheets come with an adhesive side, making installation extremely easy and straightforward. Just make sure you buy a sheet that matches the dimensions of the Ender 3 S1 – 220 x 220 mm.

Note: the Ender 3 S1 Pro already has bed insulation, so this upgrade isn’t needed.

Better Cable Management

• Parts Required: 3D-printed holder
• Cost: $2 – $5
• Manufacturer: N/A
• What It Upgrades: Keeps cables in good condition for longer

The Ender 3 S1 is a tidy printer as is, but there’s still room for improvement when it comes to cable management. 

The biggest culprit is the chunky ribbon cable that runs from the print to the printer mainboard case. 

While the rugged exterior of the cable housing does well to cut down on fraying, using a 3D-printed part to keep it out of the way of jagged parts as it moves with the printhead can help keep it in top condition for longer.

The cable for the stepper motor mounted on the frame and the X-axis endstop cable are also susceptible here, so it’s worth tidying things up. 

We’re fans of this holder on Thingiverse as it’s neat, easier to print, mounts directly to the frame, and has housings for all these cables, making it an efficient solution. It’s also cheap, costing nothing more than the filament required to print it.

LED Lights

• Parts Required: Creality Ender 3 S1 LED Light Bar Kit or LED light strips
• Cost: $10-$25
• Manufacturer: Creality and others
• What It Upgrades: Style points and better view of printer for monitoring, videos, time-lapses

An LED light upgrade can be useful if you’re working in low-light conditions or want better lighting for monitoring, video, or time-lapse recordings. 

It’s by no means necessary and doesn’t improve performance, but does add valuable style points to the overall look of your Ender 3 S1 or Ender 3 S1 Pro.

There are two main options. The first is to install Creality’s LED Light Bar Kit, designed specifically for the Ender 3 S1 and Ender 3 S1 Pro. It’s designed to fit into the frame of the Ender 3 S1, so is easy to set up and shines light directly over the build surface.

The second option is to attach light strips vertically to the frame. These come with adhesive sides, so are very easy to install and cost no more than $10. They are typically powered by USB, allowing you to plug them directly into the printer for power.

Why Upgrade the Ender 3 S1?

Though the Ender 3 S1 is vastly improved over the original Ender 3, no printer is perfect. 

Useful upgrades for the Ender 3 S1 include improved cable management, drawer inserts, and bed handles for example, which makes using the printer that much more enjoyable.

Elsewhere, there are upgrades that improve the Ender 3 S1’s performance, such as switching to an all-metal heat break to mitigate the natural degradation of the PTFE lining of the factory heat break, especially if you’re dabbling with tougher filaments. 

Similarly, switching to a different build plate, notably a flexible PEI variant, can improve bed adhesion and make print removal much easier.

Lastly, there are functionality upgrades to turn the printer into a fully decked-out setup. We’re talking webcams for print monitoring, OctoPrint integration for remote control and monitoring, and even LED lights to jazz up the printer’s overall look and shine a light on its hard work as the print head whizzes back and forth during the printing process. 

These aren’t essential, but are increasingly popular among more serious makers who make heavy use of their Ender 3 S1.

The Prusa MINI is generally considered to be the more advanced and reliable printer, suitable for intermediate to advanced users, while the Ender 3 is a popular budget option, suitable for beginners with plenty of upgrade potential.

They’re the two most popular choices – but you may also choose to opt for the larger Ender 3 V2 or Pro if you need more build volume.

In this guide, I’ll compare all four candidates for the ultimate budget royalty head-to-head based on my hands-on experience to help you make a confident choice.

We’ll discuss the differences across all the key metrics – ease of use, print quality, value for money, and everything else you need to know

Does the diminutive Prusa MINI have enough printing pep to loosen the proven Ender 3’s firm grip on the entry-level 3D printing market? Let’s find out.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX PICK

Prusa MINI

Available at:

Prusa here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Ender 3 V2

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Meet The Contenders

Creality Ender 3

• Where to buy: Creality official store here
• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm 
• Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG
• Layer height: 100-400 microns
• Printing accuracy: ± 0.1 mm
• Max extruder temp: 255° 
• Max bed temp: 110°
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

The original Creality Ender 3 burst onto the 3D printing scene in 2017 and, in one fell swoop, changed the budget landscape, with an impact that still echoes today.

800,000 units shipped and counting attests to the Ender 3’s abiding popularity.

The Ender 3 offers a roomy 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume, a heated BuildTak-like build plate, a power recovery mode, and support for PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU printing, to name the standout features.

The Ender 3 isn’t without its faults, though.

Its wobble-prone plastic Y-axis extrusion has been the subject of much debate, and manual bed leveling feels outdated in this day and age of low-cost auto-leveling probes.

Although several contenders and copycats have appeared in the intervening year and the specification sheet is no longer as eye-catching, the vanilla Ender 3 remains a benchmark for all value-packed printers out there.

A strong buy for first-timers or cash-strapped makers with bucket loads of upgrade potential.

Read more: our Creality Ender 3 review

Creality Ender 3 Pro

• Where to buy: Creality official store here
• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm 
• Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG
• Layer height: 100-400 microns
• Printing accuracy: ± 0.1 mm
• Max extruder temp: 255° 
• Max bed temp: 110°
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

With the Ender 3 having obtained household name status, Creality brought out the Ender 3 Pro to address some of the original’s most glaring issues.

The price tag also surged upwards to finance those enhancements, bringing the Ender 3 Pro into the sub $300 segment.

Among the most notable changes is new and improved wider Y-axis 40×40 aluminum extrusion, patching up the wobble woes of the Ender 3.

A slimmer and quieter Mean Well power supply unit, a textured removable magnetic bed, an improved MK-8 extruder, larger bed leveling nuts, and a smarter repositioning of the motherboard fan spruce up the Ender 3 Pro compared to the original.

The question here is whether these enhancements warrant the roughly extra $100 Creality levies for the Ender 3 Pro.

While the Ender 3 Pro benefits from tangible improvements that make printing easier, is it worth paying slightly more for the refreshed 2020 Ender 3 V2 or even the Prusa MINI?

Creality Ender 3 V2

• Where to buy: Creality official store here
• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm 
• Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG
• Layer height: 100-400 microns
• Printing accuracy: ± 0.1 mm
• Max extruder temp: 255° 
• Max bed temp: 110°
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

Rounding up our overview of the Ender 3 family, we have the Creality Ender V2.

While not a complete overhaul of the Ender 3, the Ender 3 V2 takes the same core easy-to-use budget printing experience and injects a series of transformative upgrades that, in our estimation, make it the best Ender 3 yet.

Aesthetically and construction-wise, the Ender 3 V2 diverts from its predecessor with a sleek, sheet metal injection and plastic panel design, abandoning the cheaper look for something wholly more pleasing.

On the technical side, the Ender 3 V2 now includes a silent 32-bit motherboard, TMC2208 stepper motor drivers, and a tempered carborundum glass platform, a significant adherence upgrade over even the Ender 3 Pro’s magnetic plate that also speeds up bed heating.

Creality has also added several quality-of-life enhancements that make using the Ender 3 V2 more enjoyable long-term.

These include a new detachable 4.3-inch HD color screen, a nifty, if a little gimmicky, toolbox embedded into the printer’s base, and XY-axis tensioners to keep belts taut.

As the most sophisticated budget Creality printer yet, the Ender 3 V2 succeeds where the Pro falters in that it provides a meaningful upgrade over the original that’s well worth the extra cost.

Prusa MINI

• Where to buy: Prusa official store here
• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm
• Filament compatibility: PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, CPE, PVA, PVB, HIPS, PP
• Layer height: 50-250 microns
• Max extruder temp: 280° 
• Max bed temp: 100°
• Connectivity: USB, Ethernet

The Prusa MINI represents Prusa’s first foray into the budget sector to duke it out with, predominantly, the Ender series.

The Prusa MINI borrows much of the technical know-how and lashings of the market-leading usability found in Prusa’s i3 MK3S+ crown jewel, but at less than half the cost.

As the name implies, it’s a modest, toy-sized printer, but behind a small footprint lies a sleek, uncluttered, and confident 3D printing machine capable of print quality that all but equals the full-fat i3 MK3S+.

The Prusa Mini sports an excellent heated removable magnetic PEI-coated bed.

Alongside, the MINI can tackle a generous range of materials, including PLA, ABS, PETG, ASA, PC, and HIPS. It also does away with the standard SD Card connectivity for both USB and Ethernet.

Finally, a 2.8″ full-color LCD, fully-automatic mesh bed leveling, and well-guided kit assembly round-off the baked-in usability that courses through the Prusa MINI’s entire design.

Prusa’s expertise in creating reliable and convenient 3D printers shines through with the Prusa Mini.

Whether you’re buying your first printer or looking to level up to a premium-budget machine, the Prusa MINI should serve you well.

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – At a Glance

Now that we’ve got a sense of what each printer has to offer, it’s time to hone in on what sets them apart.

But, keep in mind that use case and, ultimately, budget are the final adjudicators of whether the Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, or Prusa MINI is the right and best printer for you.

For all-out bang-for-your-buck, balanced out by the best print quality and performance under $200, the Ender 3 is the uncontested winner.

The fact it’s highly modifiable and the wide availability of upgrades means you can tweak it to a make-shift Ender Pro for much less than its successor’s respective asking price.

If you’re prepared to spend $100 to $150 more, then the waters murk with both the souped-up Ender 3 V2 and the small but mighty Prusa MINI joining the fray.

With these two head-to-head, we’re once again back to printing needs. Is a large build volume more important than overall usability and convenience? Do you need broader material compatibility above all else, and so on?

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Comparison Showdown

Build Volume

All three Ender 3 printers have a build volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm. Stacked against the Prusa MINI comparatively cramped 180 x 180 x 180 mm, we have a clear winner.

The Ender 3 opens up more possibilities and variety in print types and sizes.

Considered in the context of the budget, beginner-friendly segment, the Prusa MINI’s 180 x 180 x 180 mm build volume should be sufficient to cover all the most popular hobbyist prints. It’s enough for models, toys, household items like vases, and any other homemade trinket you can think of.

Indeed, if we were to push the Prusa MINI to its limit, we’d still get an 18 cm² cube of plastic. Failing that, you can still fall back on printing an object in parts.

That said, there’s no skirting around the fact that the Ender 3 trumps the Prusa MINI in build volume.

While we’d be surprised if newcomers made anything exceeding that build area, it’s still small by budget 3D printer standards. If you need plenty of build area, the Ender 3 takes the lead.

Winner: Ender 3

Print Bed

The type and quality of the build plate are where our four contenders distinguish themselves most from one another.

The Ender 3 features a fairly basic, serviceable, fixed heated BuildTak-style print bed, which more often than not benefits from some adhesive love (glue, hair spray, etc.).

The Ender 3 Pro has a flexible, textured, and removable C-MAG magnetic print bed. The Ender 3 V2 goes even further, drafting in a tempered carborundum glass platform, arguably the best 3D printing solution for adhesion and easy finished print removal.

The Prusa MINI features a removable textured magnetic PEI-coated spring steel bed.

Because of shaped edges that sit snugly between screws on the printer itself, the alignment of the plate is far superior on the Prusa MINI than even the Ender 3 V2’s glass plate.

For that reason alone, the Prusa MINI eclipses the Ender 3 at its best.

Winner: Prusa MINI

Bed Leveling

The Ender 3 bunch all feature manual bed leveling, although the Ender 3 V2’s larger and labeled leveling knobs housed under each corner of the build platform simplify the process considerably.

The Prusa MINI delegates leveling duties to clever point-based fully-automatic mesh bed calibration and sensorless homing.

Manual bed leveling is no fun, even if you’re a weathered maker. Prusa’s hands-off mesh leveling works a treat, optimizing the MINI for problem-free printing.

A clear winner here for convenience alone and a welcome feature for first-timers eager to get printing without tinkering for hours beforehand.

Winner: Prusa MINI

Ease of Use

The Ender 3, in its three iterations, comes semi-assembled, with more or less identical assembly paths in both components and the time involved to piece them into a functional printer. 

The Prusa MINI ships either as a kit or semi-assembled, the latter costing $50 more for the pleasure.

While the kit build isn’t particularly taxing or beyond the means of a curious beginner and offers a crash course in the principles and hardware of 3D printing, semi-assembled printers are just more convenient.

Something that also plays into usability is interfacing with the printer.

The Ender 3 and Pro’s LCD feels aged, especially compared to the sleek 2.8″ full-color LCD on the Prusa MINI and the entirely redesigned 4.3″ HD color screen. The MINI nudges ever so slightly ahead for offering on-screen print preview.

More granular usability features on the Ender 3 V2, such as belt tensioners, the handy toolbox, and a new rotary knob to feed filament into the extruder, make it a more enjoyable printer to use than its siblings.

Still, the Prusa MINI’s overall experience is smoother.

Winner: Prusa MINI

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Price

While price is somewhat a misleading indicator of a printer’s overall merit, we’re all bound to a budget. It’s an essential factor to keep in mind and often a deciding one, especially in the budget range.

The Ender 3 currently sells on the Creality shop for $189.00, while the Ender 3 Pro is available for a steeper $219.00. The Ender 3 V2 pushes the price to $262.00.

Jumping over to the Prusa MINI, you’ll find it priced at $349 in kit form.

The Ender 3 packs an awful lot of value into that $189.00, and the print quality is remarkable for the price.

As for the Ender 3 Pro, we don’t feel the minor improvements over the original genuinely warrant that extra $30, especially as you can splash out a further $40 and get the vastly improved Ender 3 V2.

With all its usability, convenience, and features such as auto bed leveling, the Prusa MINI justifies its price, but for us, the Ender 3 V2 comes out on top.

If $262.00 blows past your allocated budget, the Ender 3 is a solid fallback option.

Winner: Ender 3 V2

Upgrade Potential

For the fruit of hordes of engaged Ender 3 owners, there’s no end to resources, mods, and upgrades conjured up by the community surrounding the printer in all its guises.

The open design also makes it particularly mod-friendly, and Creality has a trove of accessories and upgrades for sale to simplify the process if 3D printing your own parts isn’t your cup of tea.

When it comes to the Prusa MINI, it’s not as suited to upgrades and hacking as the Ender 3 printers.

It’s not because it has a tightly controlled ecosystem or because Prusa makes it inordinately hard to tear the machine apart, but simply because it already sports all the upgrades it could ever need.

The Ender 3 is prized for baked-in ease-of-use and quick assembly that pose little in the way of obstacles to pumping out excellent quality prints for the price, rivaling printers three times the price.

Much of its popularity comes from a mod and upgrade-friendly design, something the vibrant Ender community has embraced, birthing all manner of 3D printed add-ons and hacks.

Defining a clear winner here is problematic.

The Prusa MINI has it all, but on the other hand, the Ender 3 offers plenty of scope to fine-tune and improve the printer to suit your preferences. A great option for hands-on makers or beginners looking to dive into the more technical aspects of 3D printing.

Winner: Draw

Read more: the best Ender 3 upgrades

Material Compatibility

When it comes to material compatibility, the three Ender 3 printers all exist on a level playing field and are compatible with your standard PLA, ABS, TPU, and PETG.

On the other hand, the Prusa MINI broadens the cluster of compatible filaments to include:

• PLA
• ABS
• TPU
• PETG
• ASA
• PC
• CPE
• PVA
• PVB
• HIPS
• PP

Whether you’ll use these less-popular material types determines whether the Prusa MINI’s extra material range has any value. Still, Prusa’s little wonder wins by offering more possibilities.

Winner: Prusa MINI

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2: The Winner

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Best Overall

Setting aside cost, the Prusa MINI+ is an all-around better printer than the Ender 3, even though it has a comparatively modest build volume.

You get a Prusa machine at a reasonable price, stellar usability, features usually found on pricier printers, and, arguably, more importantly, superb print quality.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX PICK

Prusa MINI

Available at:

Prusa here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Ender 3 V2

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Best Value

If we factor in price, the Prusa MINI loses some appeal. For those on a tighter budget, the Ender 3 V2 is a worthwhile alternative, a printer that fixes the faults of its predecessors while retaining all of the mod and hack potential of the series.

Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 / Pro / V2 – Best On a Budget

If you can only spend around $200, the Ender 3 fully deserves to be ranked among the best budget printers, and, years after taking the 3D printing world by the storm, still boasts remarkable value for money.

It’s a great starter printer we happily recommend to anyone looking to tackle that initial learning curve in style.

We’d recommend avoiding the Ender 3 Pro entirely. The targeted improvements are an advantage, but you could install these yourself on a vanilla Ender 3 for less money.

Articles we recommend:

• The best Prusa alternatives
• Differences Between Prusa Mini+ and Prusa i3 MK3S+
• Prusa i3 MK3S+ vs Ender 3 V2 / Pro / S1
• Prusa enclosure guide (DIY and buyable options
• Ender 3 vs Ender 5
• Ender 3 competitors and alternatives
• Ender 3 vs Ender 3 Pro, V2 and Max
• Ender 5 vs Ender 5 Pro vs Ender 5 Plus
• Elegoo Mars 3 vs Elegoo Saturn
• Sovol SV06 vs Ender 3 (V2 / Neo)
• Anycubic Mono X vs Elegoo Saturn
• Flashforge Adventurer 3 vs 3 Lite
• Flashforge Adventurer 3 vs Ender 3
• Anycubic Kobra vs Kobra Plus and Max

Both are great printers in their own right, but what sets them apart?

The key differences lie in their build volumes and price points. The Ender 3 is a budget-friendly option with a smaller build volume, while the CR-10 offers a massive build volume at a slightly higher price point.

But that’s not the whole story!

In this guide, I’ll compare my hands-on experience with both printers across other key points like material compatibility, bed leveling, and ease of assembly so you can be confident about which is right for you.

We’ll also take a look at the newer Ender releases (V2, Pro, and S1) alongside the CR-10 V2 and CR-10 V3 in case you need to step beyond the beginner options.

Is the CR-10’s mammoth build volume worth the extra cost? Has the Ender 3 lost some of its luster over the years? Let’s find out.

BUDGET PICK

Creality Ender 3

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Creality CR-10

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – Reviews

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Creality Ender 3

• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm 
• Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG
• Layer height: 100-400 microns
• Printing accuracy: ± 0.1 mm
• Max extruder temp: 255° 
• Max bed temp: 110°
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

The budget king, the Creality Ender 3 is an entry-level 3D printer that despite looking a little long in the tooth remains one of the most widely-lauded options on the market.

The machine features everything you need to start your 3D printing journey in style:

• a 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume
• PLA/ABS/TPU/PETG filament compatibility
• a heated BuildTak-style print bed
• and it ships semi-assembled

More pressingly, the Ender 3’s reliable print quality feels at odds with the asking price.

There’s little in the way of hobbyist applications the Ender 3 can’t tackle. It’s also ripe for tinkering and mods, powered by a massive community happy to impart their extensive knowledge should you stumble and share all manner of mods you can install yourself.

If the basic Ender 3 doesn’t tick all your boxes, the updated Ender 3 Pro and Ender V2 are spruced up iterations, bundling in targeted upgrades such as a silent 32-bit mainboard, a carborundum glass platform, a Mean Well PSU, handy belt tensioners, and a sharper overall look and feel.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Excellent print quality for the price
• Mod and hack-friendly

Cons:

• Wobble-prone Y-axis extrusion
• Manual bed leveling

Read more: our Ender 3 review

Creality CR-10

• Printing technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm
• Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG
• Layer height: 100 microns
• Max extruder temp: 250° 
• Max bed temp: 100°
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

Though it hasn’t left quite the same indelible mark on the 3D printing scene as the Ender 3, the Creality CR-10 gets mentioned alongside for offering a hulking build volume at, once again, a price the average person can afford.

The emphasis with the Creality CR-10 is very much on size: the 300 x 300 x 400 mm dwarfs most other budget printers. We’ve owned and tested the CR-10 Smart and felt it was an interesting upgrade, with other notable upgrades (V2 and V3) also improving on the base design.

Best of all, supersizing doesn’t affect print quality. Much like the Ender 3, the Creality CR-10 has no business printing as well as it does for the price and rarely skips a beat for day-to-day hobby printing. 

Other notable features include compatibility with popular filament types like PLA, ABS, and TPU, a beefy aluminum frame, a heated glass bed, and a simple yet functional design.

The base CR-10’s popularity pushed Creality to pump out successor models, namely the CR-10 V2 and CR-10 V3. These are new and improved versions tweaked based on feedback gathered from the community.

Enhancements include a direct drive E3D extruder, 24V Mean Well PSU, a filament run-out sensor, TMC-208 silent drivers, and what Creality calls ‘gold triangle’ support rods to improve frame stability.

Pros:

• Massive build volume
• Affordable
• A tinkerer’s playground
• Reliable print quality

Cons:

• Manual bed leveling
• Slow heating bed
• 8-bit motherboard

Read more: our CR-10 Smart review

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – At a Glance

With introductions out of the way, we can now turn our attention to a head-to-head showdown between Creality’s flagship budget printers. 

At this point, it’s worth remembering that ‘best’ is a highly subjective term.

While we’ll help get an overview of what each printer is all about and where they shine brightest, they aren’t direct competitors, each catering to a different set of needs. It’s up to you to decide which aligns best with your requirements and 3D printing aims.

The Ender 3 is a solid pick for a first printer.

It’s less barebones than the Creality CR-10, and it has a great stack of features for the price with plenty of scope for upgrades but at a cost to overall build volume.

It’s also more affordable than the CR-10, even in its best-yet V2 iteration.

If you need plenty of build volume, the Creality CR-10 is the best choice here. The Creality CR-10 V3, in particular, is the culmination of the CR-10’s long journey: a superb extruder, a sturdy frame, a carborundum glass bed, and ever-surprisingly good print quality for the price. 

Generalities aside, let’s see how the two compare when we look at specifics.

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – Head-to-Head Comparison

Build Volume

Large build volumes can be costly, but with the Creality CR-10, they’ve become as affordable as other budget 3D printers.

The Creality CR-10 (including the V2 and V3) offers a 300 x 300 x 400 mm build volume, while the Ender 3 (once again in all its iterations) sticks to a standard 220 x 220 x 250 mm.

The numbers speak volumes here, and the Creality CR-10 is great for makers with plans to print larger parts and models. Creality cranks things up with the V2 and V3 models with the ‘gold triangle’ design mentioned above.

Extra support rods beef up the frame to reduce potential unwanted movement when the extruder runs along the Y-axis, even when pushing to the upper limits of the build volume.

The Creality CR-10 takes the lead here, but only if you need the extra print space. Otherwise, the Ender 3’s build volume is standard fare and should cover daily printing nicely.

Winner: CR-10

Print Plate

There’s a lot of build plate variety among all the available Ender 3 and CR-10 models.

The vanilla Ender 3 features a heated magnetic BuildTak-style print bed. It does the job but may require drafting in some adhesive help such as glue, slurry, or sticky tape for the best results. The Ender 3 Pro levels up to a  textured C-MAG magnetic plate, a significant advantage over the original.

The Ender 3 V2 takes it one step further, fitting in a tempered carborundum glass platform, the best of the bunch for adhesion and easy print removal.

Jumping to the Creality CR-10, the basic model has a rudimentary heated glass plate, while the V2 and V3 jazz things up with a carborundum glass plate.

Like the Ender 3 Pro and V2, the improved glass plate does wonders for adhesion and print removal.

Overall, the two printers are roughly on par with one other in each category. Due to the size of the CR-10’s plate, it takes longer to reach the optimum printing temperature than the smaller Ender 3.

A reasonable trade-off for the extra print volume, but a point to keep in mind if you’re working with ABS or prefer a quick heating bed. Creality replaces the 12V PSU for a 24V Mean Well unit in the CR-10 V2 and V3, which does help with heating speeds and consistency.

Winner: Draw

Material Compatibility

Both printers’ filament compatibility covers your generic 3D printing materials, namely PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG.

Both machines fare best when working with PLA and produce decent print quality using TPU and PETG.

ABS is somewhat of a mixed bag, chiefly due to the lack of an enclosed chamber – a crucial piece of the ABS puzzle for keeping a steady toasty ambient temperature – on both the Ender 3 and CR-10. With that in mind, we call it a draw for material compatibility.

Winner: Draw

Bed Leveling

All six Creality Ender 3 and CR-10 3D printers have manual bed leveling. Par for the course in the budget segment.

The chunkier and labeled leveling knobs found on the Ender V2 and Pro are great at easing some of the trickiness of bed leveling. The CR-10 bed leveling has remained essentially unchanged since the original version – unremarkable but functional, even for a novice.

The Ender 3 V2 and CR-10 V2/V3 house ports to install a BLTouch automatic bed leveling probe on the mainboards.

A wise and affordable upgrade in our book because, whatever your level of 3D printing experience, manual bed leveling is tedious and time-consuming.

Winner: Draw

Assembly

The Ender 3 lands on your doorstep semi-assembled, whether that’s the original, Pro, or V2, but you’re still presented with quite a few parts to piece together. It’s a great introduction to the technology and hardware of 3D printing in that respect.

Well-guided instructions and good quality machining should see you mount it into a functioning printer in a couple of hours.

The CR-10 ships semi-assembled, but this is far more consistent with what we expect these days. You’ll need to attach the Z-axis to the base, connect a few wires, and you’re ready to go.

Expect to spend no more than 30 minutes, at most, even if this is your first printer. For convenience alone, the CR-10 takes the crown here.

Winner: CR-10

Build and Part Quality

The Ender 3 and CR-10 in all their incarnations feature a sturdy frame and overall solid build quality.

The Ender 3’s Y-axis extrusion has been known to cause wobble for some users, something that’s been rectified by a thicker extrusion on the Ender 3 Pro and Ender 3 V2.

The Ender 3 features a 32-bit motherboard, while the CR-10 relies on a modest 8-bit variant, complicating the installation of firmware updates.

Similarly, the CR-10 features a 12V board compared to the Ender 3’s 24V, leaving you with little in the way of additional power for upgrades. The CR-10 V3 features a 24V Mean Well PSU, so look to that model if you need that extra power.

Note that the CR-10 PSU exists outside the frame, so factor this into the printer’s already sizable physical footprint.

While the Ender 3 and CR-10’s standard Creality extruder gets the job down, notwithstanding the occasional longevity issue due to some plastic construction, we’re partial to the workhorse characteristics of the all-metal direct drive E3D Titan extruder on the CR-10 V3. 

No clear winner here, as each has its flaws. It’s more a case of what is less likely to cause you irritation.

Winner: Draw

Software

The Ender 3 and CR-10 stand on equal footing in software compatibility. They play well with all the most popular third-party slicers such as Cura, Simplify3D, and Slic3r, to name a few.

Winner: Draw

Price

Here’s a breakdown of the pricing for each Ender 3 and CR-10 model currently available, as seen on the Creality Store. You may find higher or lower prices at third-party retailers.

• Ender 3 – $189 — Available here
• Ender 3 Pro – $219 — Available here 
• Ender 3 V2 – $262 — Available here

• CR-10 – $309 — Available here
• CR-10 V3 – $459 — Available here

At under $200, the Ender 3 wins as the most affordable option considering its features and the print quality on offer. It’s worth noting that the basic CR-10 costs more than the top Ender 3 V2, chiefly due to the much larger build volume.

We recommend avoiding the Ender 3 Pro entirely, instead paying less for the Ender 3 or spending a bit more on the superior Ender 3 V2. Similarly, if you can afford the CR-10 V2, we recommend paying a bit more for the CR-10 V3 for the benefits it offers.

Winner: Ender 3

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10: The Winner

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – Best Overall

For us, the Ender 3 retains its crown as the go-to pick for savvy 3D printing beginners.

The most recent Ender 3 V2 highlights Creality’s efforts to weed out the issues of its successors while still keeping the core of what makes it a favorite among makers. More importantly, the original and V2 are priced lower than the basic CR-10.

We’re all guided by budget, and you get an awful lot of printing vim for the price.

BUDGET PICK

Creality Ender 3

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Creality CR-10

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – Best Value Option

If day-to-day hobby printing is more your speed and you’ve no plans to pump out towering parts or models, the Ender 3 packs in the most value.

Best of all, the vanilla Ender 3 is ripe for upgrades that you can print yourself, turning it into a machine that surpasses not just the Pro version but flirts with the V2 at a fraction of the cost.

Creality Ender 3 vs Creality CR-10 – Best For Large Prints

If you’re comfortable sacrificing certain features like print recovery and faster bed heating for the sake of build volume, we recommend the Creality CR-10.

The Ender 3 is our top pick, but no amount of tweaks and improvements can make up for a smaller build volume.

Articles we recommend:

• Ender 3 vs Ender 5
• Ender 3 vs Ender 3 Pro, V2 and Max
• Ender 3 V2 vs Prusa Mini
• Ender 3 V2/S1 vs Prusa i3 MK3S+
• Sovol SV06 vs Ender 3 (V2 / Neo)
• Alternatives to the Ender 3 3D printers
• Ender 5 vs Ender 5 Pro vs Ender 5 Plus
• Elegoo Mars 3 vs Elegoo Saturn
• Anycubic Mono X vs Elegoo Saturn
• Flashforge Adventurer 3 vs 3 Lite
• Anycubic Kobra vs Plus vs Max
• Creality CR-10 upgradables

Community favorites and consistent entries in many a top budget 3D printer list, these are two of the most popular printers around.

But what sets them apart?

The Ender 3 V2 is an easy-to-use beginner pick that is hard to beat in terms of value for money.

While the Ender 3 Neo shares many key features (like build volume and filament compatibility), it also adds some “nice-to-haves” like a glass bed and silent motherboard.

The Ender 5 Pro is a step up in terms of price and advanced features, and a better choice for more ambitious projects that require less common filaments or a larger build volume.

I’ll share my hands-on experience with each of these 3D printers, and compare all the key differences so you can make a confident choice.

So let’s work out which Ender is the best fit for your needs.

BUDGET PICK

Ender 3 V2

Consistent, durable, and fantastic value at under $300

Great for every printing situation apart from very large prints

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Ender 5 Pro

The best large height build volume printer in its price range

Overall a more premium 3D printing experience

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

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Meet The Printers – Creality Ender 3 V2 vs Ender 5 Pro

Ender 3 V2

The Ender 3 V2 matches the original Ender 3’s core easy-to-use, budget printing appeal. It injects a series of significant upgrades that, in our humble opinion, make it one of the better Ender 3 printers yet. As we know, there’s been quite a few over the years.

Looks and construction-wise, the Ender 3 V2 changes from its predecessor with a sharp, sheet metal injection and plastic panel design, doing away with the low-cost look for a more cohesive finish that gives it an extra touch of class.

On the specifications side, the Ender 3 V2 features a silent 32-bit motherboard, TMC2208 stepper motor drivers, and a tempered carborundum glass platform, a big adhesion upgrade over previous Ender 3 beds, which also speeds up bed heating.

Creality has also added various quality-of-life top-ups that make using the Ender 3 V2 a more pleasant and enjoyable printer to use long-term. These include a new, detachable 4.3-inch HD color screen, a potentially useful toolbox carved into the printer’s base, and XY-axis tensioners to easily tweak belt tension on the fly.

If you’re new to 3D printing, the Ender 3 V2 cuts down that initial learning curve a few pegs but keeps the core Ender 3 spirit of tinkering and upgrading to get the very best out of the machine. It’s an iconic printer refined, adding even more value to an already affordable machine.

Ender 5 Pro

In the same way that Creality did with the jump from Ender 3 to the Ender 3 Pro and Ender 3 V2, the company bundled up the much-loved experience and features of the Ender 5 and spruced them up with some quality upgrades to create the Ender 5 Pro. This printer is very much a super-charged replacement for the original, with only a slight price jump tacked on.

So, what does the higher price tag land you? Firstly, you get the same cube frame, well-proportioned 220 x 220 x 300 mm build volume and the nippy bed heating of the original Ender 5. From there, the Ender 5 Pro pivots with a V1.15 silent mainboard with TMC2208 drivers for quieter printing compared to the Ender 5. There’s now thermal runaway protection in case things get a little too heated, too.

A much better all-metal extruder smoothes filament loading and extrusion consistency with a handy adjustable bolt to fine-tune gear pressure to suit different filament types. The Ender 5 Pro swaps the plastic tubing for brand name Capricorn Bowden PTFE tubing, raising the printer’s printing potential when fed flexible materials and cutting down on unwanted movement and other common filament loading problems.

It’s a tight set of upgrades that prove their worth from the get-go with a better printing experience than the stock Ender 5.

Ender 3 Neo

We also have to mention the recently launched Ender 3 Neo, the tenth printer to join the Ender 3 line-up.

As the Neo name implies, there are plenty of new features here. There’s automatic bed leveling courtesy of Creality’s CR Touch system, a full-metal Bowden extruder, and a flexible PC spring steel magnetic build plate.

Elsewhere, there are multiple quality-of-life improvements over the vanilla Ender 3 V2.

There’s a 32-bit mainboard (below 50 dB according to Creality, a built-in toolbox, print resume function, belt tensioners, and a new UI with a print preview function. Looks wise, the Ender 3 Neo benefits from a facelift, borrowing the same sharp, full-metal gantry design found on the Ender 3 S1.

Ender 3 V2 vs Ender 5 Pro – Head-to-Head Comparison

Build volume

Build volume determines the size of the prints you can create, so is a feature well worth mulling over before pulling out your credit card. The Ender 3 V2 has a 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume, while the Ender 5 Pro offers a slightly larger 220 x 220 x 300 mm. 

Both are what we’d consider average for entry-level 3D printers and are enough for a wide variety of projects, including decorative and displays pieces, household items, functional items, models, toys, and all those go-to Thingiverse favorites.

The Ender 5 Pro extra 50 mm on the Z-axis gives you a bit more room to print taller objects.

Max Nozzle and Bed Temperature

The Ender 3 V2 sports a maximum extruder temperature of 255°C and a maximum bed temperature of 110°C. The Ender 5 Pro features a maximum nozzle temperature of 260°C and a maximum bed temperature of 110°C.

Aside from a 5°C bump on the Ender 5 Pro nozzle temperature, the two printers are identical. Both are suited to the most common 3D printing materials – PLA, ABS (enclosure required for the best results as ABS requires a stable thermal environment), TPU, and PETG.

The Ender 5 Pro is ever so slightly more suited to more temperature-sensitive materials like nylon that require hotter nozzle temperature to print well.

As the Ender 5 Pro has a slightly larger build volume, the bed takes slightly longer to heat than on the Ender 3 V2. 

As for the hot ends, you’ll find the same typical Creality parts on both machines, fed filament through a standard PTFE tube (Capricorn branded on the Ender 5 Pro) and frame-mounted extruder in normal Bowden style. 

The Ender 5 Pro has a metal-extruder, which helps iron some of the more common Bowden issues such as filament jams and clogs. The Ender 3 V2 instead uses a plastic alternative, but this is easily upgraded.

If extruder and nozzle temperature are top of your list of requirements, it may be worth taking a peek at Creality’s new Ender 3 S1 Pro. With a nozzle that can reach temperatures up to 300°, the Ender 3 S1 Pro is equipped to print a broader range of materials – PLA, ABSE, PETG, Nylon, TPU, Wood fill, and numerous other high-temperature filament types.

Read more: we tested and reviewed the Ender 3 S1 Pro

Alongside, it also ships with Creality’s new proprietary Sprite full metal dual-gear direct drive extruder system that helps minimize common flexible printing issues like poor retraction, jams and clogs in the PTFE tubing, while also improving filament control and feeding.

Print Bed

The Ender 3 V2 ships with a tempered carborundum glass bed, while the Ender 5 Pro has a classic magnetic build plate. 

Each has their strengths. The magnetic bed allows for easy pop-off print removable seconds after a print finishes thanks to its flexible properties, while the glass bed on the Ender 3 V2 offers first-rate first layer adhesion and also allows prints to come off with little effort once the bed has cooled down. 

On that note, both machines have heated beds, gearing them for a wider range of temperature-sensitive materials. The Ender 3 V2 can reach up to 110°C, making it slightly hotter than the Ender 5 Pro, which is capped at 100°C.

Automatic Bed Leveling

Neither machine features automatic bed leveling out of the box, so back to the time consuming task of manual calibration whichever machine you decide to buy.

Both are screaming out for an ABL upgrade, either BL Touch or CR Touch, so a worthwhile mod to make as soon as possible.

Creality seems well aware of this, which is why we’ve seen the newer Ender models, specifically the Ender 3 S1 and Neo lines-up fitted with CR Touch probes for automatic bed leveling.

Read more: the best auto-bed leveling 3D printers

Assembly

Both the Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro come in DIY, semi-assembled kits and take roughly 20-30 minutes to piece together even for first-timers. 

Both come with well-guided instructions and it’s a case of attaching the gantry and plugging in a few cables. The Ender 5 Pro is arguably a tad more challenging due to the design of the printer, but we’re talking an extra few minutes for most people so hardly a major difference.

Assembled, the Ender 5 Pro is a bit bigger than the Ender 3 V2 – 552 x 485 x 510 mm and 475 x 470 x 620 mm, respectively – so factor this in if you’re working with limited workshop or bedroom space.

Firmware

Both the Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro have Creality’s silent V.4.2.2 mainboards charged with the heavy lifting under the hood. As for firmware versions, the Ender 3 V2 has Marlin 2.0 pre-installed, while the Ender 5 Pro comes with Marlin 1.8.

Other than being a better all-round and quieter board than previous Creality’s electronics, the V4.2.2 also includes a bootloader, allowing you to easily upgrade the firmware. On previous Enders, upgrading required a laborious process involving a third-party single-board computer like an Arduino. This is all much easier here and both machines score points in that respect.

Price

• Ender 3 V2 – $260 – Available at Creality here / Check Amazon pricing here
• Ender 5 Pro – $399- Available at Creality here / Check Amazon pricing here

A $130 price gap separates the two machines, though we’ve seen both drop lower thanks to Creality’s love for a good sale. Given half a chance or seasonal occasion, the company systematically lowers the prices, so it’s worth waiting a little to snap up a bargain. We’ve seen the Ender 3 V2 go as low as $235 and the Ender 5 Pro down to around $330.

If you’re on a budget, the Ender 3 V2 makes more sense value wise, but if you need the extra build volume verticality, then the extra spend is warranted for the Ender 5 Pro. Squared up to other budget printers with similar specifications, both machines distinguish themselves as affordable picks.

Upgrade Potential 

As with most Creality printers, the Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro are both upgrade-friendly devices with open designs that facilitate modification and add-ons. It’s something the Ender community has embraced, and you’ll find a huge wealth of options out there from 3D printed parts to third-party parts to improve your printer. 

Whether you’re after a new extruder, hot end, tubing, nozzles, tensioners, knobs, casings, cooling systems, and so much more, there’s an option out there. For a deeper dive into what’s available, head to our dedicated Ender 3 upgrade guide and Ender 5 Pro upgrade guide.

Ender 3 V2 vs Ender 5 Pro – The Bottom Line

Which printer is right for you ultimately comes down to your needs and budget.

The Ender 3 V2 is a great starter printer that takes the basic blueprint of the popular Ender 3 and levels it up with a host of targeted improvements that make it one of the better Ender 3 options available. With so much upgrade potential, you can build on the Ender 3 V2 as your skills improve, giving it a welcome slice of future-proofing. We’d also recommend checking out the Ender 3 S1 and Ender 3 V2 Neo, as both push further down the upgrade path than the Ender 3 V2.

The Ender 5 Pro should suit those looking for a standard budget printer with a more vertical build volume to print larger prints. It has enviable upgrades, not least the metal extruder, 32-bit mainboard, and a unique design.

Both are reasonably priced 3D printers that should serve the majority of amateur makers well. As we noted above, Creality loves a sale, so look out for this with a heavy discount, which adds even more value to two already affordable machines.

BUDGET PICK

Ender 3 V2

Consistent, durable, and fantastic value at under $300

Great for every printing situation apart from very large prints

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

BUILD VOLUME PICK

Ender 5 Pro

The best large height build volume printer in its price range

Overall a more premium 3D printing experience

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

For the newest version, the Ender 3 V2 Neo, we recommend that you read our hands-on Ender 3 V2 Neo 3D printer view.

Related Posts:

• Ender 3 Neo vs Ender 3 V2 Neo vs Ender 3 Max Neo [Compared]
• Ender 3 V2 vs Voxelab Aquila X2 – Compared
• Creality Ender 3 vs Ender 3 Pro vs Ender 3 V2
• Ender 3 Extenders: The Best Extension Kit Upgrades
• Ender 3 Print Speed: Best Speed Settings for Ender 3 V2 & Pro
• Ender 3 Glass Bed (Pro/V2) Guide (& Best Options)
• The Best Ender 5 Pro Upgrades (Printable & Paid)
• The Best Ender 5 Enclosures (and Pro / Plus): DIY & Ready to Buy
• Ender 5 vs Ender 5 Pro vs Ender 5 Plus
• Sovol SV06 vs Ender 3 (V2 / Neo)

Ender 3’s wild success is rival manufacturers playing catch up with their own take on the low-cost printer. There are now plenty of viable alternatives if the Ender 3 doesn’t quite have the features you need.

Budget Pick	Top pick
Voxelab Aquila	Anycubic Kobra 3D Printer
4.5	4.7
$179.00	$299
Amazon here	Anycubic Store here
	Amazon here

Budget Pick

Voxelab Aquila

4.5

$179.00

Amazon here

Top pick

Anycubic Kobra 3D Printer

4.7

$299

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

For most users, I’d recommend taking a look at the Biqu B1 first. It has more built-in features compared to the Ender 3, with automatic bed leveling and a touchscreen display making it a more intuitive experience for beginners.

Elsewhere, you might also consider the superior print speed of the Prusa Mini, or the affordable Voxelab Aquila for a budget choice.

I’ll step through all the worthy Ender 3 alternatives I’ve tested, showcasing the best ones currently available at a range of price points and their different features.

Whether you’re looking for a different-flavored Ender 3/Pro/V2-style printer, or an alternative to the latest decked-out Ender 3 S1 Pro, there’s something for everyone here.

Read more: our Ender 3 review

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Best Ender 3 Alternatives

Biqu B1

• Price: $279.99
• Build Volume: 235 x 235 x 270 mm
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, PETG, Flexibles

Echoing a running theme among the best Ender 3 alternatives, the Biqu B1 quite simply offers more features than you’d get from Creality’s stable of Ender 3s for the same sum, its most direct competitor in terms of price being the Ender 3 V2.

Among them are a roomier 235 x 235 x 270 mm (outclassing even the Ender 3 S1 in that respect), adjustable belt tensioners, a double-sided magnetic ‘Super Steel Sheet’ bed, a filament sensor, and a resume print function. 

The neat, unique dual-mode interface is also worth a mention.

It allows you to hot-swap between Biqu’s sleek, modern touchscreen-controlled interface with a handy model-preview function (unusual for low-cost printers) to a rotary knob-led Marlin UI.

We are also big fans of the upgrade and tinker potential afforded by vacant ports on the SKR board and how accessing the Biqu B1’s innards takes hardly any effort, not something we can say about the Ender 3s without lashings of sarcasm.

Weaving in automatic bed leveling, Wi-Fi connectivity, or a supplementary Z-axis motor should be a doddle.

For us, the Biqu B1 is somewhat of a hidden gem that hasn’t garnered the attention it deserves quite yet. It more than gives the Ender 3 V2 a run for its money and, rather fittingly, costs less.

The Biqu B1 also comes with glitzy RGB LED lighting on the print head, and the printer is available in a color scheme with rather fetching hot pink accents.

Due to the fact it houses a Bowden rather than a direct drive extruder and lacks automatic bed leveling, it doesn’t rival the Ender 3 S1. Creality’s flashiest Ender 3 costs substantially more in any case, so, not a fair comparison.

Prusa Mini

• Price: +$350
• Build Volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, CPE, PVA/BVOH, PVB, HIPS, PP, Flex, nGen, Nylon, Woodfill

Almost adorable with its compact base and signature Prusa orange accents, the Prusa Mini is first and foremost a more wallet-friendly alternative to Prusa’s endlessly-lauded i3 MK3S+ and, by extension, a disruptor in the Ender 3-dominated budget space.

In keeping with Prusa’s history of slapping quality parts on ‘complete’ printers that need little in the way of user-led upgrades, the Prusa Mini is a stellar alternative to the Ender 3 in all the guises.

It’s an option for those that don’t fancy diving into the bowels of their printer on the regular to tinker or upgrade. It’s one for people that want a systematically reliable and solid printing experience every time they fire up their machine.

It just works with no fuss or frustration.

On to features, the Prusa Mini has all the trimmings you’d expect from the folks behind the i3 MK3S+:

• Automatic mesh bed leveling
• Ethernet connectivity
• Sharp color LCD screen with model preview
• SuperPinda homing probe
• PEI-coated magnetic removable bed

When combined, these features see the Prusa Mini storm past the classic Ender 3 trio to compete directly with the Ender 3 S1. Better yet, Prusa asks you to pay $50 less than the S1 to become a happy Mini owner and print with a broader range of compatible filament types.

There is one major compromise: the Prusa Mini’s modest 180 x 180 x 180 mm build volume to the Ender 3 S1’s comparatively spacious 220 x 220 x 270 mm.

Beyond that, there’s little to fault here. The Prusa’s signature quality courses through every layer you’ll print with the Mini.

Read more: our Prusa MINI vs Creality Ender 3 comparison

Voxelab Aquila

• Price: $180.00-$200.00
• Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, PETG

With a price roughly on par with the Ender 3, the Voxelab Aquila is a solid all-around 3D printer designed by 3D printing royalty Flashforge, albeit under the Voxelab budget branding.

It’s another offspring of the Ender 3’s still-rippling impact on the budget 3D printer segment in both shape and design but throws in features you won’t find on Creality’s stock machines.

Leading the charge is a textured carborundum glass bed (similar to the one on the Ender 3 V2), a 32-bit mainboard, a color LCD, a resume print function, XY belt tensioners, and a filament run-out sensor.

Much like the Ender 3, the Aquila offers a solid foundation for upgrades and mods but works well as is. The option is there, though, to spruce it up with automatic bed leveling, for example.

Another way the Aquila diverts from the Ender 3 playbook is simplicity.

It’s easy to use from the get-go, bolstered by a well-designed UI design and the bundled VoxelMaker slicer, a reskin of FlashPrint.

The latter is straightforward and uncomplicated, with just enough functionality not to overwhelm beginners but enough options to hone good quality prints.

While the original Ender 3 once straddled the crossroads between capabilities and price, the Voxelab Aquila certainly makes a strong claim as a direct successor.

We can’t stress how much value you get for under $200, especially as the Voxelab Aquila is more or less equivalent to the more expensive Ender 3 V2 in features and printing experience.

Anycubic Kobra

• Price: $299.00
• Build Volume: 222 x 222 x 252 mm
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU

The Anycubic Kobra is the budget entry in Anycubic’s latest new model release flurry.

It’s capable of superb prints for the price and pulls in a blend of convenience-focused features we expect to become a benchmark for competitors moving forward.

We were kindly sent a review model by Anycubic, and despite a bit of wrestling with the software side of things, we were thoroughly impressed with the Kobra.

With a bit of tuning, the quality of the prints is simply outstanding for a low-cost FDM printer.

Getting from packaged parts to a machine ready to print was effortless and, frankly, pleasant. Two months on, we’re still finding new things to like and enjoy about this plucky little printer that punches well above its weight.

At just under $300, The Anycubic Kobra costs more than the base Ender 3, which you’ll likely find for under $200.

However, that extra $100 spent bundles the type of top-shelf features you’d expect on machines with a significantly higher price tag. Sized up against the Ender 3 V2, the Kobra costs roughly the same, has better features, and offers a more rounded experience for the money.

The direct-drive extruder, automatic bed leveling, and a fantastic removable magnetic PEI-coated spring-steel bed allow the Kobra to deliver fuss-free, reliable, user-friendly printing.

You also get a slightly larger 222 x 222 x 252 mm build volume than the original Ender 3 trio. There’s no denying you’re landing far more value than you’d typically expect from a low-cost 3D printer.

As for the Ender 3 S1, the Anycubic Kobra shares many features, but with $100 shaved off the price tag.

You don’t get quite as much vertical build volume to work with, though, a minor trade-off for one of the most appealingly affordable Ender 3 alternatives.

Although it’s still early days, the Kobra has the makings of a DIY darling as it’s begging for community-fashioned mods, tweaks, and upgrades, just like the Ender 3.

Expect a flood of these as shipments start hitting doorsteps in the months ahead.

Why You’d Want To Consider An Alternative to the Ender 3

Despite a firm grip on the most popular 3D printer crown, the Ender 3 is getting a little long in the tooth.

Omitted features that were once minor irritants easily remedied through DIY upgrades have morphed into major downsides.

Creality addressed these to some extent in successor models such as the Ender Pro and Ender 3 V2 with a tempered carborundum glass bed, silent mainboard, and a chunkier Y-axis extrusion but some gaping downsides remain.

The market is now awash with better or similarly equipped alternatives offering a near-identical printing experience at a similar price point, meaning it’s harder to frame the Ender 3 as the go-to budget pick it once was.

These alternatives unabashedly draw inspiration from the Ender 3 but improve or match it in ways that make them better or are at least comparable all-around machines.

It’s harder to make a case for why you should consider an alternative to the latest Ender 3 S1.

The printer is Creality’s most sophisticated Ender 3 yet, boasting a glut of desirable improvements, chiefly automatic bed leveling, a direct drive extruder, a roomier 220 x 220 x 270 mm build volume, and a PC-coated spring steel removable print bed.

An impressive machine, no doubt, and a premier pick in the affordable portion of the 3D printer market.

Nevertheless, the alternatives are worth a gander if you just want something different from the Ender family or need a cheaper machine mostly matching the Ender 3 S1’s feature set.

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