The Anycubic Kobra 4 is the direct successor to the Anycubic Kobra 3, which Anycubic no longer sells new — so the questions here are whether Kobra 3 owners should upgrade, and whether a leftover Kobra 3 is still worth buying. Both are open-frame bed-slinger printers with 4-slot multicolor, a 600 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The Kobra 4 costs $30 more, without a hardware advantage on the specs we track; the Kobra 3 answers with extra engineering materials (ABS).
This printer is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Anycubic Kobra 4.
Best for: Budget makers who want 4-color multicolor printing without committing to the Bambu or Prusa ecosystem — and are comfortable with a less mature software experience. Look for clearance deals — the Kobra 4 is the current model.
Full details →Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
Best for: Budget makers who want 4-color multicolor printing without committing to the Bambu or Prusa ecosystem — and are comfortable with a less mature software experience.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra 3 | Anycubic Kobra 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $349 | $379 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Prosumer | Entry |
| Motion | BedSlinger | BedSlinger |
| Build Volume | 255 × 255 × 260 mm | ★ 260 × 260 × 260 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | May 15, 2025 | May 18, 2026 |
| Cycle length | ~212 days | ~368 days |
| Cycle advice | Superseded | Buy |
| Deals advice | Clearance | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra 3 has been replaced by the Kobra 4 and is no longer sold new, so there is no release cycle left to time — any unit you find now is leftover or second-hand stock.
The Kobra 4 was released on May 18, 2026, 178 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 368 days, so it is 48% of the way through — roughly 190 days before a successor would be due at that pace.
Because the Kobra 4 directly replaces the Kobra 3, timing points one way: buy the current model. The Kobra 4 itself is only 48% of the way through its expected cycle, so there is no reason to hold off.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Kobra 3 lists at $349 and the Kobra 4 at $379 — $30 apart, so the Kobra 4 costs 9% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $21 for the Kobra 3 versus $22 for the Kobra 4 — the Kobra 3 is the better value per litre as well.
The Kobra 4 is Anycubic's replacement for the Kobra 3. Here is what changes between them:
| Kobra 3 | Kobra 4 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| List price | $349 | $379 | $30 more |
| Build volume | 255 × 255 × 260 mm | 260 × 260 × 260 mm | +4% |
| Tier | prosumer | entry | |
| Materials | Drops ABS | — |
Unchanged: 600 mm/s top speed, 4-slot multicolor, open-frame design and bed-slinger motion.
For Kobra 3 owners there is little to gain on the specs we track — keep printing on what you have. Before you switch, note what the Kobra 3 has that the Kobra 4 does not: extra engineering materials (ABS).
For new buyers, the Kobra 4 is the model you can actually buy new; a leftover Kobra 3 at or below its $349 list price gives up nothing on the specs we track and keeps ABS on its materials list.
The Kobra 4 is the current model, but on the specs we track it is not an upgrade over the Kobra 3 — the Kobra 3 even has extra engineering materials (ABS). If you can still find a new Kobra 3 at or below its $349 list price, it is just as capable; otherwise buy the Kobra 4.
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
The V2 expands to 255×255×260 mm — 34% more printable volume than the original Kobra 3 — for larger parts and more batch production.
The V2 includes a 720p camera for real-time print monitoring and AI spaghetti detection, adding reliability features previously absent from the Kobra 3 line.
The Kobra 3 V2 Combo with ACE Pro is one of the most affordable 4-color setups available — often underpricing Bambu's A1 Combo.
A cube-format build volume slightly larger than the Kobra 3 V2's 255×255×260 mm bed — practical for most everyday prints.
The Combo includes one ACE 2 Pro for 4-color printing. A second unit and an 8-color filament hub expand it to 8 colors.
LeviQ 3.0 probes 49 points and applies compensation automatically, with no manual adjustment required.