The Anycubic Kobra S1 Max (professional) and Prusa Research CORE One+ (prosumer) come from different brands and sit in different tiers, so this is less a head-to-head than a question of how much printer you need. Both are enclosed CoreXY printers with a 600 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The CORE One+ costs $200 more and gets you an open-source design and 8 multicolor slots to the Kobra S1 Max's 4; the Kobra S1 Max answers with 189% more build volume and extra engineering materials (PA-CF and PET-CF).
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Professional makers and small studios who need large-format enclosed printing for engineering filaments at a competitive price — and want Anycubic's ecosystem over Creality or Qidi alternatives.
Full details →Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
🔧 Upgrade kit available — from CORE One+, MK4S
Best for: Makers who want CoreXY speed and precision with Prusa's open-source ethos, community support, and long-term repairability — without Bambu's closed ecosystem.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra S1 Max | Prusa Research CORE One+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $799 | $999 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Professional | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | ★ 350 × 350 × 350 mm | 250 × 220 × 270 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ★ ✅ 8 slots |
| Enclosure | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ★ ✅ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | 🔧 From CORE One+, MK4S |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Nov 25, 2025 | Aug 13, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | ~209 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Caution |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra S1 Max was released on Nov 25, 2025, 352 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
The CORE One+ was released on Aug 13, 2026, 91 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 209 days, so it is 44% of the way through — roughly 118 days before a successor would be due at that pace.
Both are early enough in their cycles that timing should not decide this one. The Kobra S1 Max launched 352 days ago and the CORE One+ has roughly 118 days of runway on past cadence. Pick on features and price.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Kobra S1 Max lists at $799 and the CORE One+ at $999 — $200 apart, so the CORE One+ costs 25% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $19 for the Kobra S1 Max versus $67 for the CORE One+ — the Kobra S1 Max is both cheaper and roomier, so it wins on value outright.
If you are buying before Dec 5, 2026, the active sale tips value toward the Kobra S1 Max.
This one is close on paper. If you just want to print, save the $200; if you want to modify and repair the machine yourself, the open-source CORE One+ earns its premium. The Kobra S1 Max also brings 189% more build volume and extra engineering materials (PA-CF and PET-CF).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
One of the largest enclosed build volumes in the prosumer/professional tier — suited for large engineering parts, architectural models, and batch production.
Maintaining 65°C across a 350×350 mm chamber is a meaningful technical achievement — ensuring consistent results for ABS, ASA, and PA across the full build plate.
The S1 Max extends the Kobra ecosystem into the large-format enclosed segment, enabling Anycubic users to scale up without switching brands.
The CORE One+ matches Bambu CoreXY speed (600 mm/s) while keeping everything open source — firmware, hardware, slicing profiles.
Unlike Bambu's closed ecosystem, every component of the CORE One+ can be modified, repaired, or community-improved.
The CORE One+ (Gen 2) can be ordered with Prusa's INDX toolchanger in 4- or 8-tool versions, shipping from 15 October 2026. Each material gets its own nozzle, with about 12 seconds per material change and almost no purge waste. The MMU3 remains compatible as a 5-color add-on.