The Anycubic Kobra S1 Max (professional) and Qidi Tech Plus5 (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 4-slot multicolor, a 600 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The Kobra S1 Max costs $50 more and gets you 40% more build volume and support for PLA-CF, PETG-CF and PVA; the Plus5 answers with extra engineering materials (PPS-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 →Just released — full support runway ahead
Best for: Makers and small businesses who need a large enclosed build volume for engineering materials at a prosumer price — particularly those printing PA-CF, ABS, and PC at scale.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra S1 Max | Qidi Tech Plus5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | $799 | ★ $749 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Professional | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | ★ 350 × 350 × 350 mm | 320 × 320 × 300 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Nov 25, 2025 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | ~684 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| 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 Plus5 was released on Aug 5, 2026, 99 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 684 days, so it is 14% of the way through — roughly 585 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 Plus5 has roughly 585 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 Plus5 lists at $749 and the Kobra S1 Max at $799 — $50 apart, so the Kobra S1 Max costs 7% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $19 for the Kobra S1 Max versus $24 for the Plus5 — so the pricier Kobra S1 Max actually gives you more build space per dollar.
Our pick for most buyers is the Plus5, for a lower price ($50 less) and extra engineering materials (PPS-CF), plus a higher editor score (8.4 vs 8.1). Go for the Kobra S1 Max instead if you print large parts — its 350 × 350 × 350 mm build volume holds 40% more than the Plus5's 320 × 320 × 300 mm.
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.
An 18% larger build volume than the Plus4's 305×305×280 mm, in the same enclosed prosumer class.
A 550 W third-generation chamber heater holds 65°C for PA, PA-CF, ABS, ASA, and PC with minimal warping across the build plate.
Handles high-performance engineering composites including carbon- and glass-fiber reinforced filaments and PPS-CF without a separate hotend upgrade.