The Anycubic Kobra X (entry) 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. The Plus5 costs $350 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 75% more build volume.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want multicolor printing at the lowest possible entry price and don't need a large build volume or premium features.
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 X | Qidi Tech Plus5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $399 | $749 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Entry | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 260 × 260 × 260 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 | Mar 1, 2026 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | ~684 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Caution | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra X was released on Mar 1, 2026, 256 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 X launched 256 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 Kobra X lists at $399 and the Plus5 at $749 — $350 apart, so the Plus5 costs 88% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $23 for the Kobra X versus $24 for the Plus5 — the Kobra X is the better value per litre as well.
If you are buying before Dec 5, 2026, the active sale tips value toward the Plus5.
Our pick for most buyers is the Plus5, for an enclosed chamber (with ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 75% more build volume, plus a higher editor score (8.4 vs 8.0). Go for the Kobra X instead if you want to spend less — it is $350 cheaper ($399 vs $749). The Plus5 is also in a sale window right now (Black Friday 2026, until Dec 5, 2026).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
Listed at $399 and frequently on sale for $279–299 with ACE Gen 2 included, the Kobra X is one of the most affordable ways to get into multicolor FDM printing.
The same cube-format build volume as the pricier Kobra 4 — practical for most everyday prints.
The second-generation ACE Gen 2 offers improved filament switching reliability over the original ACE Pro, with support for up to 4 colors per print.
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.