The Bambu Lab X2D (professional) and Creality Ender 3 V4 (entry) 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 X2D costs $250 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF and PC on its materials list) and a top speed of 1,000 mm/s (vs 500).
Just released — full support runway ahead
Best for: Professional makers who want the X1C's footprint with true dual-material capability, an active heated chamber for engineering filaments, and improved filtration — without stepping up to the larger, pricier H2 series.
Full details →Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
Best for: Budget-conscious beginners who want optional multicolor printing in the trusted Ender 3 form factor at an accessible price — and are comfortable with a hands-on setup experience.
Full details →| Bambu Lab X2D | Creality Ender 3 V4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | $649 | ★ $399 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Professional | Entry |
| Motion | CoreXY | BedSlinger |
| Build Volume | ★ 256 × 256 × 260 mm | 220 × 220 × 235 mm |
| Max Speed | ★ 1000 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ★ ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Apr 14, 2026 | Jan 15, 2026 |
| Cycle length | ~1359 days | ~854 days |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The X2D was released on Apr 14, 2026, 212 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 1,359 days, so it is 16% of the way through — roughly 1,147 days before a successor would be due at that pace.
The Ender 3 V4 was released on Jan 15, 2026, 301 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 854 days, so it is 35% of the way through — roughly 553 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 X2D has roughly 1,147 days of runway on past cadence and the Ender 3 V4 has roughly 553 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 Ender 3 V4 lists at $399 and the X2D at $649 — $250 apart, so the X2D costs 63% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $38 for the X2D versus $35 for the Ender 3 V4 — the Ender 3 V4 is the better value per litre as well.
With both in sale windows until Dec 5, 2026, this is a good moment to buy either — compare the live sale prices before you decide.
Our pick for most buyers is the X2D, for an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF and PC on its materials list) and a top speed of 1,000 mm/s (vs 500), plus a higher editor score (9.1 vs 8.2). Go for the Ender 3 V4 instead if you want to spend less — it is $250 cheaper ($399 vs $649).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
A second Bowden-fed nozzle enables two-material prints and soluble supports without a purge tower, in the same compact 256 mm class as the X1C it replaces.
Unlike the X1C's passive chamber warming, the X2D actively heats to 65°C — enough for the bulk of engineering filaments including ABS, ASA, and nylon.
Improved filtration and a toolhead-mounted camera add safety and monitoring over the X1C's chamber camera.
The V4's rigid frame reduces vibration at high speeds, improving print quality over the V3 KE's lighter structure.
The Combo bundle includes Creality's CFS filament system for 4-color printing, expandable to 16 colors with additional CFS units — one of the most affordable multicolor setups available.
The Ender 3 family has the largest 3D printing community in the world, with extensive documentation, mods, and active Creality firmware updates.