🖨 3D Printer Radar

Creality Ender 3 V3 KEvsCreality Ender 3 V4

💰Creality Ender 3 V3 KE is $120 cheaper (43% less)
🎨Only Creality Ender 3 V4 supports multicolor printing (4 slots)
Same ecosystem (Creality): Both printers share the same software, slicer, and filament ecosystem. This is a tier step-up comparison — consider whether the extra features justify the price difference.
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
Buy/Wait:Superseded

This printer is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Creality Ender 3 V4.

Best for: Budget-conscious beginners who want CoreXY speed without the Bambu ecosystem or Prusa premium — and are comfortable with a more hands-on setup experience.

Full details →
Creality Ender 3 V4
Buy/Wait:Buy

Just released — full support runway ahead

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 →
Creality Ender 3 V3 KECreality Ender 3 V4
Pricing
Starting Price$279$399
Print Specs
TierEntryEntry
MotionCoreXYBedSlinger
Build Volume220 × 220 × 240 mm220 × 220 × 235 mm
Max Speed500 mm/s500 mm/s
Multicolor❌ No✅ 4 slots
Enclosure
Auto Calibration
Open Source
Upgrade Kit
Buy Timing
ReleasedSep 15, 2023Jan 15, 2026
Cycle length~854 days~854 days
Cycle adviceSupersededBuy
Deals adviceClearanceCaution
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Quick Winner

💰
Budget pick
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
$279 starting
📐
Large prints
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
220×220×240 mm
Fastest prints
Tie
🔓
Open ecosystem
Tie

Bottom Line

💰Creality Ender 3 V3 KE saves you $120 — choose it if budget is your primary constraint
🎨Creality Ender 3 V4 is the pick if multicolor printing is important to you

Materials

Creality Ender 3 V3 KE only
Both
PLAEasy to print, no enclosure needed — everyday parts
PETGTougher, slightly flexible, moisture-resistant
TPUFlexible rubber-like — phone cases, gaskets, wheels
Creality Ender 3 V4 only

Why buy each?

Creality Ender 3 V3 KE

CoreXY at entry price

The KE brings CoreXY motion to the Ender 3 family — historically a bed-slinger platform — delivering 500 mm/s without the Bambu premium.

Large community and mod ecosystem

The Ender 3 series has one of the largest 3D printer communities in the world, with thousands of documented modifications and upgrades.

Accessible upgrade path

If you outgrow the KE, the Creality K1C and K2 Plus are natural next steps within the same brand ecosystem.

Creality Ender 3 V4

Die-cast aluminium gantry

The V4's rigid frame reduces vibration at high speeds, improving print quality over the V3 KE's lighter structure.

CFS multicolor Combo

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.

Successor to a proven platform

The Ender 3 family has the largest 3D printing community in the world, with extensive documentation, mods, and active Creality firmware updates.