The Creality Ender 3 V3 KE (entry) and Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 (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. Note that the Ender 3 V3 KE has been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and is no longer sold new. Both are open-frame printers with a 500 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The Centauri Carbon 2 costs $80 more and gets you 4-slot multicolor and 44% more build volume.
This printer is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Creality Ender 3 V4.
Best for: Budget-conscious beginners who want fast Klipper-based printing without the Bambu ecosystem or Prusa premium — and are comfortable with a more hands-on setup experience.
Full details →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Elegoo users and budget-conscious makers who want multicolor FDM from a brand known for resin printers — or those looking for a capable CoreXY with high-temperature nozzle capability at $449.
Full details →| Creality Ender 3 V3 KE | Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $279 | $359 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Entry | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 220 × 220 × 240 mm | ★ 256 × 256 × 256 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ❌ No | ★ ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Sep 15, 2023 | Jan 26, 2026 |
| Cycle length | ~854 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Superseded | Buy |
| Deals advice | Clearance | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Ender 3 V3 KE has been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and is no longer sold new, so there is no release cycle left to time — any unit you find now is leftover or second-hand stock.
The Centauri Carbon 2 was released on Jan 26, 2026, 290 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
On timing alone, the Centauri Carbon 2 is the safer buy right now — it launched only 290 days ago, while the Ender 3 V3 KE has already been replaced by the Ender 3 V4.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Ender 3 V3 KE lists at $279 and the Centauri Carbon 2 at $359 — $80 apart, so the Centauri Carbon 2 costs 29% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $24 for the Ender 3 V3 KE versus $21 for the Centauri Carbon 2 — so the pricier Centauri Carbon 2 actually gives you more build space per dollar.
Buy the Centauri Carbon 2. The Ender 3 V3 KE has already been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and is no longer sold new, so it is only worth considering at a clearance price. If the Ender 3 V3 KE appealed to you, the fair comparison today is the Centauri Carbon 2 against the Ender 3 V4.
Compare Creality Ender 3 V4 vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 →
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
The KE keeps the Ender 3's familiar bed-slinger layout but runs Klipper-based firmware, reaching 500 mm/s without the Bambu premium.
The Ender 3 series has one of the largest 3D printer communities in the world, with thousands of documented modifications and upgrades.
If you outgrow the KE, the Creality K2 and K2 Plus are natural next steps within the same brand ecosystem.
The Centauri Carbon 2 marks Elegoo's entry into multicolor FDM printing — bringing the brand's value-focused approach to a segment dominated by Bambu and Anycubic.
The high-temperature nozzle enables printing of PA, PA-CF, and PC on an open-frame CoreXY — a notable differentiator at this price point.
Elegoo's proprietary CANVAS system provides 4-color filament switching at a competitive all-in price of $449.