The Creality Ender 3 V3 KE (entry) and Qidi Tech Plus4 (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 both have been replaced — the Ender 3 V3 KE by the Ender 3 V4 and the Plus4 by the Plus5 — and neither is sold new. The Plus4 costs $420 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 124% 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 It has been replaced by the Creality Ender 3 V4.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 →This printer is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Qidi Tech Plus5.
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. Look for clearance deals — the Plus5 is the current model.
Full details →| Creality Ender 3 V3 KE | Qidi Tech Plus4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $279 | $699 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Entry | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 220 × 220 × 240 mm | ★ 305 × 305 × 280 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | ★ 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ❌ No | ★ ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ★ ✅ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Sep 15, 2023 | Sep 20, 2024 |
| Cycle length | ~854 days | ~408 days |
| Cycle advice | Superseded | Superseded |
| Deals advice | Clearance | Clearance |
| 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The Ender 3 V3 KE has been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and is no longer sold new, so there is no release cycle left to time — any unit you find now is leftover or second-hand stock.
The Plus4 has been replaced by the Plus5 and is no longer sold new, so there is no release cycle left to time — any unit you find now is leftover or second-hand stock.
Neither printer is sold new any more: the Ender 3 V3 KE has already been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and the Plus4 has already been replaced by the Plus5.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Ender 3 V3 KE lists at $279 and the Plus4 at $699 — $420 apart, so the Plus4 costs 151% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $24 for the Ender 3 V3 KE versus $27 for the Plus4 — the Ender 3 V3 KE is the better value per litre as well.
Neither is sold new any more, so we would not buy either at full price: the Ender 3 V3 KE has already been replaced by the Ender 3 V4 and the Plus4 has already been replaced by the Plus5. The fair comparison today is between their replacements.
Compare Creality Ender 3 V4 vs Qidi Tech Plus5 →
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.
One of the largest build volumes in the prosumer enclosed category — 40% more printable area than the Bambu X1C at a lower price point.
The second-generation active heating delivers consistent chamber temperatures for PA, PA-CF, ABS, ASA, and PC with minimal warping across the full build plate.
Handles high-performance engineering composites including PA-CF, PET-CF, and PPS-CF without requiring a separate hotend upgrade.