🖨 3D Printer Radar

Creality Ender 3 V3 KEvsQidi Tech Plus4

💰Creality Ender 3 V3 KE is $420 cheaper (151% less)
📐Qidi Tech Plus4 has 124% more build volume
Qidi Tech Plus4 tops out at 600 mm/s vs 500 mm/s
🏠Only Qidi Tech Plus4 has an enclosure — required for ABS, ASA, PA engineering filaments
Cross-ecosystem comparison: These printers use different software ecosystems. Accessories, filament profiles, and community support are not interchangeable between brands. Consider the total ecosystem cost, not just the printer price.
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Buy/Wait:Superseded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 It has been replaced by the Creality Ender 3 V4.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 →
Qidi Tech Plus4
Buy/Wait:Wait

Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

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 →
Creality Ender 3 V3 KEQidi Tech Plus4
Pricing
Starting Price$279$699
Print Specs
TierEntryProsumer
MotionCoreXYCoreXY
Build Volume220 × 220 × 240 mm305 × 305 × 280 mm
Max Speed500 mm/s600 mm/s
Multicolor❌ No✅ 4 slots
Enclosure
Auto Calibration
Open Source
Upgrade Kit
Buy Timing
ReleasedSep 15, 2023Sep 20, 2024
Cycle length~854 days~408 days
Cycle adviceSupersededWait
Deals adviceClearanceBuy
Next model

Quick Winner

💰
Budget pick
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
$279 starting
📐
Large prints
Qidi Tech Plus4
305×305×280 mm
Fastest prints
Qidi Tech Plus4
600 mm/s
🔓
Open ecosystem
Tie

Bottom Line

💰Creality Ender 3 V3 KE saves you $420 — choose it if budget is your primary constraint
🏠Qidi Tech Plus4 is the only choice if you print ABS, ASA, PA, or PC — those materials require an enclosure
🎨Qidi Tech Plus4 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
Qidi Tech Plus4 only
ABSHeat and impact resistant — needs enclosure
ASAUV-stable ABS alternative — outdoor parts, needs enclosure
PANylon — strong and wear-resistant, needs dry storage
PA-CFCarbon-fibre nylon — very stiff, abrasive to standard nozzles
PCPolycarbonate — extremely tough, challenging to print
PPS-CFExtreme temperature and chemical resistance

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.

Qidi Tech Plus4

305×305×280 mm build volume

One of the largest build volumes in the prosumer enclosed category — 40% more printable area than the Bambu X1C at a lower price point.

Active 65°C chamber heating

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.

370°C bimetal hotend

Handles high-performance engineering composites including PA-CF, PET-CF, and PPS-CF without requiring a separate hotend upgrade.