🖨 3D Printer Radar

Creality Ender 3 V4vsPrusa Research CORE One+

💰Creality Ender 3 V4 is $800 cheaper (201% less)
📐Prusa Research CORE One+ has 31% more build volume
Prusa Research CORE One+ tops out at 600 mm/s vs 500 mm/s
🏠Only Prusa Research CORE One+ 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 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.

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Prusa Research CORE One+
Buy/Wait:Buy

Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait

🔧 Upgrade kit available — from CORE One

Best for: Makers who want CoreXY speed and precision with Prusa's open-source ethos, community support, and long-term repairability — without Bambu's closed ecosystem.

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Creality Ender 3 V4Prusa Research CORE One+
Pricing
Starting Price$399$1,199
Print Specs
TierEntryProsumer
MotionBedSlingerCoreXY
Build Volume220 × 220 × 235 mm250 × 220 × 270 mm
Max Speed500 mm/s600 mm/s
Multicolor✅ 4 slots❌ No
Enclosure
Auto Calibration
Open Source
Upgrade Kit🔧 From CORE One
Buy Timing
ReleasedJan 15, 2026Jan 16, 2026
Cycle length~854 days~310 days
Cycle adviceBuyBuy
Deals adviceCautionCaution
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Quick Winner

💰
Budget pick
Creality Ender 3 V4
$399 starting
📐
Large prints
Prusa Research CORE One+
250×220×270 mm
Fastest prints
Prusa Research CORE One+
600 mm/s
🔓
Open ecosystem
Prusa Research CORE One+
Open source

Bottom Line

💰Creality Ender 3 V4 saves you $800 — choose it if budget is your primary constraint
🏠Prusa Research CORE One+ is the only choice if you print ABS, ASA, PA, or PC — those materials require an enclosure
🎨Creality Ender 3 V4 is the pick if multicolor printing is important to you
🔓Prusa Research CORE One+ is the pick for open firmware, community mods, and long-term repairability

Materials

Creality Ender 3 V4 only
Both
PLAEasy to print, no enclosure needed — everyday parts
PETGTougher, slightly flexible, moisture-resistant
TPUFlexible rubber-like — phone cases, gaskets, wheels
Prusa Research CORE One+ only
ABSHeat and impact resistant — needs enclosure
ASAUV-stable ABS alternative — outdoor parts, needs enclosure
PANylon — strong and wear-resistant, needs dry storage
PCPolycarbonate — extremely tough, challenging to print

Why buy each?

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.

Prusa Research CORE One+

Prusa's answer to Bambu P-series

The CORE One+ matches Bambu CoreXY speed (600 mm/s) while keeping everything open source — firmware, hardware, slicing profiles.

Fully open source

Unlike Bambu's closed ecosystem, every component of the CORE One+ can be modified, repaired, or community-improved.

MMU3 multicolor compatible

Existing MMU3 units and the new MMU3 for CORE One bring 5-color multicolor printing to the CoreXY platform.