The Creality Ender 3 V4 (entry) and Qidi Tech Max4 (professional) 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. The Max4 costs $650 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 355% more build volume.
Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
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 →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Professional makers and small studios who need the maximum enclosed build volume in Qidi's lineup for large engineering parts, architectural models, or batch production — at a price point below the Bambu H2S.
Full details →| Creality Ender 3 V4 | Qidi Tech Max4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $399 | $1,049 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Entry | Professional |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 220 × 220 × 235 mm | ★ 390 × 390 × 340 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | ★ 800 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ★ ✅ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Jan 15, 2026 | Dec 1, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~854 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Ender 3 V4 was released on Jan 15, 2026, 301 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 854 days, so it is 35% of the way through — roughly 553 days before a successor would be due at that pace.
The Max4 was released on Dec 1, 2025, 346 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
Both are early enough in their cycles that timing should not decide this one. The Ender 3 V4 has roughly 553 days of runway on past cadence and the Max4 launched 346 days ago. Pick on features and price.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Ender 3 V4 lists at $399 and the Max4 at $1,049 — $650 apart, so the Max4 costs 163% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $35 for the Ender 3 V4 versus $20 for the Max4 — so the pricier Max4 actually gives you more build space per dollar.
Our pick for most buyers is the Max4, for an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 355% more build volume. Go for the Ender 3 V4 instead if you want to spend less — it is $650 cheaper ($399 vs $1,049).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
The V4's rigid frame reduces vibration at high speeds, improving print quality over the V3 KE's lighter structure.
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.
The Ender 3 family has the largest 3D printing community in the world, with extensive documentation, mods, and active Creality firmware updates.
The Max4 offers the largest build volume in Qidi's lineup — enabling large functional parts, architectural models, and production batch runs that exceed Plus5 capacity.
The Max4's closed-loop XY adds positional feedback for improved accuracy at high speeds — a differentiating feature at this price tier that reduces dimensional errors on large prints.
Qidi's proven active chamber heating technology scaled to a 390×390 mm bed — critical for consistent ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and PPS-CF results across the full build plate.