๐Ÿ–จ 3D Printer Radar

Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro vs Qidi Tech Max4

The Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro (prosumer) 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 $789 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 285% more build volume.

๐Ÿ’ฐElegoo Neptune 4 Pro is $789 cheaper (75% less)
๐Ÿ“Qidi Tech Max4 has 285% more build volume
โšกQidi Tech Max4 tops out at 800 mm/s vs 500 mm/s
๐Ÿ Only Qidi Tech Max4 has an enclosure โ€” and it adds PA, PA-CF, PC, PPS-CF to the materials list
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.
Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
Buy/Wait:Wait

Overdue for a refresh โ€” no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want a capable bed-slinger with Klipper firmware for customization โ€” without Bambu's closed ecosystem or Prusa's premium pricing.

Full details โ†’
Qidi Tech Max4
Buy/Wait:Buy

First-generation product โ€” 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 โ€” at a price point below the Bambu H2S.

Full details โ†’
Elegoo Neptune 4 ProQidi Tech Max4
Pricing
Starting Priceโ˜… $260$1,049
Print Specs
TierProsumerProfessional
MotionBedSlingerCoreXY
Build Volume225 ร— 225 ร— 265 mmโ˜… 390 ร— 390 ร— 340 mm
Max Speed500 mm/sโ˜… 800 mm/s
MulticolorโŒ Noโ˜… โœ… 4 slots
EnclosureโŒโ˜… โœ…
Auto Calibrationโœ…โœ…
Open SourceโŒโŒ
Upgrade Kitโ€”โ€”
Buy Timing
ReleasedJul 15, 2023Dec 1, 2025
Cycle length~450 daysโ€”
Cycle adviceWaitBuy
Deals adviceBuyBuy
Next modelโ€”โ€”

Timing: When to Buy

The Neptune 4 Pro was released on Jul 15, 2023, 1,216 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 450 days; it is now 766 days past that point and no successor has been announced.

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.

On timing alone, the Max4 is the safer buy right now โ€” it launched only 346 days ago, while the Neptune 4 Pro is 766 days past its ~450-day cycle with no successor announced.

Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar โ†’

Deals & Pricing

The Neptune 4 Pro lists at $260 and the Max4 at $1,049 โ€” $789 apart, so the Max4 costs 303% more.

Per litre of build volume, that works out to $19 for the Neptune 4 Pro versus $20 for the Max4 โ€” the Neptune 4 Pro is the better value per litre as well.

  • Both: On sale in the same event right now: Black Friday 2026 (Nov 1, 2026 โ€“ Dec 5, 2026). Compare the two sale prices side by side before deciding.

Who Should Choose Each

Choose the Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro ifโ€ฆ

  • you want to spend less โ€” it is $789 cheaper ($260 vs $1,049)
  • your prints fit within 225 ร— 225 ร— 265 mm โ€” then the Max4's extra build volume is money you do not need to spend

Choose the Qidi Tech Max4 ifโ€ฆ

  • you want our higher-rated printer โ€” 8.2 vs 7.7 out of 10
  • you want to print PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF โ€” it is enclosed and lists them, while the Neptune 4 Pro is open-frame
  • you print large parts โ€” its 390 ร— 390 ร— 340 mm build volume holds 285% more than the Neptune 4 Pro's 225 ร— 225 ร— 265 mm
  • you are buying now โ€” it is the safer pick on timing (recently launched, vs overdue for refresh for the Neptune 4 Pro)
  • print speed matters โ€” it is rated for 800 mm/s against 500 mm/s
  • you want multicolor prints โ€” it supports 4 slots, while the Neptune 4 Pro is single-color

Our Take

Our pick for most buyers is the Max4, for an enclosed chamber (with PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 285% more build volume, plus a higher editor score (8.2 vs 7.7) and better buy-now timing. Go for the Neptune 4 Pro instead if you want to spend less โ€” it is $789 cheaper ($260 vs $1,049).

How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology โ†’

Quick Winner by Buyer Type

๐Ÿ’ฐ
Budget pick
Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
$260 vs $1,049
๐Ÿ“
Large prints
Qidi Tech Max4
390ร—390ร—340 mm
โšก
Fastest prints
Qidi Tech Max4
800 vs 500 mm/s
๐Ÿ”“
Open ecosystem
Tie
Neither open source
๐Ÿงช
Engineering filaments
Qidi Tech Max4
6 vs 2 listed
๐ŸŽจ
Multicolor
Qidi Tech Max4
4 slots vs none
โญ
Editor score
Qidi Tech Max4
8.2 vs 7.7
๐Ÿ—“
Buy-now timing
Qidi Tech Max4
Recently launched

The Gaps That Matter

๐Ÿ’ฐ
PriceNeptune 4 Pro wins
$260 vs $1,049 โ€” 75% less than the Max4
๐Ÿ 
EnclosureMax4 wins
Enclosed Max4 vs open-frame Neptune 4 Pro
PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF appear only on the Max4's materials list.
๐Ÿ“
Build volumeMax4 wins
390 ร— 390 ร— 340 mm vs 225 ร— 225 ร— 265 mm (51.7 L vs 13.4 L)
The Neptune 4 Pro tops out at 225 ร— 225 ร— 265 mm; anything larger has to be printed in pieces.
โšก
SpeedMax4 wins
800 vs 500 mm/s โ€” 1.6ร— the rated top speed
๐ŸŽจ
MulticolorMax4 wins
4 slots vs single-color
๐Ÿ—“
TimingMax4 wins
Max4: Recently launched ยท Neptune 4 Pro: Overdue for refresh

Materials

Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro only
โ€”
Both
PLAEasy to print, no enclosure needed โ€” everyday parts
PETGTougher, slightly flexible, moisture-resistant
ABSHeat and impact resistant โ€” needs enclosure
ASAUV-stable ABS alternative โ€” outdoor parts, needs enclosure
TPUFlexible rubber-like โ€” phone cases, gaskets, wheels
Qidi Tech Max4 only
PANylon โ€” strong and wear-resistant, needs dry storage
PA-CFCarbon-fibre nylon โ€” very stiff, abrasive to standard nozzles
PCPolycarbonate โ€” extremely tough, challenging to print
PPS-CFExtreme temperature and chemical resistance

Why buy each?

Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro

Klipper firmware out of the box

The Neptune 4 Pro ships with Klipper pre-installed โ€” enabling advanced input shaping, pressure advance, and configuration flexibility without modding.

500 mm/s at budget pricing

A 500 mm/s rated speed at a price significantly below Bambu and Prusa alternatives.

Auto calibration

Full automatic bed leveling reduces setup time and calibration friction.

Qidi Tech Max4

390ร—390ร—340 mm โ€” Qidi's largest build volume

The Max4 offers the largest build volume in Qidi's lineup โ€” enabling large functional parts, architectural models, and production batch runs that exceed Plus5 capacity.

Closed-loop XY motion system

The Max4's closed-loop XY adds positional feedback for improved accuracy at high speeds โ€” a differentiating feature at this price tier that reduces dimensional errors on large prints.

Active 65ยฐC chamber heating at scale

Qidi's proven active chamber heating technology scaled to a 390ร—390 mm bed โ€” critical for consistent ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and PPS-CF results across the full build plate.