The Prusa Research MK4S and Snapmaker U1 are cross-brand rivals: both are prosumer-tier printers, listed $170 apart. Both are open-frame printers with a 500 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The U1 costs $170 more and gets you 70% more build volume and 4-slot multicolor; the MK4S answers with extra engineering materials (ABS, ASA, PA and PC).
Late in cycle — but an upgrade kit is available. Existing owners can upgrade without buying new
🔧 Upgrade kit available — from MK4, MK3.5
Best for: Makers who value open-source hardware, community support, long-term repairability, and battle-tested reliability over raw speed or multicolor features.
Full details →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Multicolor and multi-material hobbyists who want a true tool changer (four separate hotends, soluble supports, TPU and PLA in one print) for well under $1,000, and tinkerers who value Klipper-based firmware they can inspect and modify.
Full details →| Prusa Research MK4S | Snapmaker U1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $729 | $899 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Prosumer | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 250 × 210 × 220 mm | ★ 270 × 270 × 270 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ❌ No | ★ ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ✅ | ✅ |
| Upgrade Kit | 🔧 From MK4, MK3.5 | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Aug 13, 2024 | Apr 10, 2026 |
| Cycle length | ~730 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Upgrade Kit | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The MK4S was released on Aug 13, 2024, 821 days ago. Its previous release cycle ran about 730 days; it is now 91 days past that point and no successor has been announced.
The U1 was released on Apr 10, 2026, 216 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
On timing alone, the U1 is the safer buy right now — it launched only 216 days ago, while the MK4S is 91 days past its ~730-day cycle with no successor announced.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The MK4S lists at $729 and the U1 at $899 — $170 apart, so the U1 costs 23% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $63 for the MK4S versus $46 for the U1 — so the pricier U1 actually gives you more build space per dollar.
If you are buying before Dec 5, 2026, the active sale tips value toward the U1.
Our pick for most buyers is the MK4S, for a lower price ($170 less) and extra engineering materials (ABS, ASA, PA and PC), plus a higher editor score (8.9 vs 8.4). Go for the U1 instead if you print large parts — its 270 × 270 × 270 mm build volume holds 70% more than the MK4S's 250 × 210 × 220 mm.
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
MK4 and MK3.5 owners can upgrade to MK4S specs without purchasing a whole new printer. This is Prusa's commitment to owners and is unique in the industry at this level.
Firmware, PCB schematics, hardware designs, and slicing profiles are all published under open licenses. You own the printer completely.
Prusa's forum, knowledge base, and repair guides are unmatched. Parts are stocked and available for years after purchase.
Each filament has its own preheated hotend, and swaps take about 5 seconds. Multicolor prints skip the purge tower and filament waste of single-nozzle switching systems.
Separate hotends mean PLA with PVA or breakaway supports, or rigid PLA with TPU, in one print. Single-nozzle multicolor systems handle these combinations poorly.
Snapmaker has published its Klipper, Moonraker and Fluidd forks on GitHub, and Snapmaker Orca is built on Orca Slicer. There is already an active community firmware project. RFID filament recognition stays proprietary.