Here are some of the top-rated bang for your buck 3D printers you can find on Amazon*

While there are some fancy 3D printers out there that can carve every detail out of a figure, or handle a wide gamut of materials, this list focuses on good quality printers that aren’t going to make your wallet sad this holiday season. 

It includes 3D resin printers (SLA - stereolithography) and the type that uses plastic as its “ink” (FDM - fused deposition modeling). Let’s start by exploring the resin printers, then the plastic printers. Each list is sorted from cheapest to most expensive, but please keep in mind that the cheaper models typically can only create smaller 3D prints and may be lower in resolution. 

Note: these prices are the discounted Black Friday 2022 prices listed at the time of writing; Prime members may be able to save even more! A note on the print speeds: these are the lowest recommended settings by the manufacturer; you can go faster than what is listed, but it may degrade the quality of the print.

Resin 3D Printers (SLA)

 

1. Phrozen Sonic Mini LCD Resin 3D Printer

 

Brand	Phrozen
L (in)	4.7
W (in)	2.6
H (in)	5.1
V (in^3)	62.3
Screen Size (in)	5.5
Weight (lbs)	12.5
Rating	4.3
Price	$129.99
XY Resolution (mm)	0.0625
Z Resolution (mm)	0.01
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	50

This resin printer by Phrozen uses the familiar Chitubox slicing software as the program to view and design the 3D models you will be printing. The Sonic Mini is small, but it would be perfect for anyone only needing to print small figurines on a budget printer. What’s also great about this printer is that you can use all LCD resins with this as well as most DLP resins. There is also a complimentary 3-month warranty, so if there’s anything wrong with the printer you can send it in to get a replacement.

 

2. Voxelab Proxima 6.0 Resin 3D Printer

Brand	Voxelab
L (in)	5.1
W (in)	3.0
H (in)	6.1
V (in^3)	93.3
Screen Size (in)	6.1
Weight (lbs)	18.2
Rating	4.0
Price	$149.99
XY Resolution (mm)	0.05
Z Resolution (mm)	0.025
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	25

Voxelab’s updated printer boasts 4K screen resolution from its UV light source, and supports Chitubox and VoxelPrint slicing software. The setup ought to be quick, too. Compared to the Phrozen Sonic Mini, the Voxelab Proxima 6.0 has a larger print screen area, a little taller height, and better resolution, but at the cost of a slower printing speed.

 

3. Creality Halot-One (CL-60) Resin 3D Printer

 

Brand	Creality
L (in)	8.7
W (in)	8.7
H (in)	15.9
V (in^3)	1203.5
Screen Size (in)	5
Weight (lbs)	15.7
Rating	4.3
Price	$199.00
XY Resolution (mm)	2K (1620 x 2560)
Z Resolution (mm)	0.03
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	Not listed

Can’t go wrong with a Creality! This is a popular brand for folks starting on their 3D printing addiction - er, journey. This model has the lighting source positioned differently than most resin printers, and claims to solve any uneven lighting curing. While you can use a USB thumb drive to transfer print files to the printer, this model is also Wi-Fi enabled. Another bonus feature is the activated carbon filter, as using resin printers can get a bit smelly with their lid off. 

 

4. Elegoo Saturn S Large 3D Resin Printer

 

Brand	Elegoo
L (in)	7.7
W (in)	4.8
H (in)	8.3
V (in^3)	306.8
Screen Size (in)	9.1
Weight (lbs)	24.2
Rating	4.5
Price	$359.99
XY Resolution (mm)	4K (4098 x 2560)
Z Resolution (mm)	0.00125
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	30

Elegoo is also a great brand in the realm of 3D printers. This model is a little faster with a little more resolution than its predecessor, the Saturn (without the “S”). Even though the build volume is less than the Creality Halot-One, it does have a larger base (nearly double) if you need wider prints. It also comes with an odor reduction filter and a matrix LED source to help provide even curing.

Don’t forget the Ink!

You can’t print any 3D models without the ink! You must use the liquid resin “ink” for the resin 3D printers. We recommend the water washable resin as it’s easier and cheaper to use water to wash off any excess resin clinging to your 3D model. Pick from a selection of 500 g and 1,000 g bottles in several colors of ink here:

 

Plastic-Printing 3D Printers (FDM)

5. Creality Ender 3

 

Brand	Creality
L (in)	8.7
W (in)	8.7
H (in)	9.8
V (in^3)	741.8
Filament	PLA, ABS, TPU, Wood, Copper, Gradient
Weight (lbs)	15.4
Rating	4.5
Price	$219.00
Printing Precision (mm)	± 0.1
File Format	STL, OBJ, AMF
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	30

Creality Ender 3 is a popular, affordable choice of 3D printer. If you’re a proponent of open source then you’ll love that this printer is a product of that kind of collaboration. It also comes partially assembled, saving you time during the setup. Another plus is the “resume print” technology that will pick up printing where you left off in case of a power outage. Compatible slicing software is Cura, Simplify3D, and Repetier-Host.

6. Anycubic Vyper

 

Brand	Anycubic
L (in)	9.6
W (in)	9.6
H (in)	10.2
V (in^3)	940.0
Filament	PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU
Weight (lbs)	27.0
Rating	4.3
Price	$339.99
Printing Precision (mm)	± 0.1
File Format	STL, OBJ, AMF
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	80

Here we have Anycubic’s affordable plastic-printing 3D printer. Frustrations are lifted with this printer’s 16-point auto-leveling bed. This printer has a resume printing feature as well, and can detect when it runs out of material to melt so that it can auto-pause and give you time to replace the spool. It also uses the Cura slicing software. The platform can be removed too to wiggle the print off of it.

7. Longer LK5 Pro

 

Brand	Longer
L (in)	11.8
W (in)	11.8
H (in)	15.7
V (in^3)	2186.1
Filament	PLA, ABS, PETG
Weight (lbs)	26.4
Rating	4.3
Price	$369.99
Printing Precision (mm)	± 0.1
File Format	STL, OBJ, G-Code
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	30

For this model, the brand Longer is providing it 90% pre-assembled. Its firmware is also open-source, and uses a lattice glass plate for its base. This model has the resume print and empty filament detection, too. Supported software includes Repetier-Host and Cura. It also claims to be low-noise with its TMC2208 Ultra Quiet Drive.

8. Anycubic Kobra Max

 

Brand	Anycubic
L (in)	15.7
W (in)	15.7
H (in)	17.7
V (in^3)	4362.9
Filament	PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU
Weight (lbs)	42.6
Rating	4.1
Price	$524.99
Printing Precision (mm)	± 0.1
File Format	OBJ, STL, AMF
Printing Speed (mm/hr)	80

Here’s another Anycubic printer for you. This one is the largest of our list, but it comes at the higher price tag. Auto-leveling functionality is included here as well, but with 25 points to help with calibration. Printing progress is preserved here too with the filament detection for when it runs out of filament and when it detects a power outage. This model also uses the Cura software. This model is also (at the time of writing) in the top ten best sellers in the 3D Printers category on Amazon!

Don’t forget the Ink!

You can’t print any 3D models without the ink! For these 3D printers, instead of resin you would use spools of solid material. 

ABS filament:

PLA filament:

PETG filament:

TPU filament:

 

That concludes this year’s list. Hurry hurry, before the prices go back up! Happy shopping!

*As an Amazon Associate, Nerd Labs earns a small commission from qualifying purchases bought using the links in this article, at no extra cost to you.