Best 3D Printers Under $500 (Updated 2021)

The best 3D printer under $500 for ultra-quiet functioning in an open design with a large build volume is the Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D Printer. This 3D printer uses PLA filament through a direct drive extruder. It has a unique synchronized dual Z system that moves both sides of the gantry up and down at the same height and speed so the X carriage is perfectly parallel to the build plate for steady movement even at high speed. This produces high-quality printed models with sharp detail. The extra-quiet stepper driver maintains a high torque despite being nearly silent.

The Artillery Sidewinder X1 has an easy interface with an LCD color display and touch control for flash drive or memory card printing.

This precise, easy-to-use printer features a lattice glass printing platform with fast AC heating, an extra-adhesive quality, and a durable build. A large leveling knob makes leveling easy. Allow the platform to cool completely for easier removal of your model.

The Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D Printer has power failure protection built-in so you can resume your printing where you left off in case of a power outage or other disruption by simply hitting the restart button. An intelligent sensor allows you to pause the print and insert a new spool.

This 3D printer is one of the best 3D printers under $500 to use right out of the box with minimal assembly required. Adjust the wheel and belt tension, then simply calibrate the level and begin printing. Other than a low fan noise, you’d hardly know this printer is functioning while it produces high-quality 3D prints. It’s perfect for use at home or in the classroom for beginners or hobbyists of any experience level.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for durability, printing speed, and large build volume is the QIDI Tech 3D Printer X-Pro. This printer has a solid, durable frame of sturdy aluminum in professional quality with an upgraded 4.3-inch touchscreen for smart, user-friendly operation. The display provides real-time printing status updates during the printing process. The heated build platform is of durable, aviation-grade aluminum in a removable, curved metal plate that makes removing your printed model easier. The plate’s flexible design allows it to bend, helping to free the finished product without peeling, pulling, or scraping. The motor, mainboard, and metal platform support rod have all been upgraded to provide the most stable build process in a 3D printer.

This heavy-duty printer supports PLA, ABS, and TPU filaments for versatility in your model building. The dual extruders provide high-quality prints in two colors with surprisingly fast build times of 60-150mm per second. Best of all, the extruders are already installed, so the risk of user error and less-than-perfect print results are minimized.

This printer comes ready to use within minutes of unboxing. Just level the print bed manually, and the printer is ready to build. The slicing software is user-friendly, with an auto-slice function that is based on your own set preferences for time and print quality.

With the QIDI Tech 3D Printer X-Pro, you have the option of printing models in PLA, ABS, or TPU filaments. That, along with the dual extruders for two-color prints, makes this the best printer under $500 for versatile results and endless options. It has a large build volume and produces stunning models in precise detail. The durable build means you will be enjoying your QIDI Tech 3D Printer X-Pro for many years of building.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for printing stunning miniatures in high quality down to the last precise detail is the AnyCubic Photon UV LCD 3D Printer. It has a stand-alone metal body and high-quality CNC aluminum parts. The compact build brings more stability for precision detailing. With a 2.8-inch smart LCD touchscreen and easy setup, this user-friendly 3D printer has four settings and easy-to-use software. It is ready to use right out of the box, so you can get printing right away.

The AnyCubic Photon has an innovative design to produce models with tiny parts in smooth detail in about three hours. What’s more, you can make multiple models in the same amount of time as a single model.

The AnyCubic Photon UV LCD 3D Printer has a 25W UV LED light and an easy leveling build platform. The Z-Axis is sturdy and steady. The smart touchscreen has a responsive, interactive interface that lets you preview your model and monitor your print status in real-time. With faster slicing software, you can scale, rotate, and view the model as it’s printing.

Unlike many 3D printers, the Anycubic Photon doesn’t overpower you with a strong resin odor. It has a built-in fan and filter to minimize fumes. It comes with a mask, scraper, and rubber gloves so you can begin printing right away.

This is the best 3D printer under $500 for making beautiful, detailed miniatures with opaque resins and exquisite models with beautiful translucent resins in many color choices.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for ready-to-use, right out of the box assembly is the QIDI X-One2 Single Extruder 3D Printer. This printer comes pre-assembled. Just feed in the included filament, level the printing platform, and you can be running your first test print in only minutes. Just follow the step-by-step instructions to begin your precision printing.

The QIDI Technology X-One2 Single Extruder 3D Printer has a compact build with an aluminum frame. The heated printing plate allows substantial build volumes and features a build tac that works perfectly to hold the item in place, while the surface also allows easy removal once it’s cooled. It has a single extruder to prevent clogging. Best of all, you can choose from three printing materials, including PLA, ABS, and TPU, for more versatility in your models.

This 3D printer is perfect for beginners, classrooms, or general home hobbyists. It is user-friendly right out of the box and easy to operate. The 3.5-inch color touchscreen display features intuitive icons, making it easier than ever to start printing. The professional 3D slicing software features an intelligent segmentation technology and powerful functions to control the speed of printing and more, for the most precisely printed models down to the finest details.

The QIDI Technology X-One2 Single Extruder 3D Printer produces high-quality models that are smooth, free of flaws and blemishes, with no stray strings to remove. It is the best 3D printer under $500 for perfect printing right out of the box.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for resin printing is the Longer Orange 30 3D Printer. This upgraded resin SLA 3D printer with an open design features a larger size and volume than other Orange models, an integrated 2K LCD screen at high resolution, and larger printing sizes at 13-percent higher volume than typical 3D printers. It has a solid linear guide with an innovative slider to increase precision and stability. It includes matrix UV LED array illumination for better uniformity, high intensity, and shorter curing times for photo-curing resin-printed objects.

The Longer Orange 30 3D Printer has a sturdy metal frame for greater stability and a Z-axis rail to hold the print bed to ensure precise prints down to tiny details. With faster curing times between layers thanks to UV lighting in a more uniform matrix, this printer supports output of 100M slicing file per minute—3 times faster than average.

This sleekly designed, high-volume resin 3D printer has a touchscreen display with 2K high resolution. It features a printing status preview in real-time and easy leveling. It has a temperature detection system and will stop printing if the temperature becomes too high. A high-efficiency cooling system helps to keep the temperature at an ideal level and increases the effectiveness and longevity of the printer.

The Longer Orange 30 3D Printer may be the best 3D printer under $500 for included accessories. It includes a steel shovel, a power adapter, a power plug, a USB disk, and Allen wrenches, as well as the printer and cover. It has a reinforced injection resin tank with volume marks for measuring the correct amounts of resin. It’s easy to operate, prints precisely, and it’s fun!

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The Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer may be the best 3D printer under $500 in its price range for home hobbyists, beginners, or classroom use. It has an open design with a removable, magnetic building plate for easy removal of your printed models. It features an essential resume printing function so you can quickly start printing where you left off in the case of a power outage or other disruption. The UL Certified power supply protects from power surges to protect your 3D printer and increase longevity. The heated bed quickly heats in only five minutes. It has an easy-operating LCD display and control wheel.

The Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro comes only partly put together, so it requires some assembly before use. Assembly and set up is easy, with step-by-step instructions included for both assembly and calibration so you can be printing your first test items quickly.

The new Y-axis design and C-Mag magnetic build plate make it fairly easier to align despite not having an auto-alignment or leveling system. The plate has a flexible build so you can more easily remove your printed models, while the textured surface helps the first layers to properly adhere to the print bed.

It features a smooth, quieter function with improved bearing wheels to reduce friction and improve stability, while rubber feet minimize vibration.

The Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer is a nice, basic, easy-to-use 3D printer and may be the best 3D printer under $500 for home use or the classroom.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for classrooms, beginners, or home use for those who wish to print items with an easy, intuitively operating printer is the FlashForge Finder 3D Printer. This printer features extensive connectivity, including WiFi, Cloud, USB cable, and flash drive. Use the USB cable to load files or send them through WiFi to onboard storage for printing. The 3D cloud function lets you store, edit, and instantly share your printing status online, as well as providing a large database of models. Enjoy building real objects using non-toxic PLA filament material for sturdy, stable prints.

This compact printer has a neat look with concealed cables. It features a slide-in build plate so your 3D printed objects can be easily removed with less chance of damage. It has a full color, 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen display with smart, intuitive icons to make operation easy even for beginners. An intelligence-assisted leveling system allows more precise calibration with step-by-step directions on the touchscreen display for tightening or loosening the leveling screws and verifying the correct distance between the build plate and nozzle to ensure the leveling position is correct.

The FlashForge Finder 3D printer has an unheated build plate, so it is a PLA filament-only 3D printer. It has a quiet operating system with a low, 50dB sound output and an updated extrusion process. The tools option on the touchscreen panel includes loading filament for easy setup.

This may be the best 3D printer under $500 for general use at home or for the classroom, with one of the easiest and most intuitive 3D printing functions so you can immediately enjoy printing.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for portability is the EasyThreeD Nano Mini 3D Printer. This printer is desk-sized at just over three pounds, with a small, compact build. It’s perfect for classrooms, for kids, or for beginners. It comes in white or bold orange with a sturdy frame. The technology couldn’t be simpler, with no assembly required. You can unpack the pre-assembled printer, level the building plate, and begin your first test print as soon as you load the included PLA filament reel and included SD card. It also features simple, one-click print technology for the most user-friendly 3D printer option available today. The Onekey feature includes three choices: Fast, Standard, or Optimize. Once you have gained experience, you can switch to the custom option to change various settings to achieve more advanced, customized results.

Because the EasyThreeD Nano Mini 3D Printer comes pre-assembled, it minimizes the chance of printing inaccuracies due to assembly errors. You can expect every model to be perfect right from the first. The advanced extruder technology minimizes the risk of clogs, while the upgraded Z-axis design ensures stability for the most precise prints. A removable magnetic building plate allows easy removal when printing finishes. The included slicing software is advanced but easy to use, making this the best 3D printer under $500 for beginners or children.

This is a cute, small, easy-to-use 3D printer that still offers a roomy build volume and precise results.

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The best 3D printer under $500 for fully open-source technology is the Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer. This precision printer uses PLA filament to print perfect models down to the tiniest detail. The advanced technology in the extruder reduces plugging risk and ensures smooth, even extrusion throughout the printing process. The V-shape and upgraded POM wheels allow it to function smoothly and quietly. It features a large printing volume and speedy print times. The clear LCD display makes the 3D printer easy to operate. Adjust speed and temperature settings as you gain experience to produce the exact results you are looking for.

The Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer has a smooth platform that makes removal easy after cooling. When heated, the adhesive quality is exceptional. The print platform heats quickly, reaching 230-degrees F, or 110-degrees Celsius, in only 5-minutes. Large twist knobs make leveling the platform easy. A resume-printing function eliminates worry about power outages or other disruptions. The printer resumes printing seamlessly where it left off. The branded power supply is safety protected with a power cut protection function.

This precision 3D requires some assembly. While it comes with complete instructions, users have found Youtube videos to be helpful. You will be set up and printing your first test model within two hours or less.

The Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer may be the best 3D printer under $500 for a sturdy build, open design, precision printing, large volume, and limitless open-source technology.

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Elegoo has been a hobbyist’s favorite since 3D printing began, and the Elegoo Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer lives up to the brand’s reputation as the best 3D printer under $500 for resin printing. It features high resolution and precision printing down to the tiniest detail. A 3.5-inch color touchscreen display with an updated Elegoo 5.5 system makes off-line printing easy. The CHITBOX slicing software slices 30Mb model files in only a single minute. The software also allows for hollow builds to save resin costs in your prints.

The Elegoo Mars 3D printer has a sleek, compact body in an integrated design with a red plexiglass case for enhanced photocuring. 40W UV lighting provides faster curing times and better printing results. It has a smooth build platform with a unique steel ball balancing assembly for fast leveling. It comes mostly assembled, so you can be printing your first test model in only minutes.

This printer uses resin to produce exceptionally high-quality, detailed printed models. It comes with everything you need to get started, including the printer with resin tank, UV cover, build platform, and many accessories such as scrapers, pliers, a funnel, a measuring cup, and a mask and gloves.

The Elegoo Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer is the best 3D printer under $500 for an industrial-style design with minimal assembly required, user-friendly open-source software, and advanced photocuring with UV lighting.

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