Which Ender 3 should you buy?
Understanding the difference between Creality Ender 3 3D Printers.
Creality Ender 3 3D Printers are well known for being great budget alternatives for anyone just getting started with 3D Printing.
The only problem is that there are so many versions of Ender 3 to choose from, so lets break down which Ender 3 does what, and which is the currently the best 3D Printer to get.
Creality Ender 3 History
To understand the different models of Creality Ender 3 3D Printers we should trace their origin and navigate which model evolved to what.
The Creality Ender series started with the Ender 3 in march 2018, which became a very popular printer thanks to it being a budget friendly alternative.
Thanks to being a cheap kit that came with mostly pre-assembled parts, and with a good reputation on print quality and a community that modded the machines to perfection, it quickly became a success.
Ender 3 Pro released later in 2018 as a more professional version of the Ender 3.
It added some stability in it’s design and had a better Power supply.
Other than that, it was very similar to the Ender 3.
Ender 3 v2 was released in July 2020, being the successor of Ender 3.
It featured more metal parts in the construction that increased stability and vibration management. Together with new stepper drivers it became much more silent during printing.
A new X/Y Belt tensioning system was added to help you keep the tension correct.
New Filament feeding system (extruder) was also introduced.
And lastly, a completely new interface was introduced that helped navigate the onboard menus much better.
Ender 3 feature Comparison sheet
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Second Ender 3 Generation
Ender 3 S1 was released in 2021, and became the next generation of Ender 3 3D Printers.
It had a new focus with more premium parts, a new “Sprite” hotend that had a great direct drive extrusion design. and dual Z-axis motors for better finish in Z-axis.
It also came with automatic bed levelling and an improved printing in general, which targeted a wider market, but at a higher cost.
Ender 3 S1 Pro was released later in 2021
It had improved metal hotend that boosted printing temperatures to 300°C and a build plate that could reach 110°C. It also featured a PEI build sheet that made more “professional” materials work better.
Ender 3 S1 Plus was released in May 2022
Becoming the last S1 version of the Ender 3 Series. This is basically an Ender 3 S1, but with a larger build volume.
It does not have the hotend and buildplate that Ender 3 S1 Pro came with.
Ender 3 S-series feature comparison sheet
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Neo Ender 3 Generation
The Ender 3 Neo series was released in August 2022, with three models.
This generation is a bit confusing in it’s naming as it didn’t continue on the S1-naming. They are considered “budget” versions of the S1-series, but also newer with updated components.
Ender 3 Neo and Ender 3 v2 Neo are all the “newest”, but one is V2, making it extra confusing.
They all have CR-Touch auto levelling in 16 points, PTFE-lined hotends and metal bowden extruders, which are essential components for a modern 3D Printer.
They don’t have the same “professional” approach that S1-seris offer, specially compared to the S1 Pro.
You can see all Neo features compared further down.
Ender 3 Neo is the base model, with a simpler glass print bed and lower-quality interface.
It requires slightly more assembly than the other Neo-printers and comes in as the current perfect beginners 3D Printer from Creality if you have a tight budget.
It’s MSRP is $219 but can be found at amazon for $239 unless some promo is running.
Ender 3 Neo V2 is based on the more premium predecessors and feature magnetic build plate, color display and better power supply solution.
It also includes belt tensioners and a Filament sensor so it can stop the print if something happens.
This should be your pick if you’ve had a 3D printer before and want more throughput and reliability. It’s only around $80 more than the Ender 3 Neo.
Ender 3 Neo Max is based on the S1 Plus, with a bigger build volume.
It has a glass build plate instead of the magnetic one on Neo V2, but with Dual-Z-axis motors to help the larger build volume. It does however have the nice color display interface.
This is a good alternative to the S1 Plus that costs almost double. Specially if you need the larger build volume.
Ender 3 Neo series feature comparison sheet
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The Current Ender 3 V3 Generation
Ender 3 V3 generation was first released in August 2023 with the The Ender 3 V3 SE available to order for $199.
The Ender 3 V3 KE is the next model to start shipping in November 2023. Priced at $279 it’s a quite big step up from the V3 SE.
Finally the Ender 3 V3, a new CoreXZ model (image above) was released in February 2024 and is this generations flagship. It could almost be considered a Ender 3 V3,5.
You do get a few extra things in return, we’ll list them below. Following the trend from previous generations, it’s possible the Ender 3 V3 may get a “MAX” bigger brother with larger build volume on top of these 3 models.
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
The Creality Ender 3 V3 SE is the lower tier of this v3 generation. Speed is on the agenda and the current buzzword. So naturally they have tuned the V3 SE to print faster. Up to 250mm/s if you believe the specs, while normal printing speeds are around 180mm/s.
Although it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles like klipper or input shaping, it appears to perform quite well at these high speeds, and is an enabler of sorts thanks to it’s budget price.
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
This newer Ender 3 V3 KE is mainly a more developed firmware and mainboard printer with a great touchscreen and actual input shaping using the addon-sensor. These features are enabled thanks to the “Creality OS” that is based on Klipper.
This also allows for features like remote printing/control through wifi and more advanced software configurations.
Ender 3 V3 KE has 10mm smaller Z-build volume but better a flexible PEI instead of the PC-sheet on V3 SE. The lowered Z-height is probably to allow for the much better X-axis linear rail.
A 60W heater (instead of SE’s 40W) also helps with flow through the Sprite extruder.
Creality Ender 3 V3 CoreXZ 3D Printer
The “Final” Ender 3 V3 is a fully integrated Input-shaper generation 3D printer with software and firmware ready to actually do great fast 3D printing.
The new CoreXZ is an interesting system and have shaved 1/3 of the weight of the print head which should improve printing speeds and quality overall.
I recommend you read my whole article about this 3D printer, as it’s probably the Ender 3 to choose right now!
It builds upon most of the upgraded parts in KE and SE versions, while it’s movement system and design is quite new, as you can see on the images here.
Ender 3 V3 series feature comparison sheet
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What Ender 3 model should you buy?
Since almost all Ender 3 models are still being sold somewhere, it can be a bit tricky to figure out exactly what to get.
And with the new Ender 3 V3 series the question is if the ender 3 3D Printers like NEO-series will be discounted enough to even be relevant, or if the V3 series is all you should care of.
The Ender 3 3D Printer most users should buy
My recommendation now is to choose between the Ender 3 V3 KE with the input shaping sensor or the Ender 3 V3 CoreXZ 3D Printer. The reason is that the SE won’t really give you faster 3D printing in the real world as it can’t calibrate itself to improve the quality of printing.
Ender 3 V3 CoreXZ price is set at $389 (Save 5% with code “SASALL5”) via Creality store or $419 via amazon.
Ender 3 V3 KE price is set at $279 (Save 5% with “SASALL5”) on Creality store and $299 via amazon.
Ender 3 V3 SE price is set at $199 (Save 5% with “SASALL5”) on Creality store and $219 via amazon.
Relevant Ender 3 Alternatives?
Since the new Ender 3 V3 SE costs $199 the older Ender 3 machines are much less interesting. The only reason to go for something older is the build size really.
And that’s only if you can get it at a price below $250-300, otherwise a machine from the competition might be more interesting. Here’s my tips for buying a beginners 3D Printer.
The “elephant in the room” are the the bambu lab 3D Printers. These are hugely popular since they are fast and print very reliable and with good quality. They do come at a price though! But when you’re spending almost $400 on a Ender 3 V3 CoreXZ, you might want to consider looking into the Bambu Lab A1 or the Bambu Lab P1S.
Popular Creality 3D Printers
One of the most popular Creality 3D Printers right now is the K1 MAX 3D Printer.
It’s fast, and provides a larger build volume than the competition!
The K1 or K1 MAX Is more expensive than most Ender 3 3D Printers, but provide a very fast printing experience for some users. Learn more about the K1 vs K1 Max differences here.
The K1 Max will have it’s role challenged the summer 2024 thanks to the new Creality K2 3D Printer!
What would you like as feature for the next generation Ender 3 3D Printers? Hit me up via twitter!
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