Read on for mini-reviews of the top models we've tested for a host of uses and users. If you're in the market for a 3D printer, it's important to know how they differ so you can choose the right model. We've even seen an able model geared to kids.

While higher-end models such as the Ultimaker S5 can cost $6,000 or more, entry-level models such as the Monoprice Mini Delta V2 can be found for $200 or less.

You also tend to get a larger build area for your money with an open-frame model. Our favorite midrange 3D printer, the Original Prusa i3 MK3S+, and many budget models have open frames. Models geared to professionals, like the Ultimaker S5, tend to have a closed frame, with a transparent door and often sides as well. Today's 3D printers come in styles optimized for different applications and kinds of printing. But thanks largely to the RepRap open-source 3D printing movement, these amazing devices have become affordable, viable tools for designers, engineers, hobbyists, schools, and consumers alike. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window).īarely more than a decade ago, 3D printers were hulking, expensive machines reserved for factory floors and deep-pocketed corporations, all but unknown outside the small circles of professionals who built and used them. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

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Best compact 3d printer