Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most common printing method used in desktop 3D printing.

A thermoplastic filament is heated and extruded through a nozzle, depositing the molten plastic in layers on the print bed. These layers are fused, building up throughout the print, eventually forming the finished part.

Such 3D printers are a cost-effective means for product development and rapid prototyping in small business and make for a great educational tool in schools. For home use, they can produce simple replacement parts quickly, and many are put to use creating elaborate decorative items and even costumes.

There are many advantages to using an FDM 3D printer. Primarily, material choice is vast, with inexpensive colorful filaments rubbing shoulders with engineering-grade plastics; there is little that can’t be achieved by desktop FDM printing. They are easy to use but can be susceptible to high maintenance attention if something goes awry.

We keep tabs on the best FDM printers for home use, making it easier than ever to find the right printer for you.

Resin 3D printers use vat photopolymerization, which is the process of hardening a liquid polymer by exposing it to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The desired model is constructed layer-by-layer in a vat of liquid photopolymer resin by shining ultraviolet light through the vat’s see-through bottom to selectively harden the resin. Fixed to a platform that repositions after each layer, the object is drawn through the pool of resin.

Stereolithography (SLA) is often used as a synonym, but is also itself – alongside MSLA and DLP – a subcategory of vat polymerization, differing only in the light source used.

Resin 3D printers create smooth surfaced objects and can render extremely fine detail. The technology is generally faster than FDM, and can create stronger objects because of the better layer to layer adhesion.

There are fewer budget-friendly SLA machines than there are FDM 3D printers – resin printers often find use in a professional context – however, prices have dropped dramatically in recent years, making this technology widely accessible. A good budget desktop resin printer can be picked up for as little as $179.

Reputation: Amazon is a great source for buying 3D printers. It offers lightning-fast delivery, has most items in stock, and is highly reliable.

Prices: The printers Amazon tends to carry are the lower-priced ones. Its prices are decent – they’re not overpriced, but not super cheap either – but, unlike the Chinese online stores, they do not offer the same kinds of flash sales. Lastly, there are no hidden fees and not a lot of price fluctuation.

Ease of Use: Most people are already quite familiar with how Amazon works. It’s a relatively straightforward website with an added perk of being able to buy anything else that comes to mind while placing your 3D printer order.

Special: Some Chinese 3D printers, like the popular Creality Ender 3, are sold on Amazon using a variety of brand names, such as Comgrow. These are still printers direct from the OEM. Similarly, other vendors buy up stock from the likes of Creality and rework them, or simply rebadge them and sell them on, offering their own customer support. It can be quite confusing, but some sense can be made of it with further research online.

Return Policy: Amazon might have the best return policy, offering a 30-days withdrawal period for all new and unopened items.

Selection: At the moment, Amazon carries most popular brands. You may not see eeeeverything the tech megalopolis Shenzhen (where most 3D printer manufacturers in China are based) has to offer, but the big names are there.

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Best 3D Printers at Amazon

Like Amazon, the following major Chinese online retailers are proven, reputable vendors. Their pricing fluctuates a lot, so it’s a good idea to shop around and compare them against one another to find the best deal. Be warned though – the cost of a printer can vary from one day to the next – it’s unwise to compare and expect to be able to pay exactly that price days later.

Customs

Please keep in mind that depending on where the 3D printer is being delivered from, it could get stuck at customs and become subject to import fees, delaying the delivery and landing you with an unexpected expense.

Warehouses

Check the warehouses these vendors are using. If you’re looking to get your purchase quickly and avoid the risk of customs, try ordering it from a warehouse that’s in your region. It’s often the case that you can select a local warehouse option, cutting delivery times, and eliminating the risk of unexpected customs fees. If you order from abroad, note that this will likely make returns more difficult and expensive!

AliExpress

Reputation: AliExpress is a popular online retailer with a well-rounded 3D printer offering. It is the sister store to AliBaba which, curiously, offers many of the same items.

Prices: The prices can often be lower than on Amazon or other sites, but, as mentioned above, they fluctuate a lot. Depending on the seller, you can get free shipping.

Ease of Use: Though AliExpress offers a vast range of items, it’s not the most accessible online retailer to navigate. In fact, it’s a bit of a mess. Their product names – especially when translated – often appear to be a jumble of conflicting keywords.

Return Policy: AliExpress’s return policy lets you request a refund up to 15 days after your order has been completed. Whether you foot the return shipping bill depends on the seller and their policy. In many cases you will be liable for it. Sometimes, the cost of return shipping can be more than the product itself, so think twice about ordering from them if you think there’s a possibility of returning it.

Selection: AliExpress offers a wide range of printers and, depending on what you buy, ships items from different locations to reduce the shipping time. Most budget Chinese printing manufacturers – there are a lot – have offical storefronts and sell directly through AliExpress.

3D Printers at AliExpress

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Banggood

Reputation: With a solid reputation, Banggood sells a range of products and ships internationally. Between all the Chinese online retailers, it’s the most like Amazon.

Prices: They often have deals on printers which are worth checking out to make sure you’re getting the lowest price for your machine. The shipping fees vary.

Ease of Use: Banggood is relatively simple to use. Sometimes, the product descriptions can be confusing, especially in laguages other than English. Lastly, the shipping time for products can range from anywhere between five days to 50 days, depending on the warehouse.

Return Policy: If your product malfunctions, you have seven days to return it free of charge. For any other reason, you have a 30-day time window to return unopened or unused items, but you’ll be on the hook for the return fees.

Selection: Banggood offers a decent range of printers, so it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re hunting for a deal. Act fast though – the prices tend to bounce around.

3D Printers at BangGood

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GearBest

Reputation: Although GearBest sells everything from clothing to watches and jewelry, it is best known for wholesaling electronics.

Prices: Like the above stores, the prices fluctuate a lot. However, GearBest does have frequent sales and discounts. Be aware that some items may ship from the GearBest’s Chinese warehouse, where shipping will take longer, and there could be customs fees.

Ease of Use: This site is generally quite easy to use. On average, shipping can take from a few days to more than 20 days, depending on where you and the warehouse are located.

Return Policy: Gearbest offers a 30-day return policy, but does require you to pay return shipping if you’re sending back a fully functional item. If the item is defective, you don’t have to pay return shipping.

Selection: They offer a broad range of mostly budget 3D printers.

3D Printers at GearBest

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The Chinese online retailers and Amazon are less likely to stock big-ticket professional printers, and generally do not offer specialized after-sale support to help you hit the ground running with your 3D printer. So, if you’re looking for a professional machine or the personal touch or a sales representative you know by name, check out an online store that exclusively sells printers and 3D printing-related items.

It’s worth noting though, that while many vendors ship internationally, they don’t have warehouses on different continents. Know where the store you’re odering from is based to avoid the pitfall of import fees and delayed shipping.

MatterHackers

Reputation: California-based company MatterHackers supplies everything for 3D printing – from 3D printers themselves to filament, software and accessories. This expertise has given them an excellent reputation.

Prices: The company sometimes has deals and sales you can take advantage of, including their version of Black Friday – Blue Friday.

Ease of Use: MatterHackers offers free shipping within the U.S., a huge perk if that’s where you’re based.

Return Policy: Their return policy gives you 30 days, but they do charge a 15% restocking fee if the item isn’t defective, so take the time to make sure what you’re buying is exactly what you want.

Selection: You’ll find a wide variety of machines. Few that we consider budget, but the line up changes regularly.

3D Printers at MatterHackers

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Dynamism

Reputation: Dynamism enjoys a stellar reputation thanks to its impeccable customer service. Customers receive a “technology concierge” to personally support them via phone and email before and after a sale.

Prices: Unlike many other sites, Dynamism is not a great source to find exceptional deals or discounts.

Ease of Use: The site is easy to navigate, and making an informed purchase is simple through its easily reachable customer service team.

Return Policy: Similar to Matterhackers, they offer returns within 30 days of receiving the order, but you will be liable for the shipping costs and a 15% restocking fee for non-defective items.

Selection: They offer a great range of professional 3D printers, including Ultimaker and Formlabs.

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As 3D printing is a growing multi-billion international market, we see an increasing trend in manufacturers setting up their own online stores. It’s a move that gives a direct line to their users, and bypasses the middleman.

From a consumer perspective, the benefits of buying directly from manufacturers are clear: lower prices, direct support, and customer feedback. Some manufacturers even sell exclusively through their stores. As above, be sure to check on possible shipping or customs fees.

Even if you prefer to order via Amazon, or the trusted vendor of your choice, taking a glance at the manufacturer’s asking price can indicate if you are about to make a bargain.

Below we have listed some of the biggest consumer 3D printers manufacturers that sell directly via their own official online store. This list is not exhaustive, but instead contains some examples.

Prusa Research

Prusa Research 3D printers are sold almost exclusively by the manufacturer (there are few regional exceptions.) Unless you plan on buying a used Original Prusa 3D printer (and there’s more on that below), purchasing directly from the manufacturer is the only way to get your hands on one of these.

Unfortunately, sales are rare, and at best, you’ll see free shipping. But their outstanding customer service more than makes up for it.

3D Printers at Prusa

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Creality

Creality runs a very successful online shop, in addition to selling its products across other marketplace platforms.

If you are looking at buying a Creality 3D printer, it might be worth checking out the manufacturer directly – there are often discounts, plus the benefit of local shipping.

Creality

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Anycubic

While you can also purchase Anycubic printers through the likes of Amazon or AliExpress, a trip to their own online store might be worth your while. The company often runs specials on materials, in addition to the occasional discount on its printers.

Anycubic

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Even if money is tight, you still have options to buy a great 3D printer. There’s also the possibility to buy a second-hand 3D printer (though we advise checking the link – there are considerations you don’t have when buying new).

It doesn’t stop there. If you have some experience in building things, you can also buy a 3D printer kit or source the parts for one of your own. Of course, you’ll have to assemble the printer yourself, but it is undoubtedly the best way of getting to know your printer in and out.

The popularity of 3D printer kits has waned in recent years. Once the “cheap” option for owning a printer, semi-assembled kits improving in quality and dropping in price has made the economy of a 3D printer kit less relevant.

Quite frankly: If you’re just entering the wild and wonderful world of 3D printing, it’s better to refrain from backing a great looking, dead cheap 3D printer at Kickstarter or Indiegogo. First, you won’t get instant gratification and will have to wait several months (if not years) until the printer arrives. Second, there are risks in buying a 3D printer through crowdfunding. A lot can go wrong, and, not to tarnish the hard work of most 3D printing crowdfunding campaigns, but there have even been high profile cases of fraud.

If you know what you’re doing, however, a Kickstarter 3D printer can be a great way of getting early access to a cutting-edge 3D printer. There are plenty of wild success stories from crowdfunded 3D printers – the difficulty lies in spotting the right ones.