Last updated on February 10th, 2021
There was a time not long back ago when 3D printing was earmarked for being used by scientists and engineers. Growth in demand and improvement in technology have brought about a significant fall in prices of these once costly models.
The modern-day 3D printers have scraped away the extra chunk to enter a field of mass usage in an array of shapes, sizes and configurations.
But with such large number of 3D printers available in the market, finding the one which shall suffice your requirements can surely be a tasking job.
Today, we shall discuss about top ten best 3d printer under 500 which you can avail without having to break into a vault.
| Image | Name | Built Volume | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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FlashForge 3D Printers | 140 x 140 x 140 mm |
$$$ |
Check Price |
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QIDI TECHNOLOGY New Generation 3D Printer:X-one2 | 140 x 140 x 140 mm |
$$$ |
Check Price |
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ComgrowCreality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer | 220 x 220 x 250 mm |
$$ |
Check Price |
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ANYCUBIC I3 Mega 3D Printer | 210 x 210 x 205 mm |
$$$ |
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Tevo Tornado 3d Printer | 300 x 300 x 400 mm |
$$$$ |
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Monoprice Mini Delta 3D Printer | ø110 x 120 mm |
$ |
Check Price |
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SainSmart x Creality Ender-3 3D Printer | 8.7 x 8.7 x 9.8 inches |
$$ |
Check Price |
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XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 Pro | 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches |
$$ |
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GEEETECH A10 3D Printer | 220 x 220 x 260 mm |
$$ |
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ADIMLab 3D Printer Assembled Gantry I3 | 310 x 310 x 410 mm |
$$$ |
Check Price |
Now, we shall take a look at the biggest advantages of 3D printing which has helped it in taking the shape of a global phenomenon.
- The development of ideas receives positive inertia coupled with 3D printers as you print your imaginations into reality. The lengthy development process gets shortened as you 3D print the concept on the very same day as it was designed. This help company in staying a step ahead of their competitors.
- Prototyping production runs and injection mold tools are extremely capital intensive. However, you can benefit out of additive manufacturing through 3D printing process at rates which are subsequently lower than traditional machining.
- Verification of a design prior to investment in an expensive moulding tool can bring down the money you have to spend on a redundant trial and error process. Your confidence also gets boosted up on printing a production-ready prototype prior to making these mammoth investments as it is much cheaper to 3D print a test prototype rather than altering or redesigning an existing mould.
- Misinterpretations might often crop up whenever you are trying to describe a product which you plan on delivering since the construction is left up to the imagination. It is always better to proceed with a conceptual product picture than a 1000 words description. All lines of communication get cleared in its entirety once you get hold of the tangible product-to-be and coupled with 3D printer you can achieve just the same with no room for further ambiguity.
- You can run a market test by unveiling the prototype at a trade show and displaying it to prospective investors or buyers. This can be a valuable means of verifying the market potential of the product even before it goes into production.
- In the current era of mass-production following standardised norms, all the parts of an assembly line come off looking almost similar. However, with 3D printing, you can personalize and customize the same to uniquely fit your requirements.
- It’s impossible to get the final feel of the product by simply looking at its virtual prototype or digital image. In some cases, it becomes imperative to ensure its ergonomics by physically touching the same which a 3D printer offers.
- Product design have remained constrained for years given the limitations of standard machining. But possibilities have reached new heights with improvements in additive manufacturing as you can now construct everything ranging from square interior cavities to unrealistic overhangs and holes that change direction with equal ease through 3D printing.
1. FlashForge – Best 3D Printers Under 500
This wallet friendly 3D printer can cater to the requirements of hobbyists with its easy-to-use features and unbeatable design. The bed of the Finder comes with a glass platform which is not fitted with a heated bed.
It also becomes easy to remove and clean the bed coupled with its easy sliding attribute. The Finder supports an array of attractive colors although it is limited to PLA filament.
Its 1.75mm spool fits easily into the cartridge slot located at the back of the unit thus making it easier to sense when the filament runs out and alerting the user in the process.
Its intuitive calibration detection system assists with the levelling function with a mild beeping sound. Featuring a 3.5 inch HD IPS touchscreen, the FlashForge 3D printer can start with the printing drill in just 4 taps without having to hook it up with your computer.
You can also view your printing status on a real-time basis to gauge its completion time. Built-in compatibility with multiple languages such as German, English, Dutch, French, Korean and Japanese aid in its usability.
Much more stable wireless file transmission gets guaranteed by its 2nd generation Wi-Fi connection which aid in sending 3D files to the Finder 4GB memory under the STA or AP modes of your own Wi-Fi network.
The slid-in build plate minimizes damage and help in easy removal of the finished 3D prints.
Pros
PROS:
- Comes packed with next gen 3D printing technology.
- Easy user-interface propelled by a rich and instinctive LCD panel.
- Glass bed slides to help out with the loading and offloading of 3D prints.
- Blue tape covering the glass surface adheres the print to the filament.
- Proprietary filament storeroom indicates whether or not the filament has extruded.
Cons
CONS:
- No heated printing bed.
- Sensors can sometimes cause issues while printing.
- It might be initially troublesome to get the Finder to print.
- Can print only PLA filament.
2. QIDI TECHNOLOGY New Generation 3D Printer:X-one2
This budget printer is bound to surprise you with its massive potential as it unleashes newer possibilities which you never though existed. The X-one2 comes fully assembled so that you don’t have to spend much time fiddling with its setup options.
Absolutely no technical skills are required for connecting its feeding tube and running the supplied filament from the same. You also won’t be required to spend much time in getting the calibration right as the Qidi model does the same automatically every time a new project is initiated.
Machined out of stainless steel, the X-one2 ranks high in durability and stability during operation which paves the way for intricate detailing time and again.
It can operate at super-fast speeds of up to 150nm/s while the high filament temperatures help in preventing loss of detail or warping.
The aircraft-grade aluminium bed is light yet sturdy and can function in high temperature. Thus, it makes prints adhere to the surface better and adds ABS to its list of supported filaments.
Pros
PROS:
- Delights with high-quality printing in relatively less amount of time.
- Comes fully assembled thus minimizing setup time.
- Responsive touchscreen featuring print preview can be navigated with much ease.
- Heated bed opens up ABS printing possibilities and increases the likelihood of print success.
- 6-month warranty, included spare parts and helpful customer support accentuates its usefulness.
Cons
CONS:
- Might be difficult to move around its 42-pound frame.
- Very noisy while in operation.
- The print bed could have been bigger given its bulky size.
- Bad printable to overall area ratio.
3. ComgrowCreality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer
The ComgrowCreality Ender 3 Pro can serve as the perfect choice for amateurs who are trying to learn the intricate art of 3D printing.
The 40×40 aluminium extrusion meant for its Y-axis base imparts a greater level of sturdiness to the same apart from accentuating the comprehensive stability of the printing surface.
It is also accompanied with improved bearing wheels which tends to reduce friction as well as the overall noise levels while delivering more stiffness which ultimately results in more dimensional stability.
Creality has also made rhetoric improvements in its extruder for reducing the risk of clogging as well as uneven extrusion.
The C-MAG magnetic printing bed which equips the ComgrowCreality Ender 3 Pro is both removable and flexible in nature and can be easily pulled off the build plate.
It also ensures consistent temperature at all times on the build surface to render all-round protection.
Its UCL certified power supply can buffer your printer from all sorts of unexpected power surges which tends to heat up the hot bed within just 5 minutes of time to 110℃.It can even resume printing after recovering from unexpected power outages by staring out with the last recorded extruder position.
Pros
PROS:
- Highly affordable printer which can be assembled in a breeze.
- Compactly designed printer having decent print volume.
- Can be upgraded in an easy manner.
- Compatibility with flexible filaments get improved to a great extent by its tight filament path.
- Comes backed with a year’s warranty which can keep you buffered against all manufacturing defects.
- Printing tape and glue gets replaced by the new Viscous Platform sticker which solves the warping problem for saving the printing cost.
Cons
CONS:
- Additional adhesion materials might be needed at times.
- Levelling of print bed might seem a bit tricky.
4. ANYCUBIC I3 Mega 3D Printer
One of the best things about the Anycubic i3 printer which is selling like hot cake is that it comes pre-assembled with only some minor finishing touches which is required from your end.
For proceeding with its wiring department, you will just have to put the three cables into a proper connection. A neat and tidy look is imparted to the printer by its excellent cable management which secures away all its cable properly.
Apart from the three cables, you will also have to use an AC cable for the proper functioning of your 3D printer. The pre-installed auto-levelling sensor of the i3 Mega can keep you covered by making the whole process faster and easier if you are not very confident with manual levelling of your heat-bed.
Its 3.5-inch touch-screen navigation LCD surely comes as a surprise given its affordable price tag. However, don’t expect the LCD to be as responsive as your smartphone and be patient while toggling between menus. As far as navigation is concerned, the easy design of the interface won’t take you much long in getting used to.
Supporting multiple filament materials such as ABS, PLA, wood and High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), you can benefit out of high quality prints with its stable construction and fine layer resolution of 0.05 mm.
Filament outage detection having automatic pause system helps in resuming the printing function automatically following a power failure and re-load.
Pros
PROS:
- The printer comes almost assembled and you can get started with your printing work by just putting 8 screws.
- Comes packed with high quality Styrofoam and cardboard to prevent in-transit damage.
- Once you have levelled the print bed, it delivers high-end output.
- The i3 does not emit much noise even while printing at 60mm/s.
- All metal frame imparts top-notch durability to the 3D printer.
Cons
CONS:
- Heavy build makes it difficult to move around the printer from one place to another.
- Not very upgrade friendly.
5. Tevo Tornado 3d Printer
Printing becomes super easy with the TEVO printer which features a brand-new Silicon heat bed crafted out of glass covering and insulation cotton to improve bed adhesion.
This serves as a great feature as you get to exercise the flexibility of printing on an array of different materials with similar efficiency.
You can even proceed with wireless printing coupled with this versatile model which has an SD card stacked with a multi-faceted graphic LCD controller.
These attributes can easily allow you to bid adieu to being wired up time and again while undertaking 3D printing.
You can easily select the files you wish to print which makes the entire process smoother.
This highly dependable 3D printer features an all-metal HotEnd which makes it compatible with ABS, Nylon, Wood, Polycarbonate, HIPS and a lot more.
You can also exercise complete flexibility in terms of the design detail and expect the printer to keep your back at all times.
The Tevo Tornado 3D printer comes 95% calibrated and pre-assembled.
You just have to go through its step-by-step manual and seek the assistance of its complete tool kit to prepare it for undertaking printing assignments.
Even the setup process becomes easier coupled with its improved Y-axis mount which helps in getting it ready within a matter of just half an hour.
Pros
PROS:
- Can be set up in a quick and easy fashion.
- Supports large print volume.
- Equipped with Titan extruder.
- Features an extremely constrained filament path.
- AC heated bed can heat up the print area within just a matter of few minutes.
Cons
CONS:
- “Salmon skin” pattern tends to take away shine from large prints.
- Firmware boot up bugs tends to get a bit tiresome over time.
6. Monoprice Mini Delta 3D Printer
In spite of being one of the cheapest 3D printers available in the market, the Monoprice Delta Mini boasts of innumerable advanced features which simply cannot be found in its budget contemporaries.
The machine comes fully assembled so that you can plug it in and start with your 3D printing work. However, the process gets trickier from there since Monoprice does not offer the assistance of any on-board setup wizard.
People who are not very familiar with the concept of 3D printing might find it difficult to load the filament and initiate the first print. A delightfully simple user interface offsets the trickiness of its setup process as you navigate through the printer menus coupled with three physical buttons and an LCD screen.
Its Bowden setup does not feed the filament directly to the nozzle from the extruder. Rather there is a break in the Bowden for the hot end at the heat sink. The combination of extrude and heated print bed aids in handling both PLA and ABS materials.
The Delta Mini is not prone to z-axis turbulence given its delta-style configuration and sturdy construction which helps in printing reliably from one layer to another.
However, it does face some issues of leaving “blurs” of plastic while finishing a particular layer.
Pros
PROS:
- Auto calibration feature to help you out with the struggles of bed levelling.
- Durable frame constructed from black anodized aluminium and steel can withstand rough usage.
- Comes fully assembled to save time.
- Supports printing of various filament types.
- Compatible with open source software such as Repetier or Cura so that you can tailor your 3D printing experience to personal preferences.
Cons
CONS:
- Small build envelope.
- Steep learning curve.
7. SainSmart x Creality Ender-3 3D Printer
The Ender-3 by SainSmart has been specially designed for hobbyists who are running on a stringent budget.
This compact printer boasts similar performance as that of its peer CR-10 in spite of winning brownie points with its affordability parameter.
Be it school or home use, this entry-level 3D printer delivers high-end print quality which is not very popular in such budget solutions.
The CNC machined and injection moulded 3D printer comprising of extrusion manufactured parts ensure consistent and reliable operation which can easily match the quality requirements of most users.
You can engage in printing with most 1.75mm 3D filaments available in the market courtesy its standard brass nozzle.
It is also possible to resume the printing action from the last layer if the electrical power is accidentally lost.
This in turn leads to massive savings in time as well as filament usage. The risk of nozzle getting clogged also reduces drastically coupled with the MK-10[thread M6] extruder design.
Rapid heating gets ensured by its high-watt density hotbed which reaches the operating temperature in less than 5 minutes of time.
The large build area of 8.7 x 8.7 x 9.8” also makes it super easy to handle complex and large models without having to face any difficulty.
The easy-to-setup kit which accompanies the printer comes partially assembled thus helping its users in learning about the 3D printer’s basic construction as they put it all together.
This experience can prove to be exceptionally fruitful for electronics and mechanical engineering students.
Pros
PROS:
- Provides 6 times more build volume in comparison to entry-level printers.
- Can be tucked-in easily at your back seat or the trunk of your car courtesy its compact design.
- Highly precise positioning of printer head gets ensured through its CNC-machined Y-axis mounting slot.
- V-slot POM wheels assist the nozzle in gliding silently and smoothly.
Cons
CONS:
- Requires manual calibration.
- Flimsy bed has to be re-levelled every now and then.
8. [Open Filament] XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 Pro
The da Vinci Jr. 1.0 Pro has already garnered a massive fan base coupled with its eyebrow-raising specs which bring along more precise, robust and fast operations.
Its sleek and sturdy enclosed-frame design aids in buffering against environmental factors such as changes in temperature and humidity to bring down chances of print irregularity.
Its silent operation also comes as a delightful feature keeping your work space free from distractions. The XYZprinting designers have toiled hard to completely remove guesswork out of 3D printing with versatile features such as automatic print bed calibration, plug-and-play assembly and intuitive software.
You can also gain access to the XYZ 3D gallery for choosing amongst the pre-designed models. Its small and light weight build makes it ideal for educators who might feel it necessary to carry the printer along to classrooms.
The printer comes with a “retraction” setting allowing bulk printing without having to worry about smudges or streaking which occurs when the extruder moves across the printed object.
Pros
PROS:
- Uses 9-point calibration detection system for determining the distance between print bed and extruder with maximum accuracy.
- Print settings can be easily adjusted to be in harmony with your material using slicing software.
- Adjustable temperature settings aid in printing 3rd party 1.75mm PLA through PETG and PLA filaments.
- Accompanied with a free slicing and CAD software having user-friendly operations.
- Stellar online community and technical support to guard your back at all times.
Cons
CONS:
- Software is prone to crash.
9. GEEETECH A10 3D Printer
The GreentechA10 sports a modularised design which guarantees a hassle-free assembly experience.
All the wires come attached with the labels to keep you buffered from having to worry about chances of wrong wiring. Even-heating of the hotbed can easily reach the target temperature.
You can take down the printings once the hotbed cools off given the high adhesion coating of the building plate.
The open source GT2560 control board V3.0 of the Geeetech A10 renders limitless space for modifying the firmware in accordance with your preference.
Auto-levelling function is supported by the professionally coded main board of the A10. However, for this you will be required to hook up the levelling sensor with the same.
This time and effort saving operation process can hike up the adhesion capability of the first layer drastically.
An efficient filament detector can send in alerts whenever the spool becomes empty or a change of filament becomes necessary.
This add-on gadget helps in enhancing your printing satisfaction while avoiding bootless printing to a great extent.
You can also resume printing immediately after a break coupled with the Break-resuming function which comes in as a breather over time-consuming and repetitive printing jobs associated with power outage.
Pros
PROS:
- Can be assembled within just 10 minutes given its modulated structure.
- High adhesion building platform aids in bidding adieu to glue stick and mask tape.
- You can start with the printing function exactly where you had stopped irrespective of unexpected power failure and even between changing the filament.
- V-slot rails on each axis and V-shaped wheels make printing quieter.
- Firmware can be modified in accordance with your will.
Cons
CONS:
- Heated bed has to be levelled manually.
10. ADIMLab 3D Printer Assembled Gantry I3
If you are on the lookout for a 3D printer having minimal build time and supporting larger format printing without burning a hole in your wallet, then the Assembled Gantry I3 from ADIMLab can surely get the ball rolling in your court.
It comes well packaged using foam to prevent transit damages. The endstops are soldered on PCB boards along with connectors and status LEDs which are pre-mounted onto the support pieces and frame.
Several paper manuals accompany the 3D printer to take you through pre-setup checks, printer assembly and printer usage with Repetier host.
With such help, you can get the setup process done in just 15 minutes of time as all the necessary tools and bracket screws come pre-set requiring just a minor tightening and being placed properly.
The control board cables having a nice sheathing for extra protection come labelled for easing out the operation. If you face any difficulty with manual levelling, you can turn the front side lead screw on the right counter-clockwise unless it levels and you can begin with 3D printing.
It lacks independent fans for filament cooling and heat sink thus making ABS printing an utter disappointment.
However, you will surely have a great time printing PLA filaments with optimum accuracy.
Pros
PROS:
- Nice build quality.
- Injection moulded cable chain helps in keeping the extruder cable protected at all times.
- Evenly heated bed end aids in working with high temperature.
- Acrylic spool holder and housing box of the control board is easy to assemble and work with.
- Impressive and accurate 3D print quality and large printing size.
Cons
CONS:
- Bed has to be manually levelled.
Conclusion
In the modern boom of graphics industry, possibilities are breaking all barriers and coupled with 3D printing you can transform all your ideas into reality.
Today we have listed down some of the best 3d printers under 500 which have been making the right kind of noise for quite some time now by catering to the requirements of both hobbyists and professional grade 3D printers.
So, take your pick from our carefully curated list and give wings to your imaginations by bringing home a 3D printer which will pack in state of art features to serve your requirements well.
Alain is Cartbig’s managing editor, in charge of the research, production and editing of all content.
He has a BA in Journalism from Cornell University and is passionate about photography and technology.
He loves travelling but he lacks orientation so he never leaves home without his GPS. Really.
