Advances in 3D printing have created more accurate and faster 3D printers that are smaller and cheaper than ever before, leading to the current range of mini 3D printer options that can fit on your desktop. Many of these affordable 3D printers cost just a few hundred dollars, take up little space, and can produce fantastically accurate plastic parts.
Therefore, we’ve ranked some of the best small 3D printers around, listing their main advantages, so you can choose which best suits your 3D printing needs.
Budget Mini 3D Printer  | Best Mini 3D Printer Kit  | Budget Resin Pick  |
$349 | $399 | Around $200 if on sale |
- If you’re a beginner to 3D printing, you may also want to check out our guide to the best 3D printers for beginners
- We also have a ranking of the best 3D printers for kids
- We also have a ranking of the best resin 3D printers
Best Mini 3D printers
| Name | Build Volume(mm) | Price | Where to buy | Alternative purchase option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABISTS Mini X1 | 100 x 100 x 100 | $150 | Amazon here | |
| Monoprice Select Mini V2 | 120 x 120 x 120 | $219 | Amazon here | |
| Monoprice Mini Delta | 110 x 110 x 120 | $190 | Amazon here | |
| Flashforge Finder / Finder Lite | 140 x 140 x 140 | $250 / $299 | Finder Lite on Amazon here | Finder on Amazon here |
| Elegoo Mars 2 Pro | 115 x 65 x 150 | $250 | Elegoo here | Amazon here |
| Flashforge Adventurer 3 / 3 Lite | 150 x 150 x 150 | $369 / $449 | Amazon here | |
| XYZprinting Da Vinci Mini W+ | 150 x 150 x 150 | $209 | Amazon here | |
| Prusa Mini | 180 x 180 x 180 | $39 | Prusa Store here |
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Best Mini 3D printers (under 150mm cubed build volume)
LABISTS Mini X1 3D printer — Smallest 3D printer in the world?
- Small 3D printer price: $140 — Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 100 x 100 x 100 mm
- Print speed: 40mm/s
Pros
Compact size.
Easy to assemble as it comes in just a few parts.
Accurate and provides a smooth surface finish.
Cons
It’s pretty basic.
The complete miniature 3D printer and a great 3D printer for kids to try out 3D printing, the LABISTS Mini 3D printer is tiny, basic, and cheap.
With a tiny 3D printing volume of just 100 x 100 x 100 mm it can fit almost anywhere, and the lack of an enclosure makes it even easier to fit in even the most crowded households. Though a 3D printer kit, the LABISTS Mini X1 3D printer comes in just a few parts, and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to get print-ready if you follow their assembly video shown below.
Despite the tiny size and low price, the Mini X1 3D printer offers up to 50-micron accuracy and surprisingly smooth surface finish, though it can only print PLA.
It comes with some PLA filament to get you started, and with the simple interface and lack of complex features, is an ideal 3D printer for beginners and kids to get acquainted with 3D printing. It comes with its own easy-to-use 3D slicer, and is also famed for being quiet — able to print at under 60db.
This could quite possibly be the smallest 3D printer you can buy commercially, so if you’re just dipping your toe into 3D printing, this could be the one for you.
Monoprice Select Mini V2 — Mini Monoprice 3D printer
- Mini 3D printer price: $219 — Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 120 x 120 x 120 mm
- Print speed: 55m/s
Pros
Versatile and compact.
Good entry-level 3D printer for beginners.
Cons
Not suitable for larger objects.
The Monoprice Select Mini V2 is another popular mini 3D printer by successful technology manufacturer Monoprice, and an effective yet portable 3D printer priced at just $200. It’s the ideal entry level 3D printer, coming with no fancy extra features. You just get the printer, some filament to get you started, and some pre-installed 3D printer models.
- To download your own 3D printer models, check out our list of the best sites for STL files
We recommend the Select Mini V2 for producing small parts such as 3D printing 28mm miniatures or other tiny 3D prints. It’s not well suited for larger parts, but for those you should check out our large 3D printer ranking or our yearly best 3D printer recommendations.
Overall, the Select Mini V2 is a versatile, compact 3D printer that surprisingly can still print materials like ABS, PVA and wood filament; and for the price tag, is a fantastic introductory 3D printer.
Monoprice Mini Delta — delta mini 3D printer
- Mini 3D printer price: $180 — Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 110 x 110 x 120 mm
- Print speed: up to 150mm/s
Pros
Fast for such a compact design.
Sturdy and durable.
The aluminum and steel frame anchors make it precise and prevent any vibrations.
Cons
Can’t work with flexible filaments.
With a small 3D printing build volume of just 110 x 110 x 120 mm, the Monoprice Mini Delta really lives up to its name as a mini printer. The Monoprice Mini Delta is the only delta 3D printer on our small 3D printer buyer’s guide, allowing it to print very fast for such a compact machine, at up to 150mm/s. It is almost certainly the fastest 3D printer in its size range.
Despite the low weight and high speed, this small home 3D printer is built to be sturdy and durable: the aluminium and steel frame anchors it down to ensure print quality is precise and prevent any vibrations from affecting your model’s surface finish.
The Mini Delta is a tiny 3D printer but still features a heated bed, so 3D printing ABS and other filaments should be no problem with the right print settings.
The Monoprice Mini Delta is also very precise, at up to 50 microns, and unlike most delta printers comes fully assembled rather than as a 3D printer kit. As a result, it’s a great 3D printer for beginners, and extremely simple to operate and print with – you can even print via WiFi, a rare feature on small, inexpensive printers.
Flashforge Finder / Finder Lite
- Price: Finder Lite = $250 — Available on Amazon here / Finder = $299 — Available on Amazon here
- Europe: Available on 3DPrima Europe here
- Build volume: 140 x 140 x 140 mm
Pros
Built to be quiet.
Can print PLA, TPU, and copper PLA.
Includes auto-leveling and calibration.
Cons
The bed is not heated which can cause warping.
The original Flashforge Finder was a big success, becoming as highly rated as the best-selling Creator Pro. The new Finder Lite has the same tiny 140 x 140 x 140 mm build volume, but has costs $50 less due to the lack of WiFi 3D printing feature.
The Flashforge Finder Lite is built to be quiet, can print PLA, TPU and copper PLA, and comes with a few popular 3D printer models to get you started on your 3D printing journey. Flashforge’s patented nozzle has been upgraded, and the feeder tube and extruder have been improved to prevent jams and improve your prints’ surface finish.
The Lite version comes with all the latest features you have come to expect from a small 3D printer costing around $300, including auto leveling and calibration, a large 3.5 inch touchscreen, and a removable build platform which makes removing your printed models easier than ever. Overall, it is another great mini 3D printer for those with little space or those who just want to start small.
Elegoo Mars 2 Pro — great small 3D printer (for resin)
- Mini 3D printer price: $250 — Available at Elegoo store here / Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 115 x 65 x 150 mm
- Print speed: 22.5mm/hour
Pros
High resolution for a great price.
Solid and durable metal construction.
Cons
Build volume is relative small compared to other FDM printers.
The original Elegoo Mars is one of the best-selling resin 3D printers of the last few years, and now Elegoo have released the Mars 2 Pro, with a number of key upgrades.
Though a good build size for an LCD 3D printer, most desktop makers creating tabletop miniature 3D prints would still consider the build volume small, especially compared to FDM printers.
Several key upgrades are built into the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, including improved precision via the improved Z-axis linear guide-way structure, leading to smoother layers with less obvious layer lines. The Mars Pro is also made safer by the silicone seal that can be placed on the printer’s cover to prevent any resin leaking, which could otherwise cause safety issues.
It’s a lightweight and compact 3D printer that can produce tiny 3D prints with extraordinary accuracy – our best 3D printer for miniatures guide recommends it too – and ideal for those who want precise parts and have the skills to handle a resin printer. You can read more in our full Elegoo Mars 2 Pro review.
Flashforge Adventurer 3 / 3 Lite
- Price: $369 for Adventurer 3 Lite — Available at Flashforge here / Available on Amazon here
- Adventurer 3 price: $449 — Available at Flashforge here / Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 150 x 150 x 150 mm
- Print speed: best at around 50mm/s
Pros
Reliable and beginner friendly.
WiFi connectivity included.
Can print PLA, ABS, Ultra Strong PLA, PLA color Change, Metal-Filled, Wood, and High Speed PLA.
Cons
Proporietary nozzle assembly is pricey.
A reliable mini 3D printer with a closed build chamber, the Flashforge Adventurer 3 Lite is for those who don’t mind spending a bit extra (as compared with the Mini Delta or Maker Select) for better print conditions and better ABS 3D printing.
With a minimum layer height of 50 microns, it’s perfect for 3D printing miniatures and other small models. The closed chamber means that ABS and other filaments will warp less, and all these extras come in a compact 3D printer costing under $500.
The 150 x 150 x 150 mm build volume is small, but we would not consider this a tiny 3D printer – most day-to-day projects should be printable with ease, or can be broken up into a few separate prints and stuck together. The nozzle is easily switchable, for example if you want to print faster with a larger nozzle, and overall it is a reliable and low-cost small 3D printer with a closed chamber for effective 3D printing.
It’s $80 cheaper than the Adventurer 3, with the only noticeable differences is that the Lite version doesn’t have the HD camera that the Adventurer 3 has. It’s your choice whether this affects your choice, but we’ve included links to both above to make things easier for you.
XYZprinting Da Vinci Mini W+ — good small 3D printer under $300
- Small 3D printer price: $209 — Available on Amazon here
- Build volume: 150 x 150 x 150 mm
- Print speed: maximum 120mm/s
Pros
Simple to use.
Reliable and precise.
WiFi printing, saving you time and hassle.
Cons
Difficult to use third party filaments.
XYZprinting not only make some of the most popular small FDM 3D printers around, but are also famed for their industrial 3D printers, including their MfgPro230 xS SLS 3D printer. Their most successful small-scale 3D printer, the Da Vinci Mini, is inexpensive, simple to use, and reliable – you can trust it to get the job done.
With a precision of 100 microns for each layer printed, you can be sure of a quality 3D print even for the low price. It can print PLA and PETG and can also be upgraded to 3D print metallic and carbon PLA blends with XYZ’s hardened steel nozzle.
A major advantage is WiFi printing, a feature that not many mini 3D printers have, saving time and hassle from continuously removing and inserting SD cards and USBs from your laptop to the printer. The Da Vinci Mini 3D printer’s ability to level itself makes it perfect for beginners looking to start small, and overall it’s a great introductory printer – though be careful as it is very difficult to use third party filaments, so you may be restricted to XYZprinting’s own-brand PLA.
Best Small 3D printers (under 200mm cubed)
Prusa Mini — best small 3D printer
- Price: $399 — Available on Prusa Store here
- Build volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm
Pros
Reliable and durable, like all prusa printers.
Very fast with speeds up to 200mm/s.
Cons
Less sturdy gantry system than most Cartesian printers.
The Prusa MK3S+ is too large to consider for a small 3D printer ranking, but the Prusa Mini 3D printer offers most of the benefits, in a smaller package.
With a 180 x 180 x 180 mm max build volume, it’s a portable 3D printer that can fit on most desktops, but it can still calibrate itself, with the same 0.05mm precision that the MK3S+ has.
Some differences are that the Prusa Mini needs to be upgraded to have the filament sensor, and it can’t heat up to quite the same extruder temperatures. But you can still 3D print standard PLA and ABS, as well as PETG, flexibles and ASA.
The Mini comes with Prusa’s own PrusaSlicer 3D slicer, and if you run into any problems, you can speak with Prusa’s support team 24/7. Overall, it’s a great lower cost RepRap 3D printer for great quality, reliable prints at a lower price.
If you liked this ranking, you may also want to view:
- Our guide to the best FDM 3D printers
- Our guide to the best dual extruder 3D printers
- Our guide to the best large scale 3D printers
- Our 3D pen buyer’s guide
