Some may be content printing within the confines of their small, desktop FDM 3D printer — but for big home projects, or large prototyping, size matters. For these bigger jobs, you’ll need a large 3D printer capable of printing the Goliath structures they need for their commercial business or hobbyist project.

Great Large-Volume 3D Printer
Super Fast & Large Build Volume
Premium Pick For Businesses
4.4
4.8
4.7
420 x 420 x 480 mm
300 x 300 x 300 mm
300 x 300 x 605 mm
300°C
300°C
300°C
$470
$929
$7599
Great Large-Volume 3D Printer
4.4
420 x 420 x 480 mm
300°C
$470
Super Fast & Large Build Volume
4.8
300 x 300 x 300 mm
300°C
$929
Premium Pick For Businesses
4.7
300 x 300 x 605 mm
300°C
$7599

So, whether you want to print large-scale figures, model cars or cosplay helmets as home projects, or large commercial prototypes, we’ve split this article into two sections covering both:

  • The best under $1,000 (the largest 3D printers for home use)
  • The best large-scale 3D printers for commercial use

Some inspired makers have even built enormous 850mm tall printers at home as DIY projects.

This article includes the best large bed 3D printers, as well as buying guide with what factors to consider when buying a larger printer, tips and tricks for printing based on the elements that change as you scale up print bed size, and some FAQs on large-scale printing.

Brand and NameBuild Volume (mm)Minimum Layer HeightMax Nozzle TemperatureFilament CompatibilityPriceWhere To Buy for Best Price?
Neptune 4 Max420 x 420 x 480 mm100 Microns300°C PLA, TPU, PETG, ABS, ASA, Nylon$550Elegoo here
Anycubic Kobra Max450 x 400 x 400 mm 50 microns260°CPLA, ABS, PETG, TPU$569Anycubic here
Creality K1 Max300 x 300 x 300 mm50 microns300°C ABS, PLA, PETG, PET, TPU, PA, ASA, PC, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PET-CF$929Creality here
Modix Big-60 V3 Kit600 x 600 x 66040 microns300°C N/A$4,700MatterHackers here
Raise3D Pro 3 Plus299.72 x 299.72 x 604.52 mm (single extruder), or 254 x 299.72 x 604.52 (dual extruder)20 microns300°C ABS, PLA, PETG, PET, TPU, PA, ABS, ASA, PC, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PET-CF, Nylons, etc$3,999 / $5,999MatterHackers here
Ultimaker S7330 x 240 x 300 mm60 microns280°C280+ tested materials$8,299Matterhackers here

How We Picked

In assessing which of the following 3D printers deserved to be on our ranking, we used the following criteria:

  • Speed – Large prints can take days to complete, so speed is the name of the game. Especially with independently designed prints, it can be a huge benefit to complete a print faster, even if that means failing faster.
  • Reliability – This is a catchall for how much tinkering and troubleshooting you can expect from your printer. Although expected for budget printers, it’s a major con if you’re playing printing issue whack-a-mole every time you start a new project.
  • Size Relative to Price – A large print volume on a cheaper printer is more meaningful, but it also makes it accessible to hobbyists or smaller independent businesses.
  • Customer Service – Especially with industrial printers, bad customer service can ruin an otherwise solid printer.
  • Special Features – Some printers stand out because they have special features, such as enclosures, different formats (like CoreXY), or better firmware.

Best Large-Format 3D Printers – 2024 Reviews

1. Neptune 4 Max – Best Budget Option for Hobbyists

Image Source: 3DSourced

Reasons to buy

Massive build volume for limitless printing opportunities

Klipper firmware allows high print speeds

Budget price

Reasons not to buy

Tinkering will probably be necessary

No enclosure or other premium features

If you’re in the market for a budget large-volume printer, the Neptune 4 Max is the one to beat. It’s a comically large printer with a build volume of 420 x 420 x 480 mm.

The downside is that it won’t give you that polished, “it just works” experience. You can read more in our hands-on full review of the Neptune 4 Max, but you should expect some troubleshooting to get it printing optimally.

It does have great 121 point auto-leveling, which is crucial for a printer with such a large build plate. It isn’t as perfectly accurate as other printers on this list (like the Ultimaker S7), but you get what you pay for.

The Neptune 4 Max’s pre-installed Klipper firmware is another major point in its favor. If you’re willing to tweak settings, you can get incredibly high speeds with this printer while retaining excellent quality.


2. Anycubic Kobra Max – Largest Under $1000

Anycubic Kobra Max Largest 3D Printer Under $1000

Pros

Even larger 450x400x400mm area

Upgraded accuracy and print speed

Best large 3D printer under $1000

Cons

Open air printer requires an enclosure for ABS to prevent warping

The largest of Anycubic’s most recent batch of affordable large FDM printers, the Anycubic Kobra Max gives you a massive 450 x 400 x 400 mm – the largest build volume 3D printer under $600. That ultra-large build volume alone justifies a slot on our list, but there’s plenty more to like about the Kobra Max.

Despite the large capacity, the Kobra Max is made stable by the dual z-axis threaded lead screws, each with a dedicated stepper motor and two support rods to reduce wobble and keep things running smoothly.

With a 50-micron minimum layer height, the Kobra Max delivers solid precision and can theoretically crank sprint speeds up to a dizzying 180 mm/s.

It also has a tempered carborundum glass print bed, coated with Anycubic’s proprietary Ultrabase microporous coating.

Anycubic Kobra Max in action
Kobra Max printing models: a skeleton (Source: Reddit) and a 280% scale sluggo (Source: Reddit).

Elsewhere, Anycubic has bundled in its in-house-developed LeviQ fully automatic bed leveling. We tested it ourselves on the Kobra and continue to be impressed with the accuracy and hands-off, set-and-forget ease of use it delivers. Anycubic is on to something special here, and it’s a delight to see LeviQ ported over the larger Kobra Max.

Other notable features include filament runout detection, the same responsive 4.3″ touchscreen display found on the smaller Kobra, adjustable belt tensioners, an E3D Volcano-inspired hot end, and reasonably quiet operational noise levels at 58 dB.

Overall, it’s definitely the largest 3D printer for home use, and a reliable FDM pick.


3. Creality K1 Max – Mid-Range Option For Quality and Cost Efficiency

Creality K1 Max

Reasons to buy

AI camera and LiDAR for print monitoring

CoreXY build allows for high speeds

Still priced for hobbyists

Reasons not to buy

Build volume is improved but outclassed by other options

Some customers report poor customer service from Creality

The Creality K1 Max is nothing like the engineering project that is the Ender 3. With this printer, Creality has taken a high-quality yet consumer-focused approach to the large volume printer.

It uses a CoreXY model, which allows for faster print head movements and speedy prints of up to 600 mm/s. The K1 Max also includes monitoring and quality assurance tools like AI LiDAR, a camera, and an enclosed design.

These factors allow for a wide range of filaments to be used, including finicky filaments like TPU and ABS. Plus, the inclusion of an air purifier makes them safer to print for the hobbyist.

Of course, the defining feature is a large build volume. The Creality K1 Max boasts a cube size of 300 x 300 x 300 mm. Overall, the K1 Max is the best option for a powerful high volume printer that stays in the consumer price range.


4. Modix Big-60 V3 Kit — For Heavy-Duty Use

modix big 60 v3 kit

Pros

Excellent for large part prototyping

Premium parts – E3D hot ends and Duet3D controllers

Cons

Kit so needs to be assembled — rather than being plug’n’play

The Big-60 makes the previously mentioned printers look tiny, with its enormous 600 x 600 x 660 mm build volume able to print even the largest prototypes and parts in one large part. 

This is a huge advantage as you can print these large models without having to assemble them together – so surface finish isn’t affected by post-processing. 

It’s a large 3D printer kit, but experienced operators or 3D printing makers will have no trouble assembling the Model Big-60 V3, especially as it comes with such detailed instructions that take you through every step of the assembly process. 

Testing the Modix Big-60 V3
Big-60 V3 printing a model. Source: Modix3D

The Big-60 V3 kit features premium parts all around, for example, a high-quality E3D hot end, and Duet3D controllers as standard. Despite being designed for industrial, heavy-duty use, the Big-60 is designed also to be modular enough that you can easily install any upgrades tailored to your 3D printing needs.

These could be custom, third-party upgrades, or any one of a number of available upgrades you can buy with the printer, such as the enclosure kit, a super high-temperature nozzle for industrial material printing like PEEK or ULTEM, or a secondary print head.

Overall, it’s a large area 3D printer but at a much lower medium-range price, and it’s certainly a large 3D printer for big 3D printer projects.


5. Raise3D Pro 3 Plus – Best Professional Option for Tall Prints

  • Price: Matterhackers here / Amazon here
  • Build volume: 299.72 x 299.72 x 604.52 mm (single extruder), or 254 x 299.72 x 604.52 (dual extruder)
  • Filament compatibility: ABS, PLA, PETG, PET, TPU, PA, ABS, ASA, PC, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PET-CF, Nylons, etc
  • Max nozzle temp: 300°C 
  • Max bed temp: 120°C
Raise3D Pro 3 Plus

Reasons to buy

Dual extruders

Interchangeable hot end and extruder cover

Giant vertical build volume

Reasons not to buy

Lacking customer service compared to competitors like Ultimaker

Experience isn’t perfectly seamless: fidgety touch screens, too-small door opening for the build plate, etc

The Raise3D Pro 3 Plus is a printer for professional use, such as rapid prototyping. Its shining feature are the dual extruders, allowing for multiple filament types to be used in a single print.

The build volume changes depending on whether you have one or two extruders. It’s quite large either way, with the vertical axis being especially impressive at 604.52 mm.

For the price, you will get a fully enclosed printer with a HEPA filter and air flow manager, an HD camera, auto bed leveling, and interchangeable hot end and extruder covers.

Although it has two extruders, the print speed is quite low. You trade speed for flexibility and the capacity for multi-filament prints.


6. Ultimaker S7 – Best Reliable and Feature Packed Industrial Printer

  • Price: Matterhackers here
  • Build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm
  • Filament compatibility: 280+ tested materials
  • Max nozzle temp: 180 – 280°C 
  • Max bed temp: 100°C
Ultimaker S7

Reasons to buy

Ultimaker has excellent customer service

Well-thought-out design and implementation

Tons of features to make industrial printing easier, like an anti-flood sensor and improved bed leveling

Reasons not to buy

High-end, expensive option

Only minor upgrades from S5

The Ultimaker name comes with reliable, trustworthy industrial printers and the Ultimaker S7 is no exception. This is another professional-tier printer with a large build volume and dual extrusion.

It has an improved inductive probe for auto-leveling, promising better accuracy. The build plate also has a unique design using 25 magnets and 4 pins. The result is a streamlined leveling process and saved time.

Other benefits include a tested air filter, an onboard camera, and an auto-nozzle lifting system.

Overall, the Ultimaker will be the most reliable in an industrial context, even if it doesn’t have the largest build volume available. It still offers an impressive size of 330 x 240 x 300 mm.


Tips for Large-Format 3D Printing

Keep time in mind

It’s important to remember how long it takes to print these enormous parts. In rapid prototyping, it’s common to leave your printer running overnight and come back to it the next day, but if you’re printing a 50 x 50 cm prototype with a 0.4mm nozzle and small-ish layer heights, it could take several days to print.

A natural solution is to replace the standard 0.4mm nozzle that comes on most large-scale 3D printers with a larger (0.8-1.2mm) nozzle. Then, if printing larger layer heights (200 – 400 microns) you massively increase print speed.

However, this opens another can of worms. Less powerful hotends can struggle to melt such a large amount of filament quick enough to extrude in time, so you may want to upgrade your hotend to print without issue. We have a guide to some great hotends here.

Is it worth buying a large 3D printer, or using a 3D printing service instead?

This is another question you should ask yourself. If you’re only planning on printing a few prototypes for the year, you might find it advantageous to instead outsource your printing needs to an external service.

It’ll be more expensive than if you were to just pay for the materials to print yourself, but if you don’t have much use for the large-scale 3D printer, it’ll sit there collecting dust in your workshop for the rest of the year.

This is a simple value judgment — do you think you’ll use it enough?

The answer could even be to keep/buy a standard smaller 3D printer, use that for day-to-day prototyping, and if you have an enormous printer project, outsource those. We have a ranking of some of the best 3D printing services.

1 big 3D printer, or multiple smaller printers for many small parts

A common line of thought is that buying one large 3D printer gives you the capacity to print many smaller parts simultaneously.

This is true, but not necessarily efficient. Yes, you can print 10-20 small pieces at the same time on a large 3D printer, but it’ll take 20 times as long as you could have printed these parts on 20 desktop 3D printers. So, if you’re planning on printing many small parts, consider instead going with a 3D printer farm.

That said, the best 3D printer for large objects is certainly one with a big print volume – it’s a hassle gluing multiple parts together, and affects the final part’s strength.

FAQs

What’s the Biggest 3D Printer You Can Buy?

The largest 3D printer you can currently buy is the Massivit 10000. It offers a massive 1420 x 1110 x 1500 mm build volume and is roughly the size of a small room.

What 3D Printer Has the Biggest Bed Size?

The Massivit 10000 has a 1420 x 1110 x 1500 mm build volume, followed closely by the Industry Magnum, which has a 1500 x 1200 x 1200 mm build volume. Other notable mentions include the CreatBot F1000 with a 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm build volume, and the BigRep Pro, which has a 1000 x 1000 x 1000 build volume.

How Much Does a Huge 3D Printer Cost?

A consumer-grade 3D printer with an ultra large-format build volume can cost as low as $600, such as the Anycubic Kobra Max and Ender 5 Plus. For an industrial-grade printer, prices sort well into the thousands of dollars, with some, such as the Industry Magnum, costing well above $100,000.

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3DSourced

3DSourced is a leading authority in the field of 3D printing and scanning, dedicated to delivering expert insights and guidance since 2017. Our team, composed of experienced industry professionals, has been at the forefront of analyzing and reporting on the evolving landscape of 3D technology. Over the past six years, our commitment to quality and accuracy has earned us numerous accolades, including awards for our feature stories. Our hands-on experience is extensive, having rigorously tested more than 20 of the latest models in 3D printers and scanners. At 3DSourced, our mission extends beyond reporting; we strive to make 3D printing accessible and understandable for everyone.

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