The 5 Top 3D Printers Under $200 in 2021 [Cheap 3D Printer]

3D printing is becoming one of the most interesting and creative hobbies for many artists. Also, some of them see it as a way to make a living or win some extra money to increase their income.

It is amazing where technology has brought us. Buying a cheap 3D printer sounds appealing to many people. However, the first thing that will cross your mind is that they must be expensive.

You’re right, 3D printers can be incredibly expensive, at least the sophisticated ones that use multiple complicated technologies.

The good news is, this is not what we are here to talk to you about. Surprisingly, there is more than just one type of 3D printer, and some are more affordable than you would guess.

In this article, we will tell you all about cheap 3D printers that you can currently find. We made sure to cover all types of 3D printers. So, you can be sure you will find the best 3D printer under $200 that suits your needs on our list.

And without any further ado, let’s jump right into it.

The List of the Top 3D Printers Under $200:

• Comgrow Creality Ender 3 – Best Overall
• Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer V2 – Best Cheap 3D printer
• FlashForge 3D Printer – Best for High-Quality Prints
• Geeetech A10 3D Printer – Best Build Volume
• DA VINCI MINI Wireless – Best Auto-Leveling Budget 3D Printer

Best Cheap 3D Printers Under $200 Comparison Table:

The 5 Best 3D Printers Under $200 in 2021

1. Comgrow Creality Ender 3 – Best Overall

If you have been looking into 3D printers, then there is no way your eyes didn’t fall on this name. Creality is known for manufacturing great 3D printers, but this model is exceptional.

The model is great not only for hobbyists but also for intermediate and advanced creators who are on a budget.

At this price range, you should expect much less from any 3D printer, but Creality never failed to impress even because this series does a decent job in terms of precision and functionality.

The build volume is the selling point of this model and the reason that it has become so popular. It can produce a volume of 2220 x 200 x 250-mm with a resolution between 100 and 400 microns.

The printer can heat up to 110 degrees Celsius in 5 minutes, which makes it compatible with many types of filaments.

The trickiest part is the manual bed leveling. However, it is a minor compromise if you consider all the other advantages starting at a great price.

Pros:

• Easy to assemble
• Can be used for printing large volumes
• Has a high and fast heat
• Compatible with many types of filaments
• Comes with a safe power supply
• Decent print quality

Cons:

• Manual bed leveling
• Inconsistency with brittle filaments

Bottom Line

Comgrow Creality Ender 3 is a great cheap 3D printer under $200 that you can trust. It is worth so much more than its actual price, so it is a great investment for anyone.

2. Monoprice Select Mini 3D printer V2 – Best Cheap 3D printer

Monoprice Select Mini is such an interesting 3D printer with a compact design and yet many capabilities.

There are two things that make this printer unique. The first is that unlike many of the low-end 3D printers, this printer can handle high-end materials like copper, steel, bronze, and wood. The printer has one of the most impressive extruders that handles a wide range of temperatures and thus print high-end materials.

The second thing is that you won’t have to go through the hassle of assembling the printer since it comes pre-assembled, something that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to 3D printers.

In terms of the build volume, the printer can print 120 x 120 x 120-mm with a resolution range from 50 to 200 microns.

Also, the printer features a manual leveling calibration, which is pretty expected from a 3D printer at this price range.

Pros:

• Easy to operate
• Can handle high-quality filaments
• Comes pre-assembled

Cons:

• Limited build volume
• Manual leveling

Bottom Line

Monoprice Select Mini is one of the best cheap 3d printers under $200. It has many features that make it the best option for any hobbyist who doesn’t have much experience with 3D printing. The interphase is pretty direct with great human-machine interaction.

You might be interested to read: Printers for Miniatures 2021 [Complete Guide]

3. FlashForge 3D printer – Best for High-Quality Prints

FlashForge makes another great printer for beginners who are on a tight budget. It is simple and easy to operate. It has a compact and colorful design that makes it look modern.

The printer has an easy calibration with an intuitive calibration detection system to assist you with the leveling.

Another thing that makes this printer stand out is the quiet operation that makes it suitable to use the printer at home any time of the day without any issue.

When it comes to the build volume, the FlashForge 3D printer does such a decent job with offering 140 x 140 x 140-mm, not at all bad, especially at this price. The resolution of the prints ranges from 100 to 500 microns, which makes it one of the highest on our list.

Pros:

• Easy interface
• Intelligent assisted leveling system
• High-quality print
• Quite printing process

Cons:

• Manual leveling

Bottom Line

The FlashForge 3D printer is one of the best 3D printers under $200 that will help you achieve high-quality prints without having to break a bank. The easy interface makes it a good option for beginners as well as professionals.

4. Geeetech A10 3D printer – Best Build Volume

The Geeetech A10 is another excellent 3D printer Under $200 that is always compared to the Creality Ender 3.

The competition has been high between these two printers not only because they’re within the same price range, but also because they have so much in common in terms of features and design.

The unique thing about this printer is that you can get prints with a build volume of 220 x 220 x 260-mm, which is slightly bigger than what Creality Ender 3 offers.

The layer resolution of the printer is around 100 – 400 microns again, the same resolution the counterpart offers. However, the heated bed temperature is only 100 degrees Celsius.

Pros:

• High-quality prints
• Largest build volume for this price range

Cons:

• Assembly instruction is a bit complicated
• Manual leveling

Bottom Line

Geeetech A10 3D printer is one of the best affordable 3d printers under $200 that will offer you the biggest build volume available for this price range.

Check also: Incredible 3D Printers for Cosplay in 2021

5. DA VINCI MINI Wireless – Best Auto-Leveling Budget 3D Printer

Can’t put up with the manual calibration? Not a problem. Da Vinci Mini is one of the best budget 3d printers under $200 for any beginner who needs an auto-leveling calibration.

It is easy to use with user-friendly software. The build volume is 150 x 150 x 150-mm, coming out with a layer resolution between 100 and 400 microns.

It doesn’t just stop there. Another thing that makes this printer exceptional is that the XYZ printing filaments are made of natural substances, which makes it okay to leave the printer unwatched while printing, not to mention, it is much safer.

The only thing that users might struggle with is the assembly and the setting up of the printer. The included instruction manual isn’t per se what you can call helpful, and some will find it overwhelming.

However, once you figure everything out, you will be able to print instantly without any issue; actually, it is one of the simplest 3D printers in terms of usage.

One last thing to point out is that this printer has Wi-Fi connection technology, so printing from any room of your house won’t be an issue.

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Auto-leveling calibration
• Filaments derived from natural substances and safe
• Good build volume

Cons:

• The instruction manual is way too complicated
• No heating bed

Bottom Line

DA VINCI MINI Wireless 3D printer is perfect for any beginner who is trying to avoid the hassle of manual leveling. It might be a bit complicated to set up; however, chances are, any beginner will find any other printer complicated at first, so this one doesn’t really make much of a difference.

Read Also: The 5 Powerful 3D Printers Under $300 in 2021

What to Expect When Buying the Best 3d Printer Under $200

1. Benefits:

Easy to Use

Budget 3D printers are intended for beginners who are still not quite with the process. This is why manufacturers are keen to make them simple when it comes to assembly and usage. The software is never that complicated to interact with, and things are straightforward. You just plug-and-play.

Great for Experimenting

3D printing has its learning curve. You don’t expect someone to nail a complicated task on the first couple of trials. These affordable printers give you the chance to learn and experiment.

Understanding the basic capabilities of a 3D printer is a great opportunity for your creativity to grow. Also, it gives you a better understanding of the kind of 3D printer that you should be sticking with for the long term.

2. Drawbacks:

Small Build Volume

Usually, a cheap 3D printer won’t offer you a large build volume, well, at least not as large as an expensive one. However, this is not entirely true because some will offer you a fairly good volume despite not being the largest.

Limited Filament Choices

One of the biggest issues that you might face when it comes to choosing a cheap 3D printer is the filament. This is why it is crucial to make sure that the printer you get is capable of using the material you want for your prints.

Average Print Quality

For a lot of hobbyists and beginners, this is not an issue. It is quite comprehensible that a budget printer wouldn’t offer you high-quality prints, just an average decent print.

Read also: Good 3D Printer under 500$

What to Look for When Buying a Cheap 3D Printer (under $200 or less)

1. Type of Printer

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

This type of technology uses a heating filament to create the object and then feeds it through an extruder along the X, Y, Z axes. This is a widely available type of 3D printer and one of the easiest to use. However, you will need to smooth out your prints after the printing process is over.

Stereolithography (SLA)

This type of technology depends on a chemical reaction to form the layers of the print, which is referred to as “Photo-Solidification.” The main advantage of this technology is that it is highly precise, so you don’t have to worry about the smoothness of the prints, and they turn out to have great quality.

Digital Light Processing (DLP)

The DLP technology is similar to the SLA technology except that light rays initiate the reaction. When light falls on a point in the resin, the polymers harden, and the object is formed with the same precision expected from SLA printing.

Selective Laser Sintering Printers (SLS)

This is the perfect technology for anyone who wants to print objects that are highly detailed and complicated industrial parts. The way the technology works is by focusing a laser beam to a point inside a vat powder. This point solidifies, and the laser moves to the next and so on until the object is formed.

2. Type of Material

There is a wide variety of materials that make the filaments used in the 3D printer. The most common types of filaments are plastic, like PLA and ABS. However, let’s check them and some other common options as well.

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

It is perhaps the most widely used type of filament, and it is plant-derived. This makes it one of the most delicate that needs to be handled only indoors away from sunlight. Another thing that we should point out is that PLA deteriorates with moisture, so you want to keep it somewhere dry.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

This is a much tougher type of plastic that requires high heat temperature to form your object. It is best to use ABS in enclosed 3D printers in a well-ventilated room or even outside because it emits fumes during the printing process.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG)

PETG is another type of plastic that is widely used in the cooking industry. It is safe to become in contact with food, and also it creates a kind of isolation from moisture and bacteria.

Resin

You will need this type of filament if you have an SLA or DLP 3D printer. However, we should point out that there is more than one type of resin, including:

1. Standard Resin

This is the resin type that many hobbyists use to create small gadgets

2. Tough Resin

Tough resin is only used in printing complicated parts. It is only used by professionals mostly for industrial purposes and engineering.

3. Medical Resin

It is a variety of resin that is used in making medical appliances like hearing aids and in dentistry.

3. Resolution

The resolution of your prints will have a great impact on how they look. It is a major indication of the quality of your work, so make sure to get a printer that will help you achieve an impressive final print.

Final Thoughts

By the end of this article, it should be easy for you to find the best 3D printer under $200. All the printers on our list help you achieve decent prints, with some having more advantages than the others.

We believe that Creality Ender 3 is the best budget 3D printer currently available. However, some would like to have an auto-leveling calibration, so the DA VINCI MINI would make a better option. Also, if you are looking to get the largest build volume possible, then Geeetech A10 is the perfect 3D printer for you.