Top 5 Budget 3D Printers for Beginners in 2022

In this article, I will share my recommendations for my top 5 budget 3D printers for beginners in 2022.

Please note that even if budget 3D printers have come a long way, and improved a lot, you still need to spend a bit of time learning how they work and you might also need to do some kind of troubleshooting in case something goes wrong. This applies to most 3D printers out there, but more expensive machines can make it a bit easier with higher quality components while also being more expensive (although this is not a rule).

In the end, also keep in mind that 3D printing didn’t reach the point where a printer can be considered an appliance had it’s as easy to use as a regular paper printer. Be prepared to learn about this, to avoid disappointment

Anycubic Kobra

My favorite printer which I can recommend for any beginner in 3D printing for 2022 is the new Anycubic Kobra. Even though it’s one of the most expensive 3D printers in this article, it’s also one of the easiest to use when you know nothing about 3D printing.

It has a build volume of 220x220x250 which is enough for most prints you are planning to print, and the direct drive extruder helps avoid some print quality issues you might get with a bowden setup. It also comes with a fixed bed and a PEI printing surface which will allow you to start printing in less than an hour without fiddling with first layer calibration or bed leveling which might be an issue for new users.

I recently reviewed the Kobra and I was happy with how easy it was to set up and the results I was getting so if you’re looking to get it as your first 3D printer, make sure you check out my Anycubic Kobra review for more information.

For the same amount of money, you could also look into the Artillery Genius Pro.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Easy setup
• Titan extruder clone in Direct Drive setup
• 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Sensorless Homing
• Auto Bed Leveling
• Fixed bed that doesn’t require manual leveling
• PEI magnetic flex plate for bed leveling
• Integrated belt tensioners

The Bad

• Proprietary heat break which cannot be easily upgraded to bi-metal/all-metal

The Ugly

• A bit more expensive than other budget 3D printers out there
• The community around this printer is not as big as for older machines
• Noisier than other budget 3D printers

The Anycubic Kobra can be purchased from the following websites:

Anycubic
Aliexpress
Banggood
Geekbuying
Amazon

Artillery Hornet

The Artillery Hornet has been around for a while already, and the price is really good for what you get. It has the same build volume as the other machines in this article, but it lacks a removable print surface or any automated bed leveling system which is reflected in the price.

Even so, the machine is silent and has manual bed leveling integrated into the firmware which does mostly the same thing as ABL, but you need to spend a bit more time with it.

It has a geared 3:1 titan extruder clone that’ works well, and the bowden system it uses ensures no movement of the PTFE tube, minimizing any printing issues that might occur during use.

I also reviewed the Artillery Hornet and I shared more information about it including some of the issues I encountered with it during the review period. Still, a worthy mention for a budget 3D printer for beginners in 2022.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Titan extruder clone
• Interesting bowden setup which makes the printer look really clean
• Silent operation (it’s the most silent machine I own)
• Dual part cooling fans
• Good firmware with Mesh Bed Leveling out of the box
• It used a full-size SD card
• It comes with a 32-bit board that has removable stepper drivers
• The spool holder is set in a nice location

The Bad

• The glass print surface is glued to the bed with silicone glue
• My unit had gaps in some sections of the bed, which caused small bed temperature uniformity issues
• Proprietary hotend design

The Ugly

• The screen has some backlight bleeding

The Artillery Hornet can be purchased from the following websites:

Amazon
Banggood
Geekbuying
AliExpress
TomTop

Elegoo Neptune 3

I haven’t used an Elegoo Neptune 3, but this printer’s price is very attractive and comes with a good spec sheet. It’s a bowden style 3D printer but it uses an all-metal dual-drive extruder which will provide a good grip on the filament compared to other machines like the Ender 3 V2.

Besides that, it comes with a fixed bed and a PEI magnetic flex plate as a print surface which will ensure good adhesion of the model during printing. It also has auto bed leveling integrated into the nozzle which is also helpful in getting that perfect first layer.

For a little over 200$, you get a partially assembled 3D printer which should allow you to start printing in less than an hour. For this kind of price, it’s an easy recommendation as you don’t risk a lot of money when purchasing, so you can easily sell it or give it away if this hobby is not for you.

Also keep in mind that for the moment, the printer is only available for pre-order on Elegoo’s website. I haven’t tried it, but the reviews seem good so I think it’s worth checking out.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Dual-gear metal extruder
• 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Removable touchscreen
• Auto Bed Leveling using the nozzle
• Fixed bed that doesn’t require manual leveling
• PEI magnetic flex plate for good adhesion and easy removal of prints
• Integrated belt tensioners
• Dual part-cooling fans
• Filament sensor with clog detection
• Excellent price for the spec list

The Bad

The Ugly

• Currently hard to get

The Elegoo Neptune 3 can be purchased from the following websites:

Elegoo

Ender 3 V2

I will also add the Ender 3 V2 in this article because it’s a popular printer used by a large number of people out there. It’s not the cheapest machine, and also not the best equipped, but the value for it is for the guides and information available out there for this printer, which might be helpful when you are starting with 3D printing.

A lot of hardware and software upgrades are made with this particular machine in mind, so this is probably the reason why people still decide to get the Ender 3 V2 as a beginner 3D printer. It doesn’t have a removable printing surface, and also doesn’t come with auto bed leveling out of the box, so keep that in mind before making a purchase decision.

If you don’t mind spending a bit of time learning more about 3D printing and getting help from other communities out there, the other machines might be a better value and some of that information also applies to this.

The Good

• Decent print quality out of the box
• 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Easily hackable and moddable
• Good community around the printer, with a lot of resources available online

The Bad

• The machine is noisy because of the fans
• Single-gear extruder made from plastic
• No auto bed leveling

The Ugly

• No magnetic flex plate surface, but the glass printing surface is still decent

The Creality Ender 3 V2 can be purchased from the following websites:

Amazon
Banggood
Creality
Geekbuying
AliExpress

Kingroon KP3S 3.0

If you don’t really need the extra printing volume the other machines provide, I strongly recommend checking out the Kingroon KP3S 3.0 as a beginner 3D printer in 2022.

This printer has linear rails for the X and Y axis, a direct drive titan clone extruder, a removable magnetic printing surface, and everything is tightly integrated into a small body that doesn’t take a lot of space.

180x180x180mm might seem small, but I think it’s also good enough for a lot of printing scenarios and it might be a good thing considering how little space it takes.

It’s also a highly moddable machine, so you can easily upgrade it along the way with various mods from the community or by purchasing better hardware for it. You can even upgrade the KP3S to Klipper firmware which will unlock the capabilities of this printer allowing you to print much faster than stock.

The KP3S from Kingroon is one of my favorite compact 3D printers right now, and I have no problem recommending it as a budged 3D printer for beginners in 2022, especially considering the price which is around 170USD most of the time.

I reviewed the previous version of the KP3S, but the new one seems much improved and most of the issues I complained about should now be solved.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Titan extruder clone in direct drive setup
• 5015 part cooling fan
• Compact size
• Linear rails for X and Y-axis
• 32-bit board with removable stepper drivers
• Removable magnetic printing surface
• Easily hackable and moddable
• Good community around the printer

The Bad

• The machine is not very silent

The Ugly

• The power supply is external and takes extra space
• The spool holder is also external and takes space
• No auto bed leveling, but the bed is small enough not to be an issue
• The small touchscreen is located in an awkward position

The Kingroon KP3S V3.0 can be purchased from the following websites:

Amazon
Banggood
Geekbuying
AliExpress
TomTop

Wrapping Up

If you decided to get one of the printers I shared in my top 5, then I recommend also checking the Discount Codes page where I share various discount codes that apply to some of the machines shown in this article.

I would also love to hear other people’s opinions about their favorite budget printer. If you got a different machine, and have had a good experience with it, feel free to leave a comment below and share it with others.