The best 3D printers under 500 dollars are here! Each printer on this list has strengths and each has weaknesses. What every 3D printer on this list has in common is that they offer incredible value at this price range.
So, whether you are a 3D printing novice or a pro, and whether you are printing mechanical components or miniature figurines, our list of the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025 has something for you.
We are going to get into our full list in a moment. First, here’s a peek at our choice for the overall best 3D printer under 500 dollars in 2025.
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The Best 3D printer under 500 dollars in 2025
The Good
- Auto-Bed-Leveling Sensor
- Dual Y-Axis Motors
- Upgrades Available
The Bad
- Bad Set-Up Instructions
- Loose Spool
- Filament Feed Clogs
The Bottom Line:
The Creality Ender 5 Plus is one of the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025. It’s a great 3D printer, which is an affordable high-end option and makes great quality models.
This 3D printer also doesn’t have any bed wobble, which is awesome for everyone.
No matter what you are looking for in a 3d printer under 500 dollars, you’ll find it in the Creality Ender 5 Plus.
Want to skip our list?
Here are the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025
- best 3D printer under 500 dollars | Creality Ender 5 Plus
- best PLA 3D printer under 500 dollars | Prusa Mini
- best dual-extrusion 3D printer under 500 dollars | Qidi Tech X Pro
- best 3D printer under 500 dollars for beginners | Creality Ender 3 Pro
- best 3D printer under 500 dollars for schools | FlashForge Finder
- best simple 3D printer under 500 dollars | Anycubic Mega x
- Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
- Monoprice Maker Select v2
- Creality CR-10 Mini
- TEVO Tornado
Best 3D Printers Under 500 Dollars | Some Quick Background
different types of 3D printers Under 500 Dollars
PLA
PLA printers use a thin plastic string called filament for printing. These 3D printers heat up the filament so it is pliable. Then they place the filament where it needs to go with a heated nozzle.
PLA printers are great at printing larger, less detailed things, like props or mechanical components. They usually don’t have enough detail to print small, complex things.
Resin
Resin printers use a liquid material called resin to print. The printer places the resin where it needs to be, and hardens it with a small laser. These 3D printers are great at printing small, detailed things, but beware; they tend to smell terrible.
Dual Extrusion
A dual-extrusion 3D printer is just a PLA printer with two nozzles. This allows for more complex structures and different filament types.
What A 3D printing beginner Should be looking for
If you are a beginner, then you should look for a 3D printer that is ready to go out of the box. Also, be sure the printer you choose allows for the material of your choice and a large enough print volume.
Top 10 Best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025
That’s all the background we need for this list. It’s pretty straightforward; here’s the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025.
The best 3D printer under 500 dollars in 2025
The Good
- Auto-Bed-Leveling Sensor
- Dual Y-Axis Motors
- Upgrades Available
The Bad
- Bad Set-Up Instructions
- Loose Spool
- Filament Feed Clogs
The Bottom Line:
As we said above, the Creality Ender 5 Plus is an amazing 3D printer. It is an affordable high-end option, and it makes great quality models. It’s truly one of the most versatile 3D printers we’ve ever used, and that’s why it’s our choice for the best 3d printer under 500 dollars in 2025. Go check it out!
The best PLA 3D printer under 500 dollars of 2025
The Good
- Compact Sleek Design
- Great Slicer Software
- Color LCD Screen
The Bad
- Cannot Restart after Power Outage
- Limited Filaments
- Bowden System Jams
The Bottom Line:
The Prusa Mini is probably the best PLA 3D printer under 500 dollars we’ve ever reviewed. It offers Prusa’s notorious quality in a compact desktop design, and it constantly has updates and upgrades being released to make the printer better and better. This is a great 3D printer, and you should definitely check it out.
The best dual-extrusion 3D printer under 500 dollars of 2025
The Good
- Glowing Customer Reviews
- 4.3″ Color Touchscreen
- Heated Aluminum Build Platform
The Bad
- Short WIFI Range
- No USB connection
- Limited Hot End Temps
The Bottom Line:
The Qidi Tech X Pro has a color touchscreen for easy input, has an enclosed build area to protect your models, and it has a bunch of glowing customer reviews. That’s why it’s the best dual-extrusion 3D printer under 500 dollars of 2025.
The best 3D printer under 500 dollars for beginners of 2025
The Good
- Easy Setup
- Huge Community
- Lots Of Available Upgrades
The Bad
- Doesn’t Work Well at Full Speed
- No Dust Cover
- Confusing Instructions
The Bottom Line:
The Creality Ender 3 Pro is a great 3D printer under 500 dollars. This 3D printer has great print quality for the price and it uses Ultimaker Cura software, which is one of the industry’s favorite slicers.
The Creality Ender 3 Pro doesn’t print as well at full-speed, so you should print at half-speed, but it’s still a fantastic 3D printer. In fact, we still think it’s the best 3d printer under 500 dollars for beginners of 2025.
The best 3D printer under 500 dollars for schools of 2025
The Good
- Affordable
- Slide-Out Build Plate
- Simple Operation
The Bad
- Doesn’t Support ABS Filament
- Needs Additional Parts Printed
- Can’t Resume After Power Outage
The Bottom Line:
The FlashForge Finder offers 3D printing for beginners at a reasonable price. It needs additional parts to be printed and attached to be truly practical, but it also has a slide-out build plate for easy model removal. Finally, the FlashForge Finder is a great value printer. We love this 3D printer, and you will too.
The best simple 3D printer under 500 dollars of 2025
The Good
- Simple Assembly
- PLA Filament Included
- Very Precise Printing
The Bad
- Clunky Interface
- Intermittent Pausing Issues
- None
The Bottom Line:
The Anycubic Mega x is probably the best simple 3D printer under 500 dollars currently on the market. It has a microporous coating on the bed to reduce sticking and it has a touchscreen for easier input. Many of our readers have commented about how much they love the Anycubic Mega x. Figure out what you’ve been missing.
Top 10 Best 3D printers under 500 dollars In 2025 | Other Great Options
The Good
- Expandable Filament Holder
- Heated Glass Platform
- Direct Drive Extruder With Volcano Nozzle
The Bad
- Quality Control Problems
- Complicated Operation
- Needs some fine adjustments to operate properly
The Bottom Line:
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 is an absolute unit of a 3D printer. This thing is great. It also has some flaws. However, on the whole, this 3D printer is amazing.
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 is one of the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2020 because it looks tidy and clean. It has a direct drive extruder for more precise models and it has an interface that is easy to navigate. If you are still reading this far, maybe you should take a closer look at the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4.
The Good
- Great Print Detail
- Wide Range of Filament Types
- Printable Upgrades
The Bad
- Flimsy Parts
- Bad Power Supply
- Requires Tinkering
The Bottom Line:
The Monoprice Maker Select v2 is one of our favorite 3D printers under 500 dollars. This 3D printer works with a huge range of filament types and materials and it has great print detail at a resonable price. It has a lot of upgrades online available to be printed and installed, and it’s worth the price.
The Good
- Compact Desktop Printer
- Supports Multiple Printing Materials
- Sturdy Aluminum Base
The Bad
- Glass Bed Subject To Warping
- Grinding at the end of X and Y Axis
- Frequent Shipping Problems
The Bottom Line:
This 3D printer allows to print in multiple materials, including PLA, carbon fibre, and wood. It also is an affordable entry-model.
The Creality CR-10 Mini has been known to ship with pieces disconnected or missing and it has a glass bed that often warps and needs to be replaced. However, it still has great resume print control to continue printing after changing filaments, and it’s still a solid 3D printer under 500 dollars.
The Good
- Fast Setup
- Compact Desk-Top Design
- Large Print Volume
The Bad
- Firmware Issues
- Lackluster Hot Bed
- Better Options Available
The Bottom Line:
The TEVO Tornado is a great 3D printer. It is an affordable alternative to Creality printers, and it has a large print volume for the size.
This 3D printer has some firmware issues and software quirks and it isn’t the best 3D printer of this type at this price point. However, it still is a compact, desktop 3D printer. In our opinion, it’s still one of the best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025, and it deserves to be on this list.
Top 10 Best 3D printers under 500 dollars In 2025 | Final Thoughts
Well, that was our list of the top 10 best 3D printers under 500 dollars in 2025. Is there a printer you think should have made our list? Let us know in the comments below! Take care of yourselves.
