Best Beginner 3D Printers Under $300
Start your 3D printing journey without breaking the bank. These affordable printers deliver impressive quality and reliability for beginners.
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3D printing used to require thousands of dollars and engineering knowledge. Today, you can get a high-quality beginner printer for under $300 that's ready to use out of the box. Whether you want to make custom phone stands, replacement parts, or even start a small side business, these printers will get you started.
I've been 3D printing for 5 years and have helped dozens of friends get started. These are the printers I actually recommend—machines that are reliable, have great community support, and won't frustrate you as a beginner.
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE - Best Overall
The Ender 3 V3 SE is the latest evolution of the world's most popular beginner 3D printer. It adds auto bed leveling, faster printing speeds, and an improved user interface—all for under $250. This is the printer I recommend to everyone starting out.
Why This is My Top Pick:
The V3 SE fixes all the pain points of earlier Ender 3 models. Auto bed leveling means you spend less time calibrating and more time printing. The sprite direct drive extruder handles flexible filaments better too.
AnkerMake M5C - Fastest Setup
From a company known for reliable consumer electronics, the AnkerMake M5C is the most "plug and play" 3D printer you can buy. It comes 95% assembled, has an incredibly intuitive app, and produces great prints right out of the box.
- ✓500mm/s Max Speed: One of the fastest printers in this price range
- ✓Smart App Control: Start prints, monitor progress, and adjust settings from your phone
- ✓Quick Assembly: 95% pre-assembled, ready to print in 15 minutes
- ✓Excellent Support: AnkerMake's customer service is top-notch
Sovol SV06 - Best Features for the Price
The SV06 packs features you'd normally find on $500+ printers. It has auto-leveling, direct drive extrusion, a PEI build plate, and a 32-bit motherboard—all standard. If you want maximum features for your money, this is it.
🎯 Best For:
People who want to experiment with different filament types (including flexible TPU) and don't want to upgrade their printer right away.
- ✓Direct Drive Extruder: Better for flexible filaments
- ✓PEI Spring Steel Bed: Parts pop off easily when cooled
- ✓Auto Bed Leveling: 25-point mesh leveling included
- ✓Silent Operation: TMC2209 stepper drivers
Elegoo Neptune 4 - Speed Champion
If speed is your priority, the Neptune 4 can print at up to 500mm/s reliably. It's from Elegoo, a company with a solid reputation in both 3D printing and resin printing. Great choice if you want to iterate quickly on designs.
- ✓High-Speed Printing: Up to 500mm/s, 12x faster than basic printers
- ✓Input Shaping: Maintains quality at high speeds
- ✓Dual Z-Axis: More stable and reliable printing
- ✓Resume Printing: Recovers from power outages
Quick Comparison
| Model | Price | Build Volume | Max Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ender 3 V3 SE | $220 | 220x220x250mm | 250mm/s | Most beginners |
| AnkerMake M5C | $250 | 220x220x250mm | 500mm/s | Easy setup |
| Sovol SV06 | $260 | 220x220x250mm | 200mm/s | Maximum features |
| Neptune 4 | $280 | 225x225x265mm | 500mm/s | Speed priority |
Getting Started with 3D Printing
Your first few prints might not be perfect—that's totally normal. Here are some tips to get you printing successfully quickly:
- Start with PLA filament: It's the easiest material to print with and works for 90% of projects.
- Join the community: Each printer has active forums and Facebook groups. Don't hesitate to ask questions.
- Download free models: Sites like Thingiverse and Printables have millions of free designs to get you started.
- Keep it clean: A clean build surface and properly stored filament prevent most printing issues.
What Can You Actually Make?
The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are some practical things people actually print:
- • Replacement parts for household items (drawer pulls, clips, organizers)
- • Custom phone cases and stands
- • Board game organizers and accessories
- • Prototype parts for DIY projects
- • Gifts and decorations
- • Miniatures for painting or tabletop games
- • Cookie cutters and kitchen tools
Final Recommendation
For most beginners, I recommend the Creality Ender 3 V3 SE. It's the sweet spot of price, performance, and ease of use. The huge community support means you'll never be stuck if you run into issues, and it's reliable enough that you'll still be using it years from now.
If you want something even easier to set up, go with the AnkerMake M5C. And if you want maximum features for your money, the Sovol SV06 is hard to beat.