3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs PETG

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

ABS+ / Tough ABS guidePETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore PETG comparisons
ABS+ vs PETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSPETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reformulated for lower warping and a higher glass transition; Polymaker's ABS Pro and ABS Max reach Tg 114.9 and 126.3 °C against 101 °C for PolyLite ABS[1][2][3]Polyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[4][5][6][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[8]1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][8][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[8][11][12]12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[9][8][13][10][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[8]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[9][8][16][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][10]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Functional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[4][5][7]
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[4][7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][17]Open frame is fine[7]
Part cooling fanNot documentedAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[4][7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[17][18]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[4][7]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 250 mm/s (ABS Pro) and 200 mm/s (ABS Max), equivalent to 20 and 16 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][2][19]8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[19][20]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[17]Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[4][7]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[21]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[4][7]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Easy — minor profile tuning[7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[17]Non-abrasive[7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[18][22]Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[23][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[18]Slightly sensitive[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]No special hot-end required[23]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[4][24]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4][24]
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2]60–65 °C for 6–8 h[7][24]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[25]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[4]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[25]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[25]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][26]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[4][5][6][27]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[4][5][6][7]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[5][6][7][4]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[4][5][6][7]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4][5][6][7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[5][6][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[4][27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[4][5][27]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Moderate[4][5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[4][27][28][29]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 115 °C (ABS Pro) and 126 °C (ABS Max) keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][2]Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no S-N curve found; 6.7–7.3 % elongation and 10.5–14.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy, below unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[1][2][30]Moderate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][5][7]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[4][5][7]
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]71–81 (DSC)[5][6][7]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[5][6][7]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[27][28][29][20][32]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[34]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[35][26]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[21]Moderate — a season or two[4]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption[4]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[21]PET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[21]Not biodegradable[26]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[21]PET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[26]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[36][17]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[36]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[36]≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[36]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[36][17]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[36][17]Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[21]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[23]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[21]Paint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[23]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[4]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[37][17]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[23]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[4][7]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[38][3]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[39][40]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[38][41]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[40]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[40]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  2. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  3. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  35. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  37. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc