3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Anycubic Kobra 3 Max vs FlashForge Creator 4

Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.

2 selected · all documented properties

Anycubic Kobra 3 Max vs FlashForge Creator 4 — documented properties and sources
PropertyAnycubic Kobra 3 MaxBEDSLINGERFlashForge Creator 4IDEX
Identity
BrandAnycubicFlashForge
ClassBEDSLINGERIDEX
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Anycubic Kobra 3 Max[1]Flashforge Creator 4, sold in A and S configurations (Creator 4A, Creator 4S)[2]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Listed on the Anycubic store from 19 February 2025 (Shopify publish date)[3]Not documented
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$429.00 with a US plug on store.anycubic.com, Aug 2026, against a compare-at price of $699.00 ($493.00 for the EU plug variant)[3]$10,999.00 at Top 3D Shop with a 2-3 week lead time, checked Aug 2026[2]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Same 420 x 420 x 500 mm build volume as the older Kobra 2 Max, so build volume will not tell them apart - but the Kobra 3 Max is faster (600 mm/s claimed against 500), runs Kobra OS with multi-colour support and a 4.3-inch touchscreen, and is lighter at 19 kg against 21 kg. Its acceleration ceiling is 10000 mm/s2, half the 20000 mm/s2 of the smaller Kobra 3 - a difference the marketing does not lead with[1][4][5]Two factory configurations that share the chassis but not the temperature ceiling: Creator 4A ships 2 x HT extruders (320 °C max, no composite support), Creator 4S ships 1 x HT + 1 x HS (360 °C max, supports PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF, PPS-CF). A third extruder type, F, is rated 265 °C and intended for flexibles. Any published "360 °C" figure applies only to the HS head[2]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable420 x 420 x 500 mm, which Anycubic states as 88 L[1]400 x 350 x 500 mm[2]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)706 x 640 x 753 mm[1]840 x 675 x 1000 mm (1050 mm on the stand). FlashForge specifies an installation space of at least 1400 x 1500 x 1600 mm[2]
Net weight (kg)19 kg[1]90 kg net[2]
Frame construction & materialNot documentedFully enclosed professional chassis on a stand[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure[1]Fully enclosed with HEPA 13 filtration and an actively controlled chamber[2]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)Not documentedUp to 65 °C, actively controlled (manufacturer claim)[2]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Anycubic's table gives the construction as "Gantry System" - a bed-slinger, with dual Y-axis motors added to stop layer misalignment on the large moving bed[1]IDEX — two independently driven extruders on the same gantry[2]
Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?)Semi-automatic belt tensioning, which Anycubic pairs with motor anti-skip[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s recommended[1]10-200 mm/s, adjustable per material. On the 4S the HS head is quoted 100-150 mm/s and the HT head 100-200 mm/s (manufacturer figures)[2]
Recommended/typical print speed300 mm/s recommended print speed (manufacturer figure)[1]Not documented
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)10000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration - half the ceiling of the smaller Kobra 3, because of the moving mass[1][5]Not documented
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive ("short distance extrusion") with a quick-release hotend[1]Direct drive, two independent extruders, interchangeable modules (F / HT / HS)[2]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)300 C quick-release hotend with an aerospace-grade ceramic composite throat tube; 0.4 mm standard nozzle, expandable to 0.6 and 0.8 mm[1]Not documented
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C maximum nozzle temperature[1]Depends on the fitted extruder module: F 265 °C, HT 320 °C, HS 360 °C[2]
Stock nozzle size & sizes included in boxNot documented0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit90 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel plate - 20 C below the smaller Kobra 3[1][5]130 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2]
Heat-up time to 60°C (measured preferred)Anycubic claims the ultra-large hotbed heats up in 125 s; no target temperature is stated for that figure and it is a manufacturer claim, not a measurement[1]Not documented
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)LeviQ 3.0 auto-levelling with Z-offset and area levelling[1]Automatic bed levelling; FlashForge does not name the probe technology in this spec table[2]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Filament detection with auto resume, entanglement detection and power-loss resume[1]Not documented
Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibilityNot documentedTwo spool bays, 1 kg and 2 kg capacity[2]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathSupports 4- or 8-colour printing with ACE Pro units[1]Not documented
Electronics & Power
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documentedAC 100-130 V / 200-240 V, 50-60 Hz, 30 A overcurrent protection[2]
Total rated power drawNot documented2320 W rated[2]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Kobra OS; Anycubic Slicer Next is built on the open-source Orca slicer[1]Not named; the supported slicer is FlashPrint[2]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen[1]7-inch touchscreen, 1024 x 600[2]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)Touchscreen plus slicer, Anycubic app and USB (print only); AI spaghetti detection and object skip supported[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drivePrinter UI, slicing software, Anycubic app and USB drive (print only)[1]USB flash drive, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, PETG, TPU (TPU is not compatible with the ACE Pro)[1]Standard and engineering plastics on the HT head; the HS head adds PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF and PPS-CF. Materials such as PC, PA and carbon fibre are the stated targets for the 130 °C bed[2]
Noise & Power Consumption
Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method)60 dB or less in standard mode - a manufacturer figure with no distance or method stated; markedly higher than the 46-48 dB Anycubic claims for the Kobra S1 and Kobra 4[1][6][7]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)One year on the complete machine (excluding gifted and second-hand machines), with component warranty periods that vary by part; the period starts on the delivery date and is suspended while a replacement is in transit. Anycubic states it will follow longer local statutory periods where they apply[8]12 months on the printer, 3 months on extruder parts[2]

Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. 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. Anycubic Kobra 3 Max product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Flashforge Creator 4 (A/S) product listing with full spec table top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Anycubic Kobra 3 Max Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Anycubic Kobra 2 Max store page and Shopify product JSON (Tech Specs block, price, store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Anycubic Kobra S1 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Anycubic Kobra 4 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Anycubic refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor