Printer comparison
Anycubic Kobra 4 vs FlashForge AD5X
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Anycubic Kobra 4 comparisonsMore FlashForge AD5X comparisons
| Property | Anycubic Kobra 4BEDSLINGER | FlashForge AD5XCOREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Anycubic | FlashForge |
| Class | BEDSLINGER | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Anycubic Kobra 4[1] | Flashforge AD5X, sold as "AD5X - Multicolor 3D Printer for High-Speed, Full-Color Printing"[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Listed on the Anycubic store from 29 May 2026 (Shopify publish date)[4] | Not documented |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $279.00 with a US plug on store.anycubic.com, Aug 2026, against a compare-at price of $379.00 ($320.90 for the EU plug variant)[4] | $399.00 sale against a $549.00 compare-at price on flashforge.com, in stock, with a further $50 off at checkout, checked Aug 2026. A refurbished AD5X is listed at $315.00[2][3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Shares its 260 mm cube volume and its exact machine dimensions (455.4 x 445.3 x 461.3 mm) with the Kobra X, so those two cannot be told apart on size. The difference is multicolour: the Kobra X ships with native 4-colour capability, while the Kobra 4 needs an ACE 2 Pro unit for multicolour and drying. The Kobra 4 also has a smaller 3.5-inch screen where the Kobra 3 and S1 use 4.3-inch panels[1][5][6] | Shares the 220 mm Adventurer chassis with the 5M and 5M Pro but differs on the points that matter: 300 °C nozzle (vs 280 °C), 4-colour IFS unit, NO air filtration, NO auto shutdown, and a 300 mm/s print speed against a 600 mm/s travel speed. 3DJake and eolasprints both describe it as open-frame[2][7][8][9] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 260 x 260 x 260 mm[1] | 220 x 220 x 220 mm advertised[2][7] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 455.4 x 445.3 x 461.3 mm for the printer; the optional ACE 2 Pro is a separate 368 x 291.5 x 236.5 mm unit[1] | Not documented |
| Net weight (kg) | 9.9 kg for the printer (ACE 2 Pro 3.7 kg); packaged 12.6 kg bare or 17.5 kg as the Combo[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame, no enclosure[1] | Open frame, no enclosure and no air filtration — FlashForge's own table records "Air Filtration: No". Chamber lighting and remote monitoring are listed as expandable options rather than fitted[2][8] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Anycubic's table gives the construction as "Gantry system" - a bed-slinger, not CoreXY[1] | CoreXY[8] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s the default[1] | FlashForge publishes two separate figures: max travel speed 600 mm/s and max print speed 300 mm/s. The 300 mm/s print figure is the one that describes printing[2][7] |
| Recommended/typical print speed | 300 mm/s default print speed (manufacturer figure)[1] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration, 10000 mm/s2 recommended[1] | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[2][7] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct drive ("short distance extrusion")[1] | Direct drive, one extruder, fed by the 4-colour Intelligent Filament System (IFS)[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Hardened-steel nozzle, 0.4 mm standard with 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1] | Not documented |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 300 C maximum nozzle temperature[1] | 300 °C claimed[2][7] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | Not documented | 0.4 mm default; 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[2][7] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 100 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel build plate[1] | 110 °C claimed[2][7] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | PEI flexible spring-steel sheet[2][7] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | LeviQ 3.0 49-point auto-levelling with Z-offset; Anycubic claims levelling repeatability under 0.02 mm and states no manual compensation is needed[1] | Automatic levelling; probe technology not named[2][7] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament detection with auto resume, entanglement detection and power-loss resume[1] | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[2][7] |
| Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path | Multicolour and active drying both require the separate ACE 2 Pro unit; Anycubic quotes 4 independent brushless feed motors in that unit[1] | Four-colour printing via the integrated Intelligent Filament System (IFS), which handles filament switching[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Kobra OS with pressure advance and flow calibration; a built-in accelerometer drives vibration compensation[1] | Not named by FlashForge; the supported slicers are Orca-Flashforge and OrcaSlicer[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen - smaller than the 4.3-inch panels on the Kobra 3 and S1 series[1][6][10] | Not documented |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | Touchscreen plus Anycubic Slicer, the Anycubic app and USB; AI spaghetti detection and object skip supported[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Anycubic Slicer and the Anycubic app[1] | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[2][7] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Standard HD camera fitted, 720p[1] | Not documented |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Anycubic claims assembly and first print within 15 minutes[1] | Not documented |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Not documented | Power-outage recovery supported; mechanism not published[2][7] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, PETG, TPU 95A - and Anycubic notes TPU 95A cannot be used through the ACE 2 Pro[1] | PETG, PLA, TPU95A, TPU64D-75D, PLA-CF, PETG-CF[2][7] |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | 48 dB or less in standard mode and 45 dB or less in silent print mode - manufacturer figures with no distance or method stated[1] | 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[11] | Not documented |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Benchmark print times (source + settings) | Anycubic claims a 14-minute Benchy - a manufacturer figure with no slicer settings published, not an independent measurement[1] | Not documented |
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
- Anycubic Kobra 4 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge AD5X multicolour 3D printer product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge store product feed (live prices and stock) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Anycubic Kobra 4 Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Anycubic Kobra X product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge AD5X technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
- Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Anycubic Kobra S1 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Anycubic refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor