3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Anycubic Kobra 4 vs Snapmaker U1

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Anycubic Kobra 4 vs Snapmaker U1 — documented properties and sources
PropertyAnycubic Kobra 4BEDSLINGERSnapmaker U1TOOLCHANGER
Identity
BrandAnycubicSnapmaker
ClassBEDSLINGERTOOLCHANGER
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Anycubic Kobra 4[1]Snapmaker U1 3D Printer[2]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Listed on the Anycubic store from 29 May 2026 (Shopify publish date)[3]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)[3]$849.00 against a $999.00 compare-at price on us.snapmaker.com, but the listing is marked Unavailable, checked Aug 2026[2]
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][4][5]An optional top cover changes what the machine can print: without it PLA/PETG/TPU/PVA/PCTG; with it ABS, ASA, PA, PC and PET are added; with the top cover AND a hardened-steel nozzle, carbon- and glass-fibre grades. A stated material list for the U1 is therefore meaningless without saying which configuration it refers to[2]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable260 x 260 x 260 mm[1]270 x 270 x 270 mm[2]
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]584 x 499 x 730 mm[2]
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]18.2 kg[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure[1]Open as sold; a top cover is an optional accessory that raises the supported material range[2]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Anycubic's table gives the construction as "Gantry system" - a bed-slinger, not CoreXY[1]Four independent toolheads on a changer; Snapmaker quotes a 5-second swap[2]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s the default[1]500 mm/s maximum toolhead speed (manufacturer claim)[2]
Recommended/typical print speed300 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]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)Not documented32 mm3/s maximum hotend flow (manufacturer claim)[2]
Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping
Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary)Not documentedInput shaping with an accelerometer, run as a calibration routine[2]
Extrusion Pressure Control
Pressure advance (Klipper) / linear advance (Marlin) supported?Not documentedPressure advance, with automatic flow compensation calibration[2]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive ("short distance extrusion")[1]Not documented
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 maximum (manufacturer claim)[2]
Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip)Not documentedStainless steel as standard; hardened steel needed for fibre-filled grades[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit100 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel build plate[1]100 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedNot documentedFlexible steel sheet with a PEI surface[2]
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]Mesh bed levelling. Automatic toolhead offset calibration is done by coordinate measuring[2]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Filament detection with auto resume, entanglement detection and power-loss resume[1]Filament run-out detection, plus air-printing detection and RFID filament recognition[2]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathMulticolour and active drying both require the separate ACE 2 Pro unit; Anycubic quotes 4 independent brushless feed motors in that unit[1]Four toolheads with auto-feed and a backup mode; toolhead swap error detection, build-plate presence and obstruction detection[2]
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting designNot documentedMain plus auxiliary part-cooling fans[2]
Electronics & Power
Total rated power drawNot documentedMaximum input power 1150 W at 220-240 V, 400 W at 100-120 V; maximum input current 6 A / 4 A respectively[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]Klipper[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][5][6]3.5-inch, 320 x 480 touchscreen[2]
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-driveUSB, Anycubic Slicer and the Anycubic app[1]Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and USB flash drive. No Ethernet listed[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Standard HD camera fitted, 720p[1]2 MP built-in chamber camera for live view[2]
Calibration Routines & QoL
Assembly level & time from unbox to first printAnycubic 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 documentedPower-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, PETG, TPU 95A - and Anycubic notes TPU 95A cannot be used through the ACE 2 Pro[1]Base: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, PCTG. With the optional top cover: adds PET, ABS, ASA, PA, PC. With top cover and a hardened-steel nozzle: adds carbon- and glass-fibre-reinforced polymers[2]
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[7]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

  1. Anycubic Kobra 4 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Snapmaker U1 product page us.snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Anycubic Kobra 4 Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Anycubic Kobra X product page (Specifications table) 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 refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor