3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Anycubic Kobra 4 vs UltiMaker S8

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Anycubic Kobra 4 vs UltiMaker S8 — documented properties and sources
PropertyAnycubic Kobra 4BEDSLINGERUltiMaker S8INDUSTRIAL
Identity
BrandAnycubicUltiMaker
ClassBEDSLINGERINDUSTRIAL
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Anycubic Kobra 4[1]UltiMaker S8 3D Printer[2][3]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Listed on the Anycubic store from 29 May 2026 (Shopify publish date)[4]Launched March 2025; the technical-specification and pricing announcement is dated 14 March 2025[3]
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]Starting at $8,999 at MatterHackers, in stock, checked Aug 2026. The launch announcement quoted approximately $9,000[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]Sold as printer-only or as a Pro Bundle. The bundle is not a trim level but a different machine footprint and weight: 495 x 500 x 1210.5 mm and 47.7 kg with the 6-spool Material Station, versus 495 x 585 x 800.5 mm and 30 kg for the printer alone. Print cores AA+ 0.40 x2 are included; BB, CC+ and DD 0.40 are separate purchases[2][3]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable260 x 260 x 260 mm[1]330 x 240 x 300 mm[2][3]
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]495 x 585 x 800.5 mm printer only; 495 x 500 x 1210.5 mm as the Pro Bundle[2][3]
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]30 kg printer only; 47.7 kg as the Pro Bundle[2][3]
Frame construction & materialNot documentedFully assembled, made in Europe[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure[1]Enclosed, with an Air Manager UltiMaker says removes up to 95% of ultrafine particles[2][3]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)Not documentedBuild-volume temperature under 50 °C with open-loop control (manufacturer figure)[2][3]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Anycubic's table gives the construction as "Gantry system" - a bed-slinger, not CoreXY[1]Dual-extrusion print head with auto nozzle-lifting, flood detection and inductive probing. UltiMaker's Cheetah motion planner uses third-order continuous motion with corner blending[2][3]
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)600 mm/s maximum print speed (manufacturer claim), 300 mm/s the default[1]Up to 500 mm/s in XY (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
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]Up to 50,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Jerk / square-corner-velocity setting (exact value)Not documentedJerk up to 100,000,000 mm/s3 (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)Not documentedUp to 35 mm3/s extrusion flow (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive ("short distance extrusion")[1]Dual gripper feeder with tension adjustment, release function and filament feed-rate control[2][3]
Filament diameterNot documented2.85 mm[2][3]
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]Swappable print cores; AA+ 0.40 x2 included, BB 0.40 / CC+ 0.40 / DD 0.40 sold separately[2][3]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C maximum nozzle temperature[1]Up to 340 °C (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit100 C maximum hotbed temperature on a PEI spring steel build plate[1]Up to 120 °C on a flexible PEI plate (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedNot documentedFlexible PEI plate[2][3]
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]Inductive probing, integrated into the print head[2][3]
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 documentedDual spool holder with NFC recognition on the printer; the Pro Bundle substitutes a 6-spool Material Station with NFC and a dual-geared abrasion-resistant feeder[2][3]
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]Not documented
Cooling & Air Handling
Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA)Not documentedAir Manager, which UltiMaker says removes up to 95% of ultrafine particles[2][3]
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 published; print preparation is UltiMaker Cura 5.10 or newer, fleet management via UltiMaker Digital Factory[2][3]
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][7]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-driveUSB, Anycubic Slicer and the Anycubic app[1]Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0[2][3]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Standard HD camera fitted, 720p[1]Full HD HDR camera[2][3]
Calibration Routines & QoL
Assembly level & time from unbox to first printAnycubic claims assembly and first print within 15 minutes[1]Not documented
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, PETG, TPU 95A - and Anycubic notes TPU 95A cannot be used through the ACE 2 Pro[1]UltiMaker cites 301+ compatible materials including its own PLA, PETG, ABS, CPE, CPE+, PC, TPU and PET-CF, plus third-party grades[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]Under 50 dBA operating sound, manufacturer figure. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[2][3]
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, extendable to 5 years with an UltiMakerCare plan[2][3]
Independently Measured Performance
Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers)Not documentedDimensional accuracy +/-0.15 mm +/-0.15% of feature nominal length (manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement)[2][3]
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. UltiMaker S8 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. New UltiMaker S8 high-speed 3D printer: technical specifications and pricing 3dprintingindustry.com · 2026-08 · review
  4. Anycubic Kobra 4 Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Anycubic Kobra X product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Anycubic Kobra S1 product page (Specifications table) store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Anycubic refund and warranty policy store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor