3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 vs Creality K1

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

2 selected · all documented properties

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 vs Creality K1 — documented properties and sources
PropertyANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7RESINCreality K1COREXY
Identity
BrandAnycubicCreality
ClassRESINCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7[1][2]Creality K1 (store title "Creality K1 Speedy 3D Printer")[3][4]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$493.00 on store.anycubic.com against a $597.00 compare-at price, in stock and quoted as shipping in 24 hours, checked Aug 2026[1]$299.00 on store.creality.com, Aug 2026. Creality's own K1-series comparison page shows $389 against a struck-through $599 on the same day[4][3]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Distinct from the Photon Mono M7 Pro, which shares the 223 x 126 x 230 mm envelope and a 10.1-inch 14K LCD but adds LighTurbo 3.0 optics, a heated peristaltic-pump vat and auto resin refill, and runs 170 vs 150 mm/h on high-speed resin. The M5s is a different machine again (12K, 218 x 123 x 200 mm). 3DJake shows the M7 sold out[1][5][6][2][7]Base model of the K1 family. The differences that matter are in the hotend: the K1 uses a metal + PTFE-tube hotend with a copper nozzle, while the K1C is all-metal with a steel-tipped nozzle integrated with the heatbreak and adds an air filter and a 1080p AI camera. Creality's own comparison table annotates the K1 hotend "Changing to All-metal Soon", so the hotend on a given unit depends on when it was built - check before buying. The K1 Max is the 300 mm version with 1000 W rated power and Ethernet; the K1 SE has a PA+30%GF hotend and an epoxy plate[3][8]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable223 x 126 x 230 mm (Anycubic quotes 6.5 L)[1][2]220 x 220 x 250 mm[3]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)312 x 315 x 520 mm[1][2]355 x 355 x 480 mm[3]
Net weight (kg)12 kg[1][2]12.5 kg (Tom's Hardware measurement)[9]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen-frame MSLA with a UV-blocking cover[1]Enclosed with passive chamber heating only - Creality's comparison table lists "Passive Heating" for the K1, K1C and K1 Max and no chamber heating for the K1 SE[3]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)MSLA, single Z axis on dual linear rails, straight-lift peel[1][2]CoreXY (Creality's own K1-series comparison table)[3]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashDual linear rails, Anycubic quotes 10 um Z precision[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)Not documented600 mm/s max printing speed (manufacturer claim). Creality's own footnote says the 600 mm/s figure was achieved in Creality Lab and that the typical speed is 300 mm/s[3][8]
Recommended/typical print speedNot documented300 mm/s typical printing speed with 12000 mm/s2 typical acceleration, stated by Creality alongside the 600 mm/s headline[3]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documented20000 mm/s2 max acceleration (manufacturer claim)[3]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameNot documentedDual-gear direct-drive extruder[3]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Not documentedMetal hotend with a PTFE (Teflon) tube in the filament path and a copper nozzle. Creality's own comparison table adds "(Changing to All-metal Soon)", so this is a moving target across production runs[3]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)Not documented300 C claimed max nozzle temperature[3]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limitNot documented100 C max heatbed temperature[3]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedLaser-engraved build plate[1]Coated steel flex plate, heated, removable[9]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Levelling-free — no user levelling step[1][2]Automatic bed levelling (Tom's Hardware); unlike the K1 Max there is no lidar[9][10]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Not documentedFilament run-out sensor fitted[9]
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting designNot documentedClosed-loop part-cooling fan; PWM hotend cooling fan[3]
Electronics & Power
Total rated power draw135 W power supply[1]350 W rated power[3]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Not documentedCreality OS, a Klipper derivative. Creality publishes the source as CrealityOfficial/K1_Series_Klipper on GitHub, whose own description is "clone from https://github.com/Klipper3d/klipper/", GPL-3.0, last pushed December 2025[11][12][3]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?4.3-inch touch control screen (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1]4.3-inch 800x480 colour touchscreen[3]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)Not documentedColour touch UI; remote monitoring, time-lapse, failure detection and build-surface detection are all optional on the K1 because they depend on the optional AI camera[3]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveUSB and Wi-Fi[2]Wi-Fi only - no Ethernet (the K1 Max adds RJ45); 8 GB of on-board storage[3]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Not documentedAI camera optional, not fitted as standard - unlike the K1C and K1 Max, which include a 1080p camera[3]
Camera features: live monitor, timelapse, AI failure detection (spaghetti detection) — how real is it?Failed-print detection[2]Not documented
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listHigh-speed, water-washable, standard, ABS-like and plant-based resins (Anycubic's own list)[1]Hyper PLA, PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS - a notably shorter list than the K1C, because of the PTFE-lined hotend[3]
Safety
Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible)Not documentedNot verified directly. Creality's published firmware for the K1 series (CrealityOfficial/K1_Series_Klipper, GPL-3.0) is described by Creality itself as a clone of upstream Klipper, and upstream Klipper ships the verify_heater thermal-runaway check; whether Creality's stock printer.cfg enables it, and with what thresholds, was not checked here[11][12]
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)Not documentedCreality's US store states "Up to 12-Month Warranty", a 14-day return and refund window and "Lifetime Customer Support" on its printer product pages. The "up to" wording means the term is not uniform across parts[4]
Independently Measured Performance
Review scores from major outlets (list outlet + score + date)Not documentedTom's Hardware rating 4 out of 5 in the page's structured data - the lowest of the K1 family, where the K1C and K1 Max both score 4.5[9][10][13]
Resin & MSLA
Masking LCD10.1-inch monochrome masking LCD at 14K, XY pixel pitch 16.8 x 24.8 um (manufacturer specification)[1][2]Not documented
Light sourceCOB light source with a Fresnel lens and a light-uniformity algorithm[1][2]Not documented
Light uniformity & intensityUniformity >=90% and intensity 4500 +/-10% uW/cm2 (both manufacturer claims, no independent measurement). Anycubic also states light intensity is uniform within an angle of <=3 degrees[1][2]Not documented
Vertical print speedmm/h150 mm/h with high-speed resin at 0.1 mm layer height; 90 mm/h with standard resin at the same layer height. Anycubic's headline maximum is 90 mm/h for standard resin, so the 150 figure is resin-dependent (manufacturer claims)[1][2]Not documented
Layer height range0.01-0.15 mm[1]Not documented
Release filmImproved ACF film. No rated life published for this model (the M7 Pro's ACF film is rated ~45,000 uses)[1][2][7]Not documented
Resin vat & feedingResin vat capacity up to 1 L, with resin level monitoring. No auto-refill on this model[1][2]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 Photon Mono M7 product page store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Anycubic Photon Mono M7 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Creality - Compare K1 Flagship Series (K1 / K1C / K1 Max / K1 SE side-by-side spec table) creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Creality US store - K1 3D Printer product page (live price, warranty and returns banner) store.creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro product page store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Anycubic Photon Mono M5s product page store.anycubic.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Creality K1C product page (full specification table) creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Tom's Hardware - Creality K1 Review (spec box) tomshardware.com · 2026-08 · review
  10. Tom's Hardware - Creality K1 Max Review (spec box) tomshardware.com · 2026-08 · review
  11. GitHub API - CrealityOfficial/K1_Series_Klipper repository metadata ("clone from https://github.com/Klipper3d/klipper/", GPL-3.0, last push Dec 2025) api.github.com · 2026-08 · doc
  12. GitHub - CrealityOfficial organisation repositories (per-model firmware sources) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Tom's Hardware - Creality K1C Review (spec box and measured print time) tomshardware.com · 2026-08 · review