3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Creality Ender-5 Max vs Original Prusa MINI+
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Creality Ender-5 Max comparisonsMore Original Prusa MINI+ comparisons
| Property | Creality Ender-5 MaxCOREXY | Original Prusa MINI+BEDSLINGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Creality | Prusa Research |
| Class | COREXY | BEDSLINGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Creality Ender-5 Max[1] | Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $749.00 on store.creality.com, Aug 2026[3] | $508.33 on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026[4] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | A cube-frame CoreXY machine where the bed drops in Z - Creality itself calls the class "bed droppers". Do not read Ender-3 V3 figures across: this is a 400 mm cube at 700 mm/s claimed, on a different frame entirely. An optional enclosure is sold for engineering filaments[1] | Sold semi-assembled and, historically, as a kit; also offered in an Enclosure Bundle. Distinguish from the larger i3-family machines - the MINI+ is Bowden-fed with 2209 drivers, a 280 C nozzle ceiling and a 100 C bed, all lower than the MK3S+/MK4S. Note that Prusa's own MINI+ page carries an "Awards & Press Reviews" paragraph that is entirely about the MK3S, not the MINI+[2][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 400 x 400 x 400 mm[1] | 180 x 180 x 180 mm (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | Not documented | 380 x 330 x 380 mm (X x Y x Z), stated without the spool holder and external PSU - the external PSU brick needs additional desk space[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 4.5 kg without spool holder and external PSU[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame as sold; Creality offers an optional enclosure to raise ambient temperature for engineering filaments[1] | Open frame; sold with an optional Enclosure bundle[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY on a rigid all-metal frame, with the bed moving in Z (Creality's own term is a "bed dropper")[1] | Not documented |
| X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size) | Precise linear rail on the X axis[1] | Not documented |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Z axis assisted by two linear rods[1] | Not documented |
| Stepper motors (frame size, step angle, brand if known) | 42-76 stepper motors on both the X and Y axes[1] | Not documented |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | Trinamic 2209 silent stepper drivers, with sensorless homing on the X and Y axes[2] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 700 mm/s max printing speed (Creality Lab claim, with Hyper Series filament recommended for quality at speed); the page also quotes 500 mm/s in the same block, so the two figures need care[1] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20000 mm/s2 max acceleration (Creality Lab claim)[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct-drive extruder with dual tempered gears, which Creality says passed 500 hours of continuous-extrusion durability testing[1] | Bowden extruder with 3:1 gearing - the only current Prusa FFF machine that is not direct drive[2] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 3:1 extruder gearing[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | 280 C claimed max nozzle temperature - lower than the 290-300 C of the i3-family machines[2] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | 100 C max heatbed temperature[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Removable magnetic steel sheets in several surface finishes; heatbed with cold-corner compensation[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | 64-point fully automatic bed levelling[1] | SuperPINDA inductive probe with no temperature drift, driving automatic mesh bed levelling[2] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | Custom 32-bit board of Prusa's Buddy family; the MINI/MINI+ is covered by the same Prusa-Firmware-Buddy source tree as the MK4, XL and CORE One. The exact board revision is not given on the product page[2][6] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not documented | Open-source Prusa Buddy firmware. The source tree (prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy on GitHub) explicitly covers the Original Prusa MINI/MINI+, MK4, XL and CORE One and was last pushed to in August 2026. Updates are applied from a USB drive, through Prusa Connect or through the Prusa mobile app[6][7] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | Not documented | 2.8-inch 65k-colour graphic screen with G-code preview[2] |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | Not documented | On-device colour UI with G-code preview; remote print management through Prusa Connect[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | WLAN multi-printer management for print farms, with a tri-colour indicator light[1] | USB port, RJ-45 Ethernet, optional ESP Wi-Fi module (sold separately); compatible with Prusa Connect[2] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Semi-assembled: Prusa ships it in a small number of pre-built sections; also historically sold as a full kit[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Not documented | PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, CPE, PVA/BVOH, PVB, HIPS, PP, Flex, nGen, Nylon, Woodfill and other filled materials (Prusa's own list; the 100 C bed and open frame are the practical limit for ABS/ASA)[2] |
| Safety | ||
| Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible) | Not documented | Three thermistors and fan RPM sensors are fitted, and the firmware is open-source and auditable (Prusa-Firmware-Buddy); Prusa does not describe the thermal-runaway implementation on the product page[2][6] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | Creality'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[8] | 2-year warranty for consumers in the EU, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland; 1 year for EU enterprises and 1 year for the rest of the world, which includes the United States. A printer bought from a reseller or privately carries 1 year from the original delivery date and is handled by the reseller. Prusa advertises 24/7 chat and e-mail support in seven languages[9][7] |
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
- Creality Ender-5 Max product page creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List, January 2025 Edition) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Creality US store - Ender-5 Max 3D Printer product page (live price) store.creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 10th Anniversary Edition product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy (firmware for MINI, MK4, XL and CORE One) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Creality US store - K1 3D Printer product page (live price, warranty and returns banner) store.creality.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc