3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro vs FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra

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

2 selected · all documented properties

ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro vs FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra — documented properties and sources
PropertyELEGOO Neptune 3 ProBEDSLINGERFlashForge Guider 3 UltraINDUSTRIAL
Identity
BrandELEGOOFlashForge
ClassBEDSLINGERINDUSTRIAL
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro[1]Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra; the FlashForge spec table gives the machine name as "Guider 3 Ultra"[2]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Listed on the ELEGOO US store from 11 November 2022 (Shopify publish date)[3]Not documented
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$259.99 on us.elegoo.com, Aug 2026, with the compare-at price also $259.99 - notably more than the newer and far faster Neptune 4 at $219[3][4]$2,399.00 against a $3,499.00 regular price on flashforge.com, but the listing checked is the refurbished SKU and is marked Sold out (Aug 2026)[2]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)The last Neptune 3 still listed; the 3 Plus and 3 Max are gone from the store's Neptune section. Do not read Neptune 4 figures onto it: the 3 Pro runs Marlin, not Klipper, tops out at 180 mm/s rather than 500, uses a 36-point mesh rather than 121-point, and its nozzle stops at 260 C rather than 300 C. Its machine size, 475 x 445 x 515 mm, is identical to the Neptune 4's, so body dimensions will not tell them apart[1][5][6]Top of the Guider 3 series. Build size depends on which head is used: 330 x 330 x 600 mm with one extruder, 300 x 330 x 600 mm with both. Siblings Guider 3 (300x250x340) and Guider 3 Plus (350x350x600) are both single-extruder. A refurbished SKU exists alongside the new machine, so check which one a price refers to[2][7][8]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?Superseded by the Neptune 4 series and, in ELEGOO's current marketing, by the Centauri line[6]Not documented
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable225 x 225 x 280 mm; printing platform 235 x 235 mm[1]330 x 330 x 600 mm with a single extruder; 300 x 330 x 600 mm when both extruders are in use[2]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)475 x 445 x 515 mm - the same body as the Neptune 4. ELEGOO's maximum size for machine activity is 475 x 580 x 725 mm[1][5]635 x 550 x 1070 mm; packaging 775 x 690 x 1235 mm[2]
Net weight (kg)8.1 kg net, 10.15 kg gross[1]70 kg net, 86 kg gross[2]
Frame construction & materialCNC-machined aluminium extrusion frame (Neptune family)[5]Enclosed professional chassis; FlashForge describes a lightweight, stable structure for high-speed operation[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame, no enclosure[1]Closed design with an air filter fitted[2]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Cartesian i3 bed-slinger[1]CoreXY with two extruders, per a third-party buyer's guide. FlashForge's own spec table does not state the kinematics[9][2]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashTwo lead screws[1]Not documented
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)"Silent Drive (All Axes)"; no driver part number published[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)30-180 mm/s, with 60 mm/s given by ELEGOO as the recommended speed - a pre-Klipper machine, and the slowest in this file apart from the OrangeStorm Giga[1]10-500 mm/s printing speed, 500 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figures)[2]
Recommended/typical print speed60 mm/s recommended printing speed (manufacturer figure)[1]Not documented
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documented20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[2]
Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping
Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary)Not documentedActive vibration compensation, which FlashForge says was enhanced for this model. Implementation not named[2]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDual-gear direct extruder with 2 fans[1]Two extruders[2]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Brass nozzle, 0.4 mm, titanium-alloy heat break[1]Not documented
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)260 C claimed max nozzle temperature - 40 C below the Neptune 4 series[1][5]350 °C maximum extruder temperature (manufacturer claim)[2]
Stock nozzle size & sizes included in boxNot documented0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit100 C max heated bed temperature at 25 C ambient[1]120 °C bed setting supported (manufacturer figure)[2]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedPEI spring steel sheet[1]Replaceable flexible steel-plate platform, magnetic. No glass bed[2]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)36-point auto-levelling (the Neptune 4 family moved to 121 points)[1][10]Full-auto one-click levelling; probe technology not named[2]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Filament run-out sensor and power-loss recovery[1]Filament run-out reminder[2]
Cooling & Air Handling
Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA)Not documentedAir filter fitted; filter media not specified in the FlashForge table[2]
Electronics & Power
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documentedAC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz[2]
Total rated power draw300 W rated power, 24 V output[1]850 W maximum[2]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Marlin - ELEGOO names the system "Marlin" for the Neptune 3 Pro, against "Klipper" for the whole Neptune 4 family[1][10]Not named; slicers are Orca-Flashforge and FlashPrint 5, with OrcaSlicer listed as compatible[2]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?4.3-inch colour capacitive touch screen[1]7-inch touch LCD[2]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)Colour capacitive touch UI; ElegooSlicer recommended, Orca and Cura supported[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveTF (microSD) card and USB cable only - no LAN and no Wi-Fi[1]USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, plus cloud[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Not documentedRemote camera monitoring and time-lapse video supported; resolution not published[2]
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. Automatic shutdown also supported[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, TPU, PETG, ABS, ASA - no Nylon, unlike the Neptune 4 family[1][5]PLA, ABS, HIPS, ASA, PETG, CoPA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PAHT-CF, PAHT-GF, PET-CF, PET-GF, PA12-CF, PA-CF, PA-GF, NexPA-CF25[2]
Safety
Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume)Not documentedCE, FCC, RoHS (as printed in FlashForge's own spec table)[2]
Noise & Power Consumption
Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method)Operating sound published as 48 dB or less - a manufacturer figure with no distance or method stated[1]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)12 months on brand-new machines and parts, but ELEGOO's own table excludes a long list of parts from that: PEI plate / build plate / nozzle kit / PTFE tube / heater / thermistor / hot end / packaging / manual / tools carry no warranty at all, and the extruder, extruder kit and printhead kit get 6 months. Certified pre-owned machines carry no warranty[11]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. ELEGOO compare-products page, which embeds the full per-model specification JSON for every Neptune, Centauri and OrangeStorm machine us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro Shopify product JSON (price and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. ELEGOO Neptune 4 product page (Specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO US store 3D printers collection (current line-up, Aug 2026) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. FlashForge Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
  10. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Plus product page (full specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ELEGOO Refund & Warranty policy (warranty period table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor