3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

ELEGOO Neptune 4 Plus vs FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra

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

2 selected · all documented properties

ELEGOO Neptune 4 Plus vs FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra — documented properties and sources
PropertyELEGOO Neptune 4 PlusBEDSLINGERFlashForge Guider 3 UltraINDUSTRIAL
Identity
BrandELEGOOFlashForge
ClassBEDSLINGERINDUSTRIAL
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)ELEGOO Neptune 4 Plus[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 20 September 2023 (Shopify publish date), the same date as the Neptune 4 Max[3][4]Not documented
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$309.00 on us.elegoo.com, Aug 2026, against a compare-at price of $425.00. Only a Ribbon-Cable printhead variant is listed for the Plus, unlike the Neptune 4 and 4 Max which also offer a Type-C version[3][5][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)Middle model of the Neptune 4 family. Against the base Neptune 4: bigger (320 x 320 x 385 mm), but a lower bed ceiling (100 C rather than 110 C) and much lower acceleration (12000 rather than 20000 mm/s2). Against the Max: smaller and lighter (14.4 kg against 18.1 kg) but with a higher bed ceiling (100 C against 85 C) and higher acceleration (12000 against 8000). Its Z drive is 2 lead screws with 2 tie rods, where the Centauri machines use 3 lead screws[1][6][7][8]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][9][10]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable320 x 320 x 385 mm; printing platform 330 x 330 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)533 x 517 x 638 mm; ELEGOO also publishes a maximum size for machine activity of 578 x 750 x 860 mm including rack and tray, so allow 750 mm of depth[1]635 x 550 x 1070 mm; packaging 775 x 690 x 1235 mm[2]
Net weight (kg)14.4 kg net, 16.65 kg gross[1]70 kg net, 86 kg gross[2]
Frame construction & materialCNC-machined aluminium extrusion frame (Neptune 4 family)[6]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[11][2]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashTwo lead screws with two tie rods[1]Not documented
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)"Silent Drive (All Axes)" is all ELEGOO publishes; the driver part number is not given on the product page[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)30-500 mm/s printing speed, with 250 mm/s given by ELEGOO as the recommended figure - the 500 mm/s number is a ceiling, not a working speed[1]10-500 mm/s printing speed, 500 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figures)[2]
Recommended/typical print speed250 mm/s recommended printing speed (manufacturer figure)[1]Not documented
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)12000 mm/s2 maximum acceleration; default acceleration 5000 mm/s2[1]20,000 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 (the Centauri machines use a 1-fan version)[1][8]Two extruders[2]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Brass nozzle, 0.4 mm, with a titanium-alloy heat break[1]Not documented
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C claimed max nozzle temperature[1]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; ELEGOO notes it is now upgraded to a dual-sided textured PEI + PLA-specific surface[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)Manual levelling combined with 121-point auto-levelling[1]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; no camera, no clog detection, no auto filament unloading[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
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)ELEGOO describes it only as a "Klipper High-Speed Quiet Motherboard" - no board model or MCU is published[1]Not documented
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documentedAC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz[2]
Total rated power draw320 W rated power; 24 V output; 110-120 V / 220-240 V input[1]850 W maximum[2]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Klipper (ELEGOO names the system "Klipper" outright for the Neptune 4 Plus, rather than the ELEGOO OS branding used on the Centauri machines)[1][8]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 is recommended, with Orca and Cura also supported[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveUSB, LAN and 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, Nylon[1]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 is published as 65 dB or less - a manufacturer figure with no measuring distance or method given, so it is not comparable with a reviewer's dB reading[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[12]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 Neptune 4 Plus product page (full specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Plus Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Max Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Shopify product JSON (variant prices and store publish date) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO Neptune 4 product page (Specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. ELEGOO Neptune 4 Max product page (Specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ELEGOO Centauri Carbon product page (full specification table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. FlashForge Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
  12. ELEGOO Refund & Warranty policy (warranty period table) us.elegoo.com · 2026-08 · vendor