3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge AD5X 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 FlashForge AD5X comparisonsMore Original Prusa MINI+ comparisons
| Property | FlashForge AD5XCOREXY | Original Prusa MINI+BEDSLINGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | Prusa Research |
| Class | COREXY | BEDSLINGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge AD5X, sold as "AD5X - Multicolor 3D Printer for High-Speed, Full-Color Printing"[1][2] | Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer[3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $399.00 sale against a $549.00 compare-at price on flashforge.com, in stock, with a further $50 off at checkout, checked Aug 2026. A refurbished AD5X is listed at $315.00[1][2] | $508.33 on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026[4] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Shares the 220 mm Adventurer chassis with the 5M and 5M Pro but differs on the points that matter: 300 °C nozzle (vs 280 °C), 4-colour IFS unit, NO air filtration, NO auto shutdown, and a 300 mm/s print speed against a 600 mm/s travel speed. 3DJake and eolasprints both describe it as open-frame[1][5][6][7] | 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+[3][8] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 220 x 220 x 220 mm advertised[1][5] | 180 x 180 x 180 mm (manufacturer figure)[3] |
| 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[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 4.5 kg without spool holder and external PSU[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame, no enclosure and no air filtration — FlashForge's own table records "Air Filtration: No". Chamber lighting and remote monitoring are listed as expandable options rather than fitted[1][6] | Open frame; sold with an optional Enclosure bundle[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY[6] | 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[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | FlashForge publishes two separate figures: max travel speed 600 mm/s and max print speed 300 mm/s. The 300 mm/s print figure is the one that describes printing[1][5] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[1][5] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct drive, one extruder, fed by the 4-colour Intelligent Filament System (IFS)[1] | Bowden extruder with 3:1 gearing - the only current Prusa FFF machine that is not direct drive[3] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 3:1 extruder gearing[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 300 °C claimed[1][5] | 280 C claimed max nozzle temperature - lower than the 290-300 C of the i3-family machines[3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm default; 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1][5] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 110 °C claimed[1][5] | 100 C max heatbed temperature[3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | PEI flexible spring-steel sheet[1][5] | Removable magnetic steel sheets in several surface finishes; heatbed with cold-corner compensation[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling; probe technology not named[1][5] | SuperPINDA inductive probe with no temperature drift, driving automatic mesh bed levelling[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[1][5] | Not documented |
| Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path | Four-colour printing via the integrated Intelligent Filament System (IFS), which handles filament switching[1] | Not documented |
| 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[3][9] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named by FlashForge; the supported slicers are Orca-Flashforge and OrcaSlicer[1] | 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[9][10] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | Not documented | 2.8-inch 65k-colour graphic screen with G-code preview[3] |
| 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[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[1][5] | USB port, RJ-45 Ethernet, optional ESP Wi-Fi module (sold separately); compatible with Prusa Connect[3] |
| 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[3] |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Power-outage recovery supported; mechanism not published[1][5] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PETG, PLA, TPU95A, TPU64D-75D, PLA-CF, PETG-CF[1][5] | 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)[3] |
| 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[3][9] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | Not documented | 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[11][10] |
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
- Flashforge AD5X multicolour 3D printer product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge store product feed (live prices and stock) flashforge.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
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge AD5X technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
- Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro product page flashforge.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
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc