3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge AD5X vs UltiMaker Factor 4
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 UltiMaker Factor 4 comparisons
| Property | FlashForge AD5XCOREXY | UltiMaker Factor 4INDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | UltiMaker |
| Class | COREXY | INDUSTRIAL |
| 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] | UltiMaker Factor 4[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Announced 22 April 2024, shown at HANNOVER MESSE 2024 (22-26 April) and TCT Asia (7-9 May 2024)[3] |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | Not documented | Starting at approximately $20,000[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] | Not documented |
| 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][4][5][6] | Shares the 330 x 240 x 300 mm envelope with the UltiMaker S5, S7 and S8, which is the single most contaminated figure in UltiMaker's range. What separates the Factor 4 is the actively controlled 70 °C build volume, the climate-controlled 6-spool material station holding humidity below 15%, and HEPA filtration. UltiMaker also sells a Factor 4 Plus[3] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 220 x 220 x 220 mm advertised[1][4] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[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][5] | Enclosed with actively controlled chamber airflow and a HEPA filter[3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Not documented | Build volume temperature controlled up to 70 °C with actively controlled chamber airflow (manufacturer specification)[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY[5] | Direct-drive dual extrusion; kinematic layout not stated in the source checked[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][4] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct drive, one extruder, fed by the 4-colour Intelligent Filament System (IFS)[1] | Direct-drive dual extrusion[3] |
| Filament diameter | Not documented | 2.85 mm[3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 300 °C claimed[1][4] | 340 °C maximum with the high-temperature print core (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm default; 0.25, 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1][4] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 110 °C claimed[1][4] | Not documented |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | PEI flexible spring-steel sheet[1][4] | Not documented |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic levelling; probe technology not named[1][4] | Not documented |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[1][4] | Not documented |
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Not documented | Automatic climate-controlled material handling and storage station holding humidity below 15%, storing up to six spools[3] |
| 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 |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | HEPA filter[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named by FlashForge; the supported slicers are Orca-Flashforge and OrcaSlicer[1] | Not documented |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[1][4] | Not documented |
| 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][4] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PETG, PLA, TPU95A, TPU64D-75D, PLA-CF, PETG-CF[1][4] | UltiMaker-branded PPS CF, PLA, Tough PLA, Nylon, PETG, PET CF and PVA, plus validated third-party materials from BASF Forward AM, Kimya, Polymaker, LEHVOSS and Jabil[3] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | Not documented | Dimensional accuracy within +/-0.2 mm or +/-0.2% of feature nominal length; UltiMaker states it tested over 95% print-completion success. Manufacturer figures, not independent measurements[3] |
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
- UltiMaker Factor 4: technical specifications and pricing 3dprintingindustry.com · 2026-08 · review
- 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