3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge Creator 4 vs Original Prusa MK4S
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore FlashForge Creator 4 comparisonsMore Original Prusa MK4S comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Creator 4IDEX | Original Prusa MK4SBEDSLINGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | Prusa Research |
| Class | IDEX | BEDSLINGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge Creator 4, sold in A and S configurations (Creator 4A, Creator 4S)[1] | Original Prusa MK4S (Prusa Research, Prague). Sold as "Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer" and "Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer kit"[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Announced and available to order on 12 August 2024, the date of Prusa's launch blog post, with assembled printers, kits and an MK4S/MMU3 bundle in stock at announcement[4] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $10,999.00 at Top 3D Shop with a 2-3 week lead time, checked Aug 2026[1] | $925.00 assembled, $657.40 as a kit, on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026. Bundles: $1,171.11 with MMU3, $1,185.65 with the Enclosure, $1,438.33 with both[3][2] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Two factory configurations that share the chassis but not the temperature ceiling: Creator 4A ships 2 x HT extruders (320 °C max, no composite support), Creator 4S ships 1 x HT + 1 x HS (360 °C max, supports PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF, PPS-CF). A third extruder type, F, is rated 265 °C and intended for flexibles. Any published "360 °C" figure applies only to the HS head[1] | The MK4S is a revision of the MK4, not a new platform: Prusa sold a $99 upgrade kit that gives an MK4 all of the MK4S features (360-degree turbine part cooling, high-flow CHT nozzle, firmware and profile changes). Watch the published nozzle ceiling: Prusa's MK4 announcement table says 300 C, while the MK4S product page says 290 C. Related family members are the MK3.5 and MK3.9 upgrades of the MK3S+, which are not the same machine. With the MMU3 the standard (non-high-flow) nozzle is the recommended one[4][5][2] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Still sold in Aug 2026 as the entry point to the Nextruder line, positioned below the enclosed CORE One+ (Gen 2). Prusa also sells an MK4S-to-CORE One+ (Gen 2) conversion kit[3][2] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 400 x 350 x 500 mm[1] | 250 x 210 x 220 mm (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 840 x 675 x 1000 mm (1050 mm on the stand). FlashForge specifies an installation space of at least 1400 x 1500 x 1600 mm[1] | 500 x 550 x 400 mm (X x Y x Z), stated without the spool holder[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | 90 kg net[1] | 7 kg (without spool)[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Fully enclosed professional chassis on a stand[1] | Aluminium extrusions and frame. Prusa's MK4 announcement records that the cut-aluminium frame of the MK3S+ was replaced by a die-cast aluminium frame for the MK4 platform, which the MK4S inherits[2][5] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Fully enclosed with HEPA 13 filtration and an actively controlled chamber[1] | Open frame. The Original Prusa Enclosure is a separate add-on and raises the achievable chamber temperature to 45 C; there is no active chamber heating[2] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Up to 65 °C, actively controlled (manufacturer claim)[1] | Not documented |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | IDEX — two independently driven extruders on the same gantry[1] | Cartesian bed-slinger - Prusa's own comparison table gives "Cartesian" for the MK4S against "CoreXY" for the CORE One and CORE One L[6] |
| Stepper motors (frame size, step angle, brand if known) | Not documented | 0.9 degree X and Y stepper motors, which Prusa states are used to prevent vertical fine artefacts[2] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | Trinamic 2130. The MK4 announcement is more specific: TMC2130-LA drivers on the xBuddy board[2][5] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 10-200 mm/s, adjustable per material. On the 4S the HS head is quoted 100-150 mm/s and the HT head 100-200 mm/s (manufacturer figures)[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct drive, two independent extruders, interchangeable modules (F / HT / HS)[1] | Nextruder, direct drive, E3D V6 compatible with an adapter; Nextruder planetary gear system with a 10:1 gearbox ratio; aluminium heatsink and all-metal filament path[2] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 10:1 planetary gearbox in the Nextruder[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Not documented | Quick-swap Prusa nozzle system with an all-metal filament path; the MK4S ships with the high-flow Prusa brass CHT 0.4 mm nozzle. Standard (non-CHT) Prusa nozzles remain usable and are the recommended choice with the MMU3[2][4] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Depends on the fitted extruder module: F 265 °C, HT 320 °C, HS 360 °C[1] | 290 C claimed max nozzle temperature on the MK4S product page (Prusa's MK4 announcement table gave 300 C for the MK4)[2][5] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 130 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | 120 C max heatbed temperature (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Magnetic heatbed with removable double-sided PEI spring-steel sheets; smooth PEI sheet supplied[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic bed levelling; FlashForge does not name the probe technology in this spec table[1] | Load-cell sensor in the toolhead - the nozzle itself is the probe. First-layer calibration and mesh bed levelling over the print area only are fully automatic, with no Live Adjust Z step[2][5] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Not documented | Filament sensor fitted as standard; on the MK4 platform this is a built-in Hall sensor that also drives automatic filament loading[2][5] |
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Two spool bays, 1 kg and 2 kg capacity[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Not documented | High-performance turbine part-cooling fan with a 360-degree air-delivery duct - the headline change from the MK4, derived from work on Prusa's HT90 industrial machine. Fan RPM is monitored in firmware[2][4] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | Custom 32-bit xBuddy board with an STM32 MCU, designed, manufactured and tested in-house, plus a custom extruder breakout board for fans and thermistors[2][5] |
| PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage) | Not documented | 240 W PSU custom-made by Delta with hardware power-panic support[2] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | AC 100-130 V / 200-240 V, 50-60 Hz, 30 A overcurrent protection[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 2320 W rated[1] | Power consumption 80 W on PLA settings, 120 W on ABS settings (manufacturer figures)[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named; the supported slicer is FlashPrint[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[7][2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch touchscreen, 1024 x 600[1] | 3.5-inch 65k-colour graphic screen with touch control[2] |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | Not documented | On-device colour UI with G-code preview and one-click printing; remote control and firmware updates through Prusa Connect and the Prusa mobile app[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB flash drive, Ethernet, Wi-Fi[1] | Ethernet, Wi-Fi via the ESP module delivered with the printer, USB drive for print files, plus an NFC receiver used to hand over Wi-Fi credentials from the phone app[2][6][4] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Sold both assembled (plug-and-print after a 10-minute self-test) and as an assembly kit[4] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Standard and engineering plastics on the HT head; the HS head adds PA-CF, PA-GF, PP-CF and PPS-CF. Materials such as PC, PA and carbon fibre are the stated targets for the 130 °C bed[1] | PLA, PETG, Flex, PVA, PC, PP, CPE, PVB; ABS, ASA, HIPS and PA only when using the Original Prusa Enclosure with the filtration add-on[2] |
| Safety | ||
| Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible) | Not documented | The xBuddy platform carries hardware overcurrent protection that disconnects heater and heatbed power when total current exceeds 15 A, and the firmware is open-source and auditable. Prusa also shipped Thermal Model protection to the earlier MK3 line[5][7] |
| Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume) | Not documented | Prusa states the MK4S is the first consumer 3D printer to receive UL GREENGUARD certification[2] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 12 months on the printer, 3 months on extruder parts[1] | 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[8][2] |
| Spare parts availability & pricing (nozzle, hotend, plate, board, belts) | Not documented | Prusa cites a perfect 30/30 print-quality score from TechRadar and a CNET "Best Printer for Quality" title; these are quoted on Prusa's own page and were not verified against the original reviews here[2] |
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 Creator 4 (A/S) product listing with full spec table top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa blog - The Original Prusa MK4S is Here! (published 12 August 2024) blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa blog - Original Prusa MK4 is here (published 29 March 2023), including the MK4 specification table and launch prices blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/CORE One L comparison) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy (firmware for MINI, MK4, XL and CORE One) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc