3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge Creator 5 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 Creator 5 comparisonsMore UltiMaker Factor 4 comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Creator 5TOOLCHANGER | UltiMaker Factor 4INDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | UltiMaker |
| Class | TOOLCHANGER | INDUSTRIAL |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge Creator 5, sold as "Creator 5 4-Toolheads Multi-Color 3D Printer"[1][2] | UltiMaker Factor 4[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Announced with a $10 deposit programme; shipping to deposit backers by 19 May 2026. One secondary source puts general release in early May 2026[4][5] | Announced 22 April 2024, shown at HANNOVER MESSE 2024 (22-26 April) and TCT Asia (7-9 May 2024)[3] |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | $649 early-bird (deposit price, open until 20 June 2026); $799 standard MSRP[4][5] | Starting at approximately $20,000[3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $799.00 on flashforge.com, in stock, with $100 auto-applied in cart, checked Aug 2026[1][2] | Not documented |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Paired with the Creator 5 Pro at $949, which adds a sealed enclosure, 65 °C active chamber heating and HEPA13 + carbon filtration. Motion system, 256 mm build volume, four toolheads, 600 mm/s and 30,000 mm/s2 are the same on both, so enclosure and chamber are the only reliable discriminators[1][6][4][5][2] | 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 | 256 x 256 x 256 mm[4][5][7] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[3] |
| Frame construction & material | CoreXY frame; FlashForge does not publish a frame-material breakdown and no dimensions or weight have been published for this model[4][5] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame. No enclosure, no chamber heating and no filtration[4][5][7] | 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 with four independent toolheads on a FlashSwap changer. FlashForge claims a physical head swap in about 7 seconds[4][5][7] | Direct-drive dual extrusion; kinematic layout not stated in the source checked[3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 600 mm/s maximum, reported by both secondary sources as a travel-speed figure (manufacturer claim)[4][5] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 30,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[4][5] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Not documented | 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) | Not documented | 340 °C maximum with the high-temperature print core (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Hardened steel nozzles as standard[4][5] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 120 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[4][5] | Not documented |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Fully automatic calibration and levelling; FlashForge does not name the probe technology[1] | Not documented |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| 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 independent toolheads swapped physically rather than shared through one nozzle, which FlashForge markets as zero purge waste and up to 500% faster multi-colour printing[1][4] | 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. Supported slicers are Flash Studio, Orca-Flashforge and OrcaSlicer[5] | Not documented |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, LAN, USB[4][5] | Not documented |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | 1080p camera at 30 fps. A camera module is also sold separately at $29.90, so verify whether a given SKU ships with it[4][5][2] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Not documented | 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 Creator 5 4-Toolheads product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge store search results for Creator 5 (live prices) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- UltiMaker Factor 4: technical specifications and pricing 3dprintingindustry.com · 2026-08 · review
- Flashforge Creator 5 and Creator 5 Pro launch report 3dprinting.com · 2026-08 · review
- Flashforge Creator 5 and 5 Pro breakdown antonmansson.com · 2026-08 · review
- Flashforge Creator 5 Pro 4-Toolheads product page flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review