3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra 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 Guider 3 Ultra comparisonsMore Original Prusa MINI+ comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Guider 3 UltraINDUSTRIAL | Original Prusa MINI+BEDSLINGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | Prusa Research |
| Class | INDUSTRIAL | BEDSLINGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra; the FlashForge spec table gives the machine name as "Guider 3 Ultra"[1] | Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $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)[1] | $508.33 on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | 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[1][4][5] | 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+[2][6] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 330 x 330 x 600 mm with a single extruder; 300 x 330 x 600 mm when both extruders are in use[1] | 180 x 180 x 180 mm (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 635 x 550 x 1070 mm; packaging 775 x 690 x 1235 mm[1] | 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[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | 70 kg net, 86 kg gross[1] | 4.5 kg without spool holder and external PSU[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Enclosed professional chassis; FlashForge describes a lightweight, stable structure for high-speed operation[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Closed design with an air filter fitted[1] | Open frame; sold with an optional Enclosure bundle[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY with two extruders, per a third-party buyer's guide. FlashForge's own spec table does not state the kinematics[7][1] | 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[2] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 10-500 mm/s printing speed, 500 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figures)[1] | Not documented |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | Not documented |
| Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping | ||
| Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary) | Active vibration compensation, which FlashForge says was enhanced for this model. Implementation not named[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Two extruders[1] | Bowden extruder with 3:1 gearing - the only current Prusa FFF machine that is not direct drive[2] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 3:1 extruder gearing[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 350 °C maximum extruder temperature (manufacturer claim)[1] | 280 C claimed max nozzle temperature - lower than the 290-300 C of the i3-family machines[2] |
| 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 | 120 °C bed setting supported (manufacturer figure)[1] | 100 C max heatbed temperature[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Replaceable flexible steel-plate platform, magnetic. No glass bed[1] | Removable magnetic steel sheets in several surface finishes; heatbed with cold-corner compensation[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Full-auto one-click levelling; probe technology not named[1] | SuperPINDA inductive probe with no temperature drift, driving automatic mesh bed levelling[2] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament run-out reminder[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Air filter fitted; filter media not specified in the FlashForge table[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[2][8] |
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz[1] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 850 W maximum[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named; slicers are Orca-Flashforge and FlashPrint 5, with OrcaSlicer listed as compatible[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[8][9] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch touch LCD[1] | 2.8-inch 65k-colour graphic screen with G-code preview[2] |
| 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[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, plus cloud[1] | USB port, RJ-45 Ethernet, optional ESP Wi-Fi module (sold separately); compatible with Prusa Connect[2] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Remote camera monitoring and time-lapse video supported; resolution not published[1] | Not documented |
| 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[2] |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Power-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published. Automatic shutdown also supported[1] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | 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[1] | 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)[2] |
| 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[2][8] |
| Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume) | CE, FCC, RoHS (as printed in FlashForge's own spec table)[1] | Not documented |
| 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[10][9] |
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 Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) 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 Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 10th Anniversary Edition product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review
- 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