3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Formlabs Form 4 vs Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S

Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.

Formlabs Form 4 guidePhrozen Sonic Mini 8K S guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Formlabs Form 4 comparisonsMore Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S comparisons
Formlabs Form 4 vs Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S — documented properties and sources
PropertyFormlabs Form 4RESINPhrozen Sonic Mini 8K SRESIN
Identity
BrandFormlabsPhrozen
ClassRESINRESIN
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Formlabs Form 4 3D Printer[1][2]Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S 7.1" LCD 3D Printer. Manufacturer number 51010040501102[3][4][5]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)Starting at $2,625.00 at GoEngineer, in stock, checked Aug 2026. Formlabs sells the printer as part of packages (Form 4 Complete Package etc.), so package prices are much higher than the printer-only figure[2]$270.00 on us.phrozen3d.com, backordered with an end-of-September ETA, checked Aug 2026. The collection page rendered it as unavailable on the same day[5][4]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Three machines share this platform and are constantly conflated. Form 4: 200 x 125 x 210 mm, 50 um pixels, 18.3 kg, 480 W, one resin cartridge, NOT biocompatible. Form 4B: identical hardware but validated for 38 Formlabs materials including 15 biocompatible. Form 4L: 353 x 196 x 350 mm, 46 um pixels, 58.5 kg, 900 W, two cartridges[1]Phrozen's 7.1-inch line is easy to confuse: the Sonic Mini 8K S ($270) sits beside the older Sonic Mini 8K ($340, sold out) and the 5.5-inch Sonic Mini ($129.99). The 10.1-inch Sonic Mighty family is a different size class entirely. The 8K S is the only one of the group with a single linear rail and a lead screw rather than a ball screw[4][3][5][6]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable200 x 125 x 210 mm (Formlabs quotes 5.25 litres)[1][2]165 x 72 x 170 mm[3][5]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)398 x 367 x 554 mm[1][2]290 x 290 x 430 mm[3][5]
Net weight (kg)18.3 kg[1][2]10 kg[3][5]
Frame construction & materialNot documentedBlack textured housing with a neon-green plastic cover[3]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidEnclosed cabinet with a hinged UV-blocking cover. Operating temperature 18-28 C[1]Open-frame MSLA with a UV-blocking plastic cover[3]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Masked stereolithography (MSLA). Formlabs brands the engine Low Force Display; straight-lift peel[1][2]MSLA, single Z axis on one linear rail with a lead screw, straight-lift peel[3][5]
X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size)Not documentedOne linear rail; lead screw (not a ball screw)[3][5]
Electronics & Power
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)100-240 VAC, 4.8 A, 50/60 Hz, 480 W[1]24 V DC, 2 A[5]
Total rated power draw480 W[1]48 W maximum system power[5]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)Proprietary. Print preparation is PreForm; fleet management is Formlabs Dashboard[2]Not named by Phrozen. Native file format .PRZ; compatible slicers CHITUBOX, Lychee and VoxelDance Tango[3][5]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?7-inch interactive touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[1]3.5-inch touch panel (control panel — not the masking LCD, see W1)[5]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveDual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbit), USB-C 2.0[1][2]USB only[3][5]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listFormlabs resins across rigid, tough, general purpose, flame retardant, silicone, elastic, ceramic and castable families. Biocompatible resins require the Form 4B, not the Form 4[1]405 nm photopolymer resin; no closed compatibility list published[3]
Independently Measured Performance
Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers)XY dimensional tolerance +/-0.15% — a manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement[1][2]Not documented
Resin & MSLA
Masking LCDLow Force Display masking LCD with a 50 um pixel size and pre-tuned anti-aliasing. Formlabs does not publish the screen diagonal or pixel count[1][2]7.1-inch 8K monochrome masking LCD, XY pixel pitch 22 um. Phrozen does not publish the pixel count for this model[3][5]
Light sourceBacklight unit with 60 uniform-wavelength high-power LEDs behind collimating lenses, with integrated cooling[1][2]Linear projection LED module. Wavelength not published for this model[3][5]
Vertical print speedmm/hMaximum 100 mm/h; average 40 mm/h at a 100 um layer height (manufacturer figures — GoEngineer publishes both, which is unusually explicit about the basis). Formlabs separately claims most prints finish in under 2 hours[2][1]Max 80 mm/h (manufacturer claim). Phrozen does not state the layer height or resin type the figure assumes[5]
Layer height range25-200 um per Formlabs' own tech-spec page; GoEngineer's listing for the same machine says 25-300 um. Unresolved[1][2]0.01-0.30 mm[5]
Release filmNot documentedFEP film — note this is plain FEP, whereas the Sonic Mighty Revo 14K ships nFEP. No rated life published[5][6]
Resin vat & feedingSingle next-generation resin cartridge; Formlabs claims 5-10x faster filling and 63% less waste. Resin tank rated for 75,000+ layers with any Formlabs material. No vat capacity published[1][2]Not documented

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

  1. Formlabs resin printer technical specifications (Form 4 / 4B / 4L) formlabs.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Formlabs Form 4 3D printer listing store.goengineer.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Phrozen US 3D printer collection (live prices and stock) us.phrozen3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S 7.1" LCD 3D Printer product page us.phrozen3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Phrozen Sonic Mighty Revo 14K 10.1" LCD 3D Printer product page us.phrozen3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor