3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ vs QIDI Plus4

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ vs QIDI Plus4 — documented properties and sources
PropertyOriginal Prusa i3 MK3S+BEDSLINGERQIDI Plus4COREXY
Identity
BrandPrusa ResearchQIDI
ClassBEDSLINGERCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Original Prusa i3 MK3S+. The only version still listed in Aug 2026 is the "Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 10th Anniversary Edition"[1]QIDI Plus4, sold as "Plus4 3D Printer". QIDI's own wiki files it under X-Plus4[2][3]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Not documentedAnnounced September 2024; QIDI ran launch promotional pricing in the week of 20-27 September 2024 (secondary reporting, not a QIDI press release)[4]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$1,199.00 assembled, $899.00 as a kit, for the 10th Anniversary Edition on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026. This is above the price the standard MK3S+ sold at, so do not read it as the MK3S+ street price[1]$649.00 on us.qidi3d.com for the Plus4 + 1 filament variant against a $799.00 compare-at price; $699.00 on qidi3d.com against $799.00. Checked Aug 2026[2][3]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Only the 10th Anniversary Edition remains on sale; the standard MK3S+ is gone from Prusa's printer listing. Two official upgrade paths change the machine substantially and are frequently confused with it: MK3.5 (xBuddy board and new LCD, keeps the MK3 extruder) and MK3.9 (adds the Nextruder). A caution on Prusa's own pages: the "Awards & Press Reviews" paragraph about the MK3S is reproduced verbatim on the MINI+ product page, so award text found on a Prusa page does not necessarily belong to the printer on that page[1][5][6][7]Two purchasable variants: Plus4 + Filament x1 at $649 and Plus4 Combo + Filament x1 at $799 (Combo adds the QIDI Box multi-material unit). Distinct from the older X-Plus 3 (280x280x270, 350 °C) and from the newer Plus5 (320x320x300)[3][2]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?Superseded by the MK4/MK4S line. Prusa cut MK3S+ prices at the MK4 launch in March 2023 and said it would keep selling the MK3S+ at a lower price and hold spare parts in stock[6][7]Superseded at the top of the large-format line by the Plus5, launched 5 August 2026 with 18% more build volume; Plus4 still listed and in stock Aug 2026[8][9]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable25 x 21 x 21 cm = 250 x 210 x 210 mm (manufacturer figure)[1]305 x 305 x 280 mm advertised. No independently measured usable envelope found[2][4]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)500 x 550 x 400 mm (X x Y x Z), without the spool holder[1]505 x 487 x 550 mm[4]
Net weight (kg)7 kg (without spool)[1]32 kg gross (3DJake). QIDI does not publish a net weight on the product page[4]
Frame construction & materialCut aluminium frame - Prusa's MK4 announcement contrasts "the cut aluminum frame we used so far" with the MK4's new die-cast frame[6]Enclosed CoreXY chassis with double-layer chamber insulation; QIDI does not publish a frame material breakdown[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame; the Original Prusa Enclosure is an optional separate product[6]Fully enclosed, double-layer insulated chamber with second-generation active heating to 65 °C[2][4]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)Not documented65 °C, actively heated by a 400 W heater which QIDI says reaches setpoint in about 8 minutes (manufacturer claim)[2][4]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Cartesian i3 bed-slinger. Prusa's MK4 announcement notes the MK3S+ Y-axis profiles and heatbed were among the few parts carried into the MK4[6]CoreXY[4]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashNot documentedDual independent Z motors on 10 mm linear shafts and screws[2]
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)Trinamic 2130 drivers at 256 microstepping on the EINSY RAMBo 8-bit board, co-developed with UltiMachine; sensorless homing on X and Y[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)Not documented600 mm/s (manufacturer claim, tool-head maximum)[4]
Max travel speed"200+ mm/s" max travel speed (manufacturer figure, no measurement basis given)[1]Not documented
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documented<=20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[4]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameDirect drive with Bondtech gears and an E3D V6 hotend[1]Direct drive with hardened steel dual gears, 1.75 mm filament[2][4]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Not documentedSecond-generation 80 W bimetal hotend with a multi-metal composite hardened-tip nozzle; 0.4 mm standard, 0.2/0.5/0.8 mm optional[2][4]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C claimed max nozzle temperature[1]<=370 °C claimed. No firmware max_temp verified for this model[2][4]
Heater cartridge power (W)Not documented80 W hotend heater (manufacturer figure)[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit120 C max heatbed temperature[1]Conflicting manufacturer figures: QIDI's own Plus4 page states a 100 °C bed temperature, 3DJake's spec table states <=120 °C. Not resolved; the lower vendor-published figure is used as the sortable value[2][4]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedRemovable magnetic spring-steel sheets in several finishes; heatbed with cold-corner compensation[1]6 mm aluminium-substrate heated bed with a double-sided textured PEI plate[2][4]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)SuperPINDA inductive probe (Prusa's temperature-drift-free replacement for the original PINDA), driving automatic mesh bed levelling and a self-test routine[1]Full-auto calibration; QIDI markets "hands-free automatic" levelling and does not name the probe technology on the product page[2][4]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)IR filament sensor built in, supporting filament auto-loading; the print pauses when filament runs out[1]Filament run-out sensor, plus a filament cutter and filament tangle detection (tangle mechanism not described)[4]
Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade pathNot documentedQIDI Box multi-material unit supported; sold bundled as the Plus4 Combo[2][3]
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting designNot documentedAuxiliary part-cooling fan plus a chamber circulation fan; fan sizes and duct design not published[4]
Electronics & Power
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)EINSY RAMBo 8-bit board, co-developed with UltiMachine[1]Not documented
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Custom Delta PSU with hardware-based power panic[1]100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[4]
Total rated power drawPower consumption 80 W on PLA settings, 120 W on ABS settings[1]450 W plus 400 W for chamber heating (rated)[4]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware on GitHub, GPL-3.0, whose README states it is "proudly based on Marlin 1.0.x" and covers the MK3S/MK3/MK2.5S/MK2.5 line; last pushed August 2025. Updated over USB from a PC[10]Klipper v0.12, described by QIDI as open source. Fork details and current release not published on the product page[2]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?Not documented5-inch touchscreen, 800 x 480[2][4]
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveSD card (16 GB card included); Ethernet and Wi-Fi only via an optional Raspberry Pi[1]Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Ethernet, USB[2][4]
Cloud service & phone app; LAN-only mode possible?Not documentedMobile and computer control, remote cloud or LAN-only operation[2]
Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps)Not documentedBuilt-in low-frame-rate camera, up to 1080p, timelapse supported[2][4]
Calibration Routines & QoL
Assembly level & time from unbox to first printNot documentedQIDI claims about 10 minutes from unbox to printing[2]
Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery
Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?)Not documentedPower-loss recovery listed; mechanism not published[4]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, CPE, PVA/BVOH, PVB, HIPS, PP, Flex, nGen, Nylon, carbon-filled, woodfill and other filled materials[1]PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PA, PC, PA-CF/GF, PET-CF/GF, PPA-CF/GF, PPS-CF and other CF/GF-filled polymers[2][4]
Safety
Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible)Prusa shipped Thermal Model protection to the MK3 line as a firmware update shortly before the MK4 launch; the firmware is open-source and auditable[6][10]Not documented
Reliability, Support & Ecosystem
Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes)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[11][12]1-year coverage, 14-day no-reason return, 30-day price protection[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

  1. Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 10th Anniversary Edition product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. QIDI Plus4 product page (global store) qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. QIDI Plus4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. QIDI Tech Plus4 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List, January 2025 Edition) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 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
  7. Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. QIDI Plus5 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. QIDI Plus5 launch write-up 3dprintbeginner.com · 2026-08 · review
  10. GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware (MK3 line, GPL-3.0, based on Marlin 1.0.x) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor