3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Original Prusa MK4 vs QIDI X-Plus 3

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Original Prusa MK4 vs QIDI X-Plus 3 — documented properties and sources
PropertyOriginal Prusa MK4BEDSLINGERQIDI X-Plus 3COREXY
Identity
BrandPrusa ResearchQIDI
ClassBEDSLINGERCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Original Prusa MK4[1]QIDI X-Plus 3, listed in QIDI navigation as X-Plus3[2][3]
Release date (announcement and actual shipping)Announced 29 March 2023 with assembled printers shipping immediately from stock; kits opened for ordering about two weeks later[1]Not published by QIDI on the pages checked (Aug 2026)[2][3]
Launch MSRP (USD)1099 USD assembled, 799 USD as a kit, VAT included, at launch[1]Not documented
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)Not documented$699 on QIDI's official US page, which routes purchases to its AliExpress and Amazon stores; checked Aug 2026. 3DJake lists the model as sold out[3][2]
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)Superseded by the MK4S, which is the same machine plus a 360-degree turbine part-cooling fan, a high-flow CHT nozzle and firmware/profile work; Prusa sold a 99 USD MK4-to-MK4S upgrade kit and automatically converted unshipped MK4 orders to the S version. The MK3.5 and MK3.9 upgrades convert an MK3S+ to part of the MK4 electronics stack but are not an MK4[4][1]Two headline-speed figures circulate for this model: QIDI's own US page says 600 mm/s and 35 mm3/s, 3DJake's spec table says <=500 mm/s and 30 mm3/s. This is exactly the kind of sibling contamination the 3-series suffers (X-Max 3 is 600 mm/s / 35 mm3/s). Siblings: X-Max 3 (325x325x315, 900 W) and X-Smart 3 (175x180x170, no chamber heat, 300 °C)[2][3][5][6]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?Discontinued. No MK4 appears in Prusa's Aug 2026 3D-printer listing, and the MK4 product-page slugs redirect to the MK4S page, so no live first-party price could be recorded[7][4]Not documented
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable250 x 210 x 220 mm (manufacturer figure)[1]280 x 280 x 270 mm advertised[2][3]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)Not documented511 x 527 x 529 mm[2]
Net weight (kg)Not documented24.3 kg net[2]
Frame construction & materialDie-cast aluminium frame - Prusa replaced the MK3S+'s cut-aluminium frame for the MK4, keeping only the Y-axis profiles, some bearings, the heatbed and the power supply[1]All-metal frame per QIDI's US page; no further breakdown published[3]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen frame; the Original Prusa Enclosure is an optional add-on[1]Fully enclosed with a heated chamber[2][3]
Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred)Not documented65 °C, independent chamber heating (manufacturer claim)[2][3]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)Cartesian bed-slinger of the Prusa i3 family - Prusa's MK4 announcement records that the MK3S+ Y-axis profiles and heatbed were carried over[1]CoreXY[2]
X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size)Not documentedLinear optical axis of high-strength steel[2]
Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlashNot documentedDouble Z axis[2]
Stepper motors (frame size, step angle, brand if known)400-step (0.9 degree) stepper motors, stated by Prusa to prevent vertical fine artefacts[1]Not documented
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)Trinamic TMC2130-LA silent stepper drivers on the xBuddy board[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max print speed (claimed, mm/s)Not documentedConflicting manufacturer claims: QIDI's US page says 600 mm/s, 3DJake's spec table says <=500 mm/s. The lower, more conservative figure is used as the sortable value[2][3]
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documented20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[3]
Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s)Not documentedConflicting: 30 mm3/s (3DJake) vs 35 mm3/s (QIDI US page). Lower figure used[2][3]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameNextruder direct drive with a planetary gear system, 1:10 gearbox ratio; aluminium heatsink, all-metal hotend, no PTFE tube in the filament path[1]High-flow direct-drive extruder, 1.75 mm filament[2][3]
Gear ratio & drive gear material1:10 planetary gearbox[1]Not documented
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Quick-swap nozzle system, 0.4 mm default, other diameters supported[1]Ceramic heating core. Copper-alloy nozzle head for normal materials, hardened-steel nozzle head for abrasives. 0.4 mm stock, 0.2/0.6/0.8 mm optional[2]
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)300 C claimed max hotend temperature in Prusa's MK4 announcement table - note the MK4S product page publishes 290 C for the same hotend family[1][8]<=350 °C claimed[2][3]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit120 C max heatbed temperature[1]<=120 °C claimed[2][3]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedMagnetic heatbed with removable PEI spring-steel sheets; compatible with the MK3 sheets (smooth PEI, satin, textured PEI, PA nylon)[1]Double-sided flexible magnetic RF plate[2]
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Load-cell sensor: fully automatic first-layer calibration with the nozzle as the probe, plus automatic mesh bed levelling over the print area[1]Automatic bed levelling; probe technology not named[3]
Filament Handling & Detection
Filament runout sensor (type, location)Built-in Hall-effect filament sensor supporting automatic filament loading[1]Filament detection fitted; type and location not published[2]
Electronics & Power
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)Custom 32-bit xBuddy board with STM32, designed and built in-house, with a separate extruder breakout board[1]Not documented
Host computer (SoC, RAM, storage) if firmware runs on embedded LinuxNot documentedCortex-A53 64-bit at 1.5 GHz, 1 GB DDR3, 8 GB eMMC[2][3]
PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage)240 W Delta PSU with hardware power panic[1]Not documented
Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto)Not documented100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[2]
Total rated power drawNot documented800 W rated[2]
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)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[9][8]Klipper[3]
Connectivity, UI & Camera
Display: size, type, touch?3.5-inch 65k-colour graphic screen[1]5-inch touchscreen, 800 x 480[2]
On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.)On-device colour UI with one-click printing and status LEDs; Prusa Link is integrated and Prusa Connect adds remote printing[1]Not documented
WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-driveEthernet built in, optional ESP Wi-Fi module delivered with the printer, USB drive; print files can also arrive over LAN or the internet via Prusa Connect[1]Wi-Fi (150M 2.4G), Ethernet, USB flash drive[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listPrusa's launch table says "any thermoplastic including Nylon and Polycarbonate"; the enclosure is still needed in practice for ABS/ASA-class materials[1]Not documented
Safety
Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible)xBuddy hardware overcurrent protection disconnects heater and heatbed power when total current exceeds 15 A; firmware is open-source and auditable[1][9]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[10][8]1-year coverage (QIDI standard store terms)[11]

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. 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
  2. QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. QIDI X-Plus 3 official US page qidiusa.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Prusa blog - The Original Prusa MK4S is Here! (published 12 August 2024) blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
  5. QIDI Tech X-Max 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy (firmware for MINI, MK4, XL and CORE One) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
  11. QIDI Max4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor