3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Original Prusa MK4 vs Snapmaker J1s
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Original Prusa MK4 comparisonsMore Snapmaker J1s comparisons
| Property | Original Prusa MK4BEDSLINGER | Snapmaker J1sIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Prusa Research | Snapmaker |
| Class | BEDSLINGER | IDEX |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Original Prusa MK4[1] | Snapmaker J1S High Speed IDEX 3D Printer[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 documented |
| 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 | $1,399.00 at MatterHackers, listed as currently unavailable with a pre-order option quoting roughly 5 weeks, checked Aug 2026[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| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Superseded by the MK4S, which is the same machine plus a 360-degree turbine part-cooling fan, a high-flow CHT nozzle and firmware/profile work; Prusa sold a 99 USD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] | The J1s differs from the original J1 by an additional part-cooling fan. Usable volume depends on the print mode: 300 x 200 x 200 mm in default and backup modes, 160 x 200 x 200 in copy mode, 150 x 200 x 200 in mirror mode[2][3] |
| Market position: superseded?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[5][4] | Not documented |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 250 x 210 x 220 mm (manufacturer figure)[1] | 300 x 200 x 200 mm in default and backup modes[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | Not documented | 539 x 401 x 464 mm[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 25 kg net[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Die-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] | Aluminium-alloy frame with one-piece die casting and linear rails; Snapmaker quotes rail repeatability of +/-0.03 mm in X/Y and +/-0.02 mm in Z[3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame; the Original Prusa Enclosure is an optional add-on[1] | Not documented |
| 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] | IDEX — two independently driven extruders[2][3] |
| X-axis guide type (rods / linear rails / V-wheels; size) | Not documented | Linear rails[3] |
| 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 documented | 350 mm/s maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 10,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Nextruder direct drive with a planetary gear system, 1:10 gearbox ratio; aluminium heatsink, all-metal hotend, no PTFE tube in the filament path[1] | Not documented |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | 1:10 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] | Not documented |
| 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][6] | 300 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 120 C max heatbed temperature[1] | 100 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Magnetic heatbed with removable PEI spring-steel sheets; compatible with the MK3 sheets (smooth PEI, satin, textured PEI, PA nylon)[1] | Custom dual-sided PEI glass plate: glossy glass on one face, PEI coating on the other[2][3] |
| 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] | 3-point bed levelling, which Snapmaker contrasts with 9-16 point systems; assisted calibration quoted at about 10 minutes[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Built-in Hall-effect filament sensor supporting automatic filament loading[1] | Not documented |
| 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 Linux | Not documented | 1 GB RAM, 8 GB eMMC; the 5-inch display runs Android[2] |
| 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 documented | AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 4.4 A max input; DC 24 V, 400 W max output[2] |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | 400 W maximum output[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[7][6] | Not named by Snapmaker; the supplied slicer is Luban, with third-party software supported[2] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 3.5-inch 65k-colour graphic screen[1] | 5-inch Android display, 1280 x 720[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-drive | Ethernet 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, USB cable, USB flash drive[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Prusa's launch table says "any thermoplastic including Nylon and Polycarbonate"; the enclosure is still needed in practice for ABS/ASA-class materials[1] | PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, TPU, TPE, PETG, ASA, PP, PVA, PA, PA-GF, PA-CF[2] |
| 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][7] | Not documented |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Not documented | Less than 50 dBA claimed by the manufacturer. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[2] |
| 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[8][6] | 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
- 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
- Snapmaker J1S High Speed IDEX 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Snapmaker J1s product page snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa blog - The Original Prusa MK4S is Here! (published 12 August 2024) blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy (firmware for MINI, MK4, XL and CORE One) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc