Printer comparison
Original Prusa XL+ Single-Tool vs Snapmaker U1
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Original Prusa XL+ Single-Tool comparisonsMore Snapmaker U1 comparisons
| Property | Original Prusa XL+ Single-ToolCOREXY | Snapmaker U1TOOLCHANGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Prusa Research | Snapmaker |
| Class | COREXY | TOOLCHANGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Original Prusa XL+, Single-Tool variant ("Prusa XL+ Single-Tool" in the e-shop variant data)[1][2] | Snapmaker U1 3D Printer[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | The XL+ refresh was announced on 13 August 2026, on sale immediately in all toolhead configurations, with assembled printers shipping later in August 2026 and upgrade kits for existing XL owners from around the end of August. The original Original Prusa XL predates it[4] | Not documented |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $2,128.70 on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026 (lowest listed price for the Single-Tool variant; the Enclosure bundle starts at $2,610.19)[1] | $849.00 against a $999.00 compare-at price on us.snapmaker.com, but the listing is marked Unavailable, checked Aug 2026[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | The XL+ is sold in Single-Tool, Dual-Head and Five-Head variants at $2,128.70, $2,768.52 and $3,610.18 respectively (Aug 2026), plus Enclosure bundles and a Critical Infrastructure edition. The frame is the same in all of them - Prusa states the frame is ready for toolheads to be added at any time - so build volume, bed and electronics figures are shared and only the toolhead count and price differ. The XL+ is itself a revision of the Original Prusa XL: the older XL aligned toolheads with a mechanical pin, the XL+ uses a dedicated electronic sensor, adds a nozzle wiper and is claimed to print 10-15% faster[1][2] | An optional top cover changes what the machine can print: without it PLA/PETG/TPU/PVA/PCTG; with it ABS, ASA, PA, PC and PET are added; with the top cover AND a hardened-steel nozzle, carbon- and glass-fibre grades. A stated material list for the U1 is therefore meaningless without saying which configuration it refers to[3] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Current model; an Original Prusa XL to Prusa XL+ upgrade kit is sold for existing owners[2] | Not documented |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 360 x 360 x 360 mm, which Prusa states as 46.7 litres[1] | 270 x 270 x 270 mm[3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | About 700 x 900 x 720 mm (Prusa's own figure is approximate)[1] | 584 x 499 x 730 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | About 30 kg[1] | 18.2 kg[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Aluminium extrusions and steel sheets (Prusa's comparison table for the XL)[5] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame. The Enclosure for Prusa XL+ is an optional add-on; Prusa says the printer is ready for chamber temperatures up to 60 C, that the new better-sealed enclosure reaches around 50 C on the printer's own waste heat, and that 60 C needs an upcoming chamber heater for which no shipping date has been given[1][4] | Open as sold; a top cover is an optional accessory that raises the supported material range[3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY with 1.5 mm GT belts, Input Shaper and Phase Stepping[1] | Four independent toolheads on a changer; Snapmaker quotes a 5-second swap[3] |
| Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?) | 1.5 mm GT belts[1] | Not documented |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | 500 mm/s maximum toolhead speed (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | Not documented | 32 mm3/s maximum hotend flow (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping | ||
| Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary) | Input Shaper and Phase Stepping[1] | Input shaping with an accelerometer, run as a calibration routine[3] |
| Extrusion Pressure Control | ||
| Pressure advance (Klipper) / linear advance (Marlin) supported? | Not documented | Pressure advance, with automatic flow compensation calibration[3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Nextruder direct drive; each toolhead carries its own extruder, hotend, nozzle and filament[1] | Not documented |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Quick-swap nozzles - 0.25 mm for detail, 0.6/0.8 mm for speed, hardened steel for abrasives, high-flow CHT for throughput; toolheads ship with high-flow nozzles[1] | Not documented |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 290 C claimed max nozzle temperature[1] | 300 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Not documented | Stainless steel as standard; hardened steel needed for fibre-filled grades[3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 120 C max heatbed temperature[1] | 100 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Segmented heatbed of 16 individually controlled tiles across the 360 x 360 mm surface, so only the tiles under the part are powered; removable double-sided satin print sheet supplied[1] | Flexible steel sheet with a PEI surface[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Load-cell sensor - the nozzle is the probe, which Prusa says automatically accounts for nozzle changes, surface textures and thermal expansion and removes manual Z-offsets. Toolhead-to-toolhead alignment on the XL+ uses a separate permanently mounted eddy-current Tool Offset Sensor, replacing the removable mechanical pin used on the original XL[1][4] | Mesh bed levelling. Automatic toolhead offset calibration is done by coordinate measuring[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament sensors fitted; Prusa's comparison table lists two filament sensors for the XL[5] | Filament run-out detection, plus air-printing detection and RFID filament recognition[3] |
| Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path | Not documented | Four toolheads with auto-feed and a backup mode; toolhead swap error detection, build-plate presence and obstruction detection[3] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | 360-degree part cooling on each toolhead, new on the XL+ and matching the MK4S and CORE One arrangement; Prusa states it delivers more airflow and distributes it more evenly around the nozzle. Additional fans and heatsinks cool the electronics. Fan sizes are not published[1][4] | Main plus auxiliary part-cooling fans[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Custom 32-bit xBuddy electronics with STM32 (Prusa's comparison table for the XL)[5] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | Not documented | Maximum input power 1150 W at 220-240 V, 400 W at 100-120 V; maximum input current 6 A / 4 A respectively[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Open-source firmware - Prusa states "Firmware: Open-source; ships with the full current Prusa feature set", and the XL is covered by the prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy source tree[1][6] | Klipper[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 3.5-inch 65k-colour screen with touch control (Prusa's comparison table for the XL)[5] | 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 touchscreen[3] |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | On-device touch UI; Prusa Connect and the Prusa mobile app are optional - Prusa states the machine is fully offline capable[5][1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi; USB drive for print files. Prusa Connect optional and fully offline operation supported[1][5] | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and USB flash drive. No Ethernet listed[3] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Not documented | 2 MP built-in chamber camera for live view[3] |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Not documented | Power-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, PA (nylon), TPU, PVA, HIPS, PP, CPE, PVB and carbon-fibre composites. Prusa states an open material policy - any brand of 1.75 mm filament, no chips and no subscriptions[1] | Base: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, PCTG. With the optional top cover: adds PET, ABS, ASA, PA, PC. With top cover and a hardened-steel nozzle: adds carbon- and glass-fibre-reinforced polymers[3] |
| Safety | ||
| Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible) | Open-source firmware on the xBuddy platform, which carries hardware overcurrent protection cutting heater and heatbed power above 15 A[7][6] | 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[8][5] | 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
- Original Prusa XL+ product page (spec block and variant price data) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Snapmaker U1 product page us.snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa blog - Better Prints, Easier Use: Prusa XL+, CORE One L+ and CORE One+ (Gen 2), Our Big Product Update (published 13 August 2026) blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
- 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 blog - Original Prusa MK4 is here (published 29 March 2023), including the MK4 specification table and launch prices blog.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc