3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
QIDI Plus4 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 QIDI Plus4 comparisonsMore Snapmaker U1 comparisons
| Property | QIDI Plus4COREXY | Snapmaker U1TOOLCHANGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | QIDI | Snapmaker |
| Class | COREXY | TOOLCHANGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | QIDI Plus4, sold as "Plus4 3D Printer". QIDI's own wiki files it under X-Plus4[1][2] | Snapmaker U1 3D Printer[3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Announced September 2024; QIDI ran launch promotional pricing in the week of 20-27 September 2024 (secondary reporting, not a QIDI press release)[4] | Not documented |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $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[1][2] | $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) | 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)[2][1] | 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| Market position: superseded?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? | Superseded at the top of the large-format line by the Plus5, launched 5 August 2026 with 18% more build volume; Plus4 still listed and in stock Aug 2026[5][6] | Not documented |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 305 x 305 x 280 mm advertised. No independently measured usable envelope found[1][4] | 270 x 270 x 270 mm[3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 505 x 487 x 550 mm[4] | 584 x 499 x 730 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | 32 kg gross (3DJake). QIDI does not publish a net weight on the product page[4] | 18.2 kg[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Enclosed CoreXY chassis with double-layer chamber insulation; QIDI does not publish a frame material breakdown[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Fully enclosed, double-layer insulated chamber with second-generation active heating to 65 °C[1][4] | Open as sold; a top cover is an optional accessory that raises the supported material range[3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | 65 °C, actively heated by a 400 W heater which QIDI says reaches setpoint in about 8 minutes (manufacturer claim)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY[4] | Four independent toolheads on a changer; Snapmaker quotes a 5-second swap[3] |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Dual independent Z motors on 10 mm linear shafts and screws[1] | Not documented |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 600 mm/s (manufacturer claim, tool-head maximum)[4] | 500 mm/s maximum toolhead speed (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | <=20,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[4] | 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) | Not documented | 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 | Direct drive with hardened steel dual gears, 1.75 mm filament[1][4] | Not documented |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Second-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[1][4] | Not documented |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | <=370 °C claimed. No firmware max_temp verified for this model[1][4] | 300 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Heater cartridge power (W) | 80 W hotend heater (manufacturer figure)[1] | Not documented |
| 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 | 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[1][4] | 100 °C maximum (manufacturer claim)[3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | 6 mm aluminium-substrate heated bed with a double-sided textured PEI plate[1][4] | Flexible steel sheet with a PEI surface[3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Full-auto calibration; QIDI markets "hands-free automatic" levelling and does not name the probe technology on the product page[1][4] | Mesh bed levelling. Automatic toolhead offset calibration is done by coordinate measuring[3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament run-out sensor, plus a filament cutter and filament tangle detection (tangle mechanism not described)[4] | Filament run-out detection, plus air-printing detection and RFID filament recognition[3] |
| Multi-material/multi-color capability or official upgrade path | QIDI Box multi-material unit supported; sold bundled as the Plus4 Combo[1][2] | 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 | Auxiliary part-cooling fan plus a chamber circulation fan; fan sizes and duct design not published[4] | Main plus auxiliary part-cooling fans[3] |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz[4] | Not documented |
| Total rated power draw | 450 W plus 400 W for chamber heating (rated)[4] | 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) | Klipper v0.12, described by QIDI as open source. Fork details and current release not published on the product page[1] | Klipper[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 5-inch touchscreen, 800 x 480[1][4] | 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 touchscreen[3] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Ethernet, USB[1][4] | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and USB flash drive. No Ethernet listed[3] |
| Cloud service & phone app; LAN-only mode possible? | Mobile and computer control, remote cloud or LAN-only operation[1] | Not documented |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Built-in low-frame-rate camera, up to 1080p, timelapse supported[1][4] | 2 MP built-in chamber camera for live view[3] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | QIDI claims about 10 minutes from unbox to printing[1] | Not documented |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Power-loss recovery listed; mechanism not published[4] | Power-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published[3] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG, TPU, PA, PC, PA-CF/GF, PET-CF/GF, PPA-CF/GF, PPS-CF and other CF/GF-filled polymers[1][4] | 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] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 1-year coverage, 14-day no-reason return, 30-day price protection[1] | 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
- QIDI Plus4 product page (global store) qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Plus4 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Snapmaker U1 product page us.snapmaker.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech Plus4 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Plus5 product page (US store) us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Plus5 launch write-up 3dprintbeginner.com · 2026-08 · review