Under $300
Best 3D Printer Under $300 in 2026
The best 3D printer under 300 dollars is a two-machine list in our scores. The A1 Mini fits only while Amazon stays at or under $300. The Ender 3 V3 SE is the one that is usually under $200. The P1S is not in this budget.
Updated September 2026 · Scored against our FDM printer guide
Marcus HaleWriter
Best 3D printer under 300: read the live price first
Open the A1 Mini listing before you decide. About $299 (price checked Sep 2026), ease of use 9.5/10, and a 180 × 180 × 180 mm open bed. If Amazon shows more than $300, that machine is not the best 3D printer under 300 on that day. Wait, or move to the Ender 3 V3 SE if that listing is still under the cap.
The Ender at about $199 (price checked Sep 2026) is the 3D printer under $200 here. Between $200 and $300 it is still the best budget 3D printer on a hard cap: a 220 × 220 × 250 mm bed, Sprite direct drive, and an afternoon on the Z offset. Over $300, it misses the page the same way the P1S does.
The P1S button is so you can see the $549 price, not so you can rename it a budget printer. It is enclosed, 256 mm in each direction, and 9.3/10. That is the stretch if the cap can move. It is not a sub-$300 result.
Price is the cap on this page, and the small-apartment printer page is the one that measures the body against the desk.
See printers reviewers recommend above this cap. See pros and cons of every cheap printer we score. The A1 Mini can sit under this cap on the official store even when the catalog still says about $299, which is why the A1 Mini store price to beat is the figure to check.
Best 3D printers under $300 at a glance
Every printer below is already scored in our FDM guide. Roles here are for this question, not a second lab test.
Bambu Lab A1 Mini
$199 typical $219
The best printer we score that can land under $300: about $299 (price checked Sep 2026), 9.0/10, ease of use 9.5/10, open frame, 180 × 180 × 180 mm. If Amazon shows more than $300 on the day you look, it has left this page. Buy the Ender 3 V3 SE, or wait for the Mini to come back under the cap.
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
$179 regular $199
About $199 (price checked Sep 2026), so this is the 3D printer under $200 in our set. The bed is 220 × 220 × 250 mm and the score is 8.0/10, with ease of use at 7.9/10. If Amazon sits between $200 and $300, it is still under the cap and no longer an under-$200 printer. If it floats over $300, it misses this page too.
Bambu Lab P1S
$349 typical $399, combo pricing varies
Our highest-scoring printer at 9.3/10, and about $549 (price checked Sep 2026). That is $249 over a $300 cap. Look at it only if you can stretch. Do not file it as a best 3D printer under $300 because a coupon might exist someday.
Bambu Lab A1 Mini
$199 typical $219
Check price on AmazonThe best printer we score that can land under $300: about $299 (price checked Sep 2026), 9.0/10, ease of use 9.5/10, open frame, 180 × 180 × 180 mm. If Amazon shows more than $300 on the day you look, it has left this page. Buy the Ender 3 V3 SE, or wait for the Mini to come back under the cap.
The A1 Mini proves entry-level no longer means fiddly. Full-auto calibration, quiet operation, and optional AMS Lite multi-color make it our favorite desk-friendly machine for gifts and first printers.
Who it's for
Beginners, kids/STEM setups, and anyone with limited bench space.
Also great
No second printer we score under $300 earns an also-great call. The A1 Mini is the pick while its Amazon price holds the cap. The Ender 3 V3 SE is the budget alternative. Once the cap is about $500, use the under-$500 guide. The P1S at $549 is the step-up on that page, not its winner.
A 3D printer under $200
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
About $199 (price checked Sep 2026), so this is the 3D printer under $200 in our set. The bed is 220 × 220 × 250 mm and the score is 8.0/10, with ease of use at 7.9/10. If Amazon sits between $200 and $300, it is still under the cap and no longer an under-$200 printer. If it floats over $300, it misses this page too.
Budget buyers and tinkerers who want a known platform with a huge mod scene.
Best budget 3D printer in this set
Price bands are the published prices in the FDM guide (price checked Sep 2026). Build volume and ease of use come from those scorecards. Enclosed means the printer ships with a closed shell. Prices change often, so check the live price on Amazon. We earn a small commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.
| Printer | Price band | Build volume | Enclosed? | Ease | Best for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | about $299 (price checked Sep 2026) (over the cap if Amazon is above $300) | 180 × 180 × 180 mm | No | 9.5/10 | Best under $300 while the live price holds | Check price on Amazon |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 SE | about $199 (price checked Sep 2026) (usually under $200) | 220 × 220 × 250 mm | No | 7.9/10 | Keep the leftover cash for filament and a plate | Check price on Amazon |
| Bambu Lab P1S | about $549 (price checked Sep 2026) (above $300) | 256 × 256 × 256 mm | Yes | 9.6/10 | Only if you can stretch past $300 | Check price on Amazon |
Where leftover cash actually goes
At the published prices (price checked Sep 2026), the Ender leaves about $100 inside a $300 cap and the A1 Mini leaves almost none. Spend a surplus on filament and the one accessory you already need. The longer comparisons are the filament dryer guide, the PEI build sheet guide, and the printer tool kit guide. After the printer arrives, read how to set up a cheap printer, Z offset included for calibration and the first layer.
Generic 34-Piece Printer Tools Kit · $19
About $19 (price checked Sep 2026), so it fits the cash an Ender leaves under a $300 cap. Snips and a scraper. Skip it if the printer already included them.
Sunlu Filament Dryer S2 · $44.99
About $49 (price checked Sep 2026) for one spool. Buy it when you will print PETG or the PLA has been open for weeks. A sealed PLA spool does not need it, and the $129 four-spool dryer is the wrong default under this cap.
BIQU CryoGrip Pro Glacier 235 mm · $32
About $32 (price checked Sep 2026), and only after a soap wash fails on an Ender-class sheet. 235 mm. The A1 Mini already has a plate, and a 257 mm Bambu sheet does not fit it.
Affiliate disclosure
3DPrintersRank does not sell printers. The Check price on Amazon button uses the affiliate link already stored on that scorecard. We may earn a commission if you buy, and we do not set the price. If about $299 (price checked Sep 2026) or $199 has floated above $300, believe Amazon, not this table.
Under $300 scores compared
Overall is out of 10 and comes from the FDM printer guide. Check Amazon for the live price.
| Printer | Role here | Overall | Price | Review | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | Our pick | 9.0 | $199 | Scorecard | Check price on Amazon |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 SE | Budget pick | 8.0 | $179 | Scorecard | Check price on Amazon |
| Bambu Lab P1S | Skip if | 9.3 | $349 | Scorecard | Check price on Amazon |
Who should skip these printers
Skip the A1 Mini the day Amazon is over $300
A about $299 (price checked Sep 2026) is not a contract. The bed is also 180 mm in each direction. If the live price has crossed the cap, or the part will not fit, the Mini is the wrong row on this page even though it is the better printer.
Skip the Ender 3 V3 SE if you will not tune it
The $199 price is the reason to accept 7.9/10 ease of use. If the A1 Mini is still at or under $300 and a failed first layer would end the hobby, pay the difference. Saving $100 you will not spend on filament or a plate is not a savings.
Skip the P1S on a hard $300 line
It is enclosed, it scores 9.3/10, and it costs $549 in our guide. A sale that still lands above $300 belongs in the under-$500 guide. It does not make the P1S a sub-$300 printer.
Who it's not for
Shoppers who can already spend about $550 and want an enclosure. That decision is the under-$500 guide. This page is the $300 ceiling, including the days about $299 (price checked Sep 2026) listing floats above it. It is also not a ranking of the best printer you can own.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best 3D printer under $300?
- The Bambu Lab A1 Mini, while Amazon lists it at $300 or less. It is about $299 (price checked Sep 2026) and 9.0/10. If the listing is over $300, it is not the winner of this page on that day.
- What is the best budget 3D printer if I need to stay under $200?
- The Creality Ender 3 V3 SE, about $199 (price checked Sep 2026) with an 8.0/10 score and a 220 × 220 × 250 mm bed. Confirm the live price. Between $200 and $300 it is still the budget pick under the main cap. Over $300, it no longer fits.
- Is the Bambu Lab P1S under $300?
- No. It is about $549 (price checked Sep 2026). It is the enclosed step-up if you can stretch, and it is the wrong machine to force into a $300 budget.
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