The prices for good 3D printers have fallen significantly.You can get decent printers for less than 200 euros.TechStage shows the cheapest models and explains the differences.While reasonable 3D printers cost 1000 euros and more a few years ago, the prices for entry-level models have now fallen to 70 to 200 euros.In addition to decorative elements, they are also suitable for building prototypes or smaller functional parts.In the field of model construction, for example, the devices have become indispensable.This guide focuses on FDM printers.These work according to a simple principle: They draw in plastic in the form of a filament, melt it and build up the object to be printed layer by layer.After each shift, either the printing platform moves down or the nozzle moves up.Alternatives are SLA printers, which work on a different principle: they use a UV-sensitive liquid that hardens when exposed to light.They are more expensive than FDM printers, although prices here have already fallen sharply.In our 3D printer theme world, you will find not only individual tests but also guides, such as the basic article 3D printers: all the important information you need to get started.In the top 10: The best 3D printers for filament and resin in comparison, we show which devices were most convincing in the individual tests.Our list of the 15 cheapest 3D printers includes both ready-made printers and kits for self-assembly.Until recently, the 3D printer kit was the best choice from a financial point of view.In the meantime, however, these times are over, built-up devices have become well affordable.Fully assembled printers are ready for use more quickly, but the inexpensive models in particular usually only have a small installation space.Prominent examples of this are the Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini printers we have already tested (test report) and the da Vinci Mini W+ from the manufacturer xyzprinting (test report).If you need more pressure space, you have to spend more money and buy models like the Qidi X-Plus (test report) or Qidi X-Max (test report).For this device class, it means: unpack and print.The pre-assembled do-it-yourself kits are inexpensive.They are available in different sizes and with different equipment and assembly levels.The assembly is not particularly complicated, but it can quickly take six hours or more, as we found with the large Tronxy X5SA Pro (test report) or the Sapphire Plus (test report).Other models such as the ET4 (test report) and ET5 Pro (test report) from ANet, on the other hand, are ready for use in just under 15 minutes.However, these are exceptional cases.Installation usually takes between 30 and 90 minutes.Examples of this are the Anycubic Vyper (test report), the Artillery Hornet (test report) or the Creality Ender 5 Pro (test report).If you assemble your printer yourself, you also have the advantage that you know your device and can find your way around more easily in the event of repairs or tuning measures.In practice, we were able to check this in the past with the popular Ender 3 from Creality 3D (test report), for which there are countless modifications.Extremely cheap offers such as the recently tested FDM printer Labists X1 (test report) for just 65 euros work, but do not get a purchase recommendation due to the poor print quality.Fortunately, the i3 Prusa clone (test report) for 99 euros is now rarely found.The printer, which was not pre-assembled, was extremely complicated to set up and the quality of the components left a lot to be desired.The model is no longer listed in the price comparison.Instead, there is now a 130-euro printer called Colido;Unfortunately, it has not yet made it into the editorial office.However, the simply built frame with many plastic parts makes a similarly wobbly impression as the cheap Prusa clone or the X1.The print quality of such cheap ones is hardly usable and reasonable printers are only marginally more expensive.Our tip: stay away and buy a cheap Creality Ender 3 instead!The time when affordable printers automatically had a mini build space is also over.The list of the cheapest printers includes some models that only allow small prints, but there are also large-capacity devices.The A8 Plus from Anet is a real giant with a build volume of 300 × 300 × 350 mm compared to the Wanhao Duplicator i3Mini (120 × 100 × 135 mm) or the Monoprice MP Mini Delta (110 × 110 × 120 mm).But is bigger automatically better?Ultimately, it all depends on what is to be printed.If you are planning large prints such as a large airplane model, you often have to assemble them from several individual parts.Nevertheless, it then makes sense to use the largest possible installation space, which minimizes the number of individual parts required.If you want to deal with the topic first or only need small prints, you are better off with a space-saving model.For tabletop gamers or model builders, small and medium-sized spaces are often sufficient.We recommend a minimum size of 20 × 20 × 20 cm.The largest printers we have tested are currently the models Tronxy X5SA (test report), Tronxy X5SA Pro (test report), ANet ET5 Pro (test report) and Sapphire Plus (test report) with a print space of up to 33 × 33 × 40 cm.Our price-performance winner Artillery Hornet (test report) has an installation space of 220 x 220 x 250 mm.The test winner, the Anycubic Vyper (test report), even manages 245 x 245 x 260 mm.The layer thickness of the printer depends on how long the printing process takes and how delicate the result looks.Prints with very low layers look better, but take significantly more time.Prints with thick layers finish faster, but the gradations are then more clearly visible.Even with layer thicknesses of 0.1 mm, the FDM prints are not completely smooth.If you want a perfect result, you have to do it again and rework the result - or use a resin printer.Our guide to post-processing shows which methods are available for post-processing.In practice, it is always about a good compromise between print quality and time.From our own experience, a layer thickness of 0.16 mm to 0.2 mm is recommended.If you want particularly filigree results, the Monoprice MP Mini Delta offers the lowest layer heights of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm.However, the currently significantly more expensive SLA printers are more suitable for such thin layers.If you post-process your prints, you can work with 0.3 mm or more with a clear conscience and thus save a lot of time.The cheap 3D printers are therefore all well suited.If you want to work even more filigree, you have to use a resin printer.The layer thicknesses here are only 0.01 to 0.05 mm.More on this in the article UV resin or plastic filament: 3D printers in comparison.All printers in the list can process PLA filament.The material is ideally suited for decorative prints and parts with low requirements for stability and heat resistance.The biggest advantages of PLA are its good-natured printing properties and the good price-performance ratio.This makes it ideal for beginners.If more stable plastics such as ABS, PETG or even nylon are to be used, the FDM printers in the lower price segment are only partially suitable.In addition to a higher melting temperature, a heated printing bed is essential for the stable ABS plastic.Although some of the printers are able to process ABS, this rarely works really well without tuning measures.Anyone who processes the bitchy material should have a converted print room, such as that offered by the da Vinici Pro from xyz-printing.If you want to process flexible filament such as TPU, you can do this with some changes to the printing parameters, for example with the Ender 3 from Creality 3D (test report) or Ender 3 Pro.A small tutorial in English is available here, for example.With expensive models, such as the Anycubic Vyper (test report), printing TPU works without any tuning measures.Basically and regardless of the material, we recommend a printer with a free choice of filament.Some manufacturers only allow their printers to use their own filament.Although this is of good quality, it is often significantly more expensive than material from third-party manufacturers.At the manufacturer xyzprinting, the filament compulsion can be tricked with a trick with self-written NFC labels.All other printers in the list allow a free choice of filament.More information about filament can be found in the guides The best filaments for 3D printers: simple, flexible and stable?and Stone, Metal, Conductive: Exotic Filaments for 3D Printers.Even high-resolution resin printers that work with UV light and liquid resin are now available for less than 150 euros.The selection of these SLA printers is smaller than for models with FDM technology, but they enable a very good print quality - especially for filigree print objects.More information on the differences between the two technologies can be found in the guide UV resin or plastic filament: 3D printers in comparison.In order to prepare 3D models for printing, slicer software is required, which is usually supplied on a USB stick or SD card.This divides the object into many individual layers and tells the printer how fast to print and at what temperature.Most cheap printers come with free Cura software.This works very well and offers a variety of setting options.In practice, it left a positive impression in our tests.The current version is so mature that it can easily keep up with commercial programs such as Simplify3D.Brand manufacturers such as the manufacturer xyz-printing often rely on their own software.However, this usually offers significantly fewer setting options than, for example, Cura.If you want, you can also prepare your models with these printers using a different program.Since the Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 has integrated basic functions for printing and manipulating STL files.Anyone who has an up-to-date Windows and buys a supported 3D printer does not need any additional software for the first prints.The Idea Builder from Dremel (test report) or numerous printers from xyz-printing are supported.The integrated functions are sufficient for the first exercises or for quickly printing finished STL models.The models, which have already been divided into layers, are then sent to the printer via USB stick or memory card.If you want, you can also forward the print job directly via USB cable.Only a few printers in the lower price range have integrated Wi-Fi for control via WLAN.Here we have listed the 15 cheapest FDM printers.In addition, we show the 15 most popular devices up to 500 euros.This shows that 50 percent of the devices from the top 10 cost less than 250 euros.So more expensive doesn't automatically mean better.We also show which resin printers are available for less than 150 euros.German dealers often bang on the actual prices of 3D printers.In case of doubt, you have a contact person and protection in the event of damage.But Chinese online shops also have their advantages: In many cases they are cheaper and, thanks to EU warehouses, ship to the buyer within a few days.Of course, there are also cheap 3D printers beyond the price comparison offers.There are real bargains here, especially with Chinese suppliers.On the one hand, however, shipping takes much longer, and on the other hand, additional fees are incurred from non-EU countries, which subsequently drive up the price.Experience has shown that it is worth taking a look at the European inventories.There the selection is smaller, but the price is fixed.What strikes us: Most of these low-budget printers are not available in German shops.In the case of the cheap DIY kits from Easythreed, we can understand that too.The devices are reminiscent of the Labists X1 we tested (test report).Although this is cheap to buy, we were disappointed with the low overall performance.Our price-performance winner is currently the Artillery Hornet (test report), which presented itself in the test as a reliable printer with a good print image and a tolerable volume.The device is available in German shops for just under 200 euros.The Hornet is available from Banggood for 160 euros.Since the delivery is made from a European warehouse, there are no further costs.The cost of entering the world of 3D printers ranges from 160 to 230 euros.The devices available for this budget are pleasingly mature and deliver decent results.Creality 3D and ANet devices have a huge, very active, community.If you have any questions, you will always find a suitable answer quickly.If you not only want to print decorative objects, but also functional parts, you should pay attention to the compatible filament types.The required size of the installation space depends on the individual needs.The smaller printers are often sufficient for private use.Since the devices presented here are all at least pre-assembled, assembly is unproblematic.From personal experience we can recommend printers from Artillery, Anycubic, ANet, Creality 3D and Wanhao.The models from xyz-printing also work reliably, but offer fewer functions and only work with the manufacturer's filament by default.Our test winner, the Anycubic Vyper (test report), is unfortunately not a bargain at 325 euros.For a cheap start, we therefore recommend the price-performance winner Artillery Hornet (test report).It only costs about half as much.Other interesting articles on the subject of 3D printing are our guides:- The links marked with are commission links (affiliate links).If an order is placed via such a link, TechStage receives a commission.This does not result in any additional costs for the buyer.