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Creality Creality Ender 3 Series Printer with Direct Drive Extruder, CR Touch Auto Bed Leveling, Dual Z-Axis for Smooth Printing, Silent Motherboard, 220×220×270mm Build Volume (Ender 3)
Creality

Ender 3

$175.99 cheapest of 7 live offers

Updated 21 May 2026 · Live prices on every page load from Amazon US + UK

Buy on Amazon.com - $175.99 →

Affiliate link. Price live from the marketplace, not cached.

At a glance

Technology FDM
Build volume 220×220×250 mm (12.1 L)
Min layer height 100 µm
Kinematics Bedslinger
Max print speed 180 mm/s
Max hot-end temp 260 °C
Max bed temp 110 °C
Nozzle diameter 0.4 mm
Extruders 1
Enclosure Open
Auto-levelling Manual
Frame Aluminium extrusion

What this printer gets right and wrong

What it gets right
  • ✓ Under $300 - low-risk way to get into 3D printing without regretting the spend.
Where it falls short
  • ! Bedslinger design - expect ringing artefacts on tall prints at speed.
  • ! Open frame - PLA and PETG only, realistically. Forget ABS or nylon done properly.
  • ! Manual levelling - plan a weekend of paper-under-the-nozzle rituals before your first clean first layer.
Compare this with another printer

Head-to-head spec + price table against the Creality Ender 3. Verified printers on this marketplace only.
Who this is for
Buying your first printer

No auto-levelling means you'll spend your first weekend adjusting screws and fighting first-layer issues. Fine if you want to learn the hard way - frustrating if you just want prints.

Upgrading from an Ender or old Prusa

Bedslinger with middling flow rate - you already have one of these. The whole point of upgrading is speed, rigidity, or print quality that your current machine can't hit. This doesn't clear that bar.

Workshop or small business

No active heated chamber or a hot end that tops out below 280°C means no reliable ABS, ASA, nylon or PC. Fine for a hobbyist, wrong tool for commercial work in engineering materials.

Verdicts are rule-driven from the spec sheet and current price ($176). They don't capture firmware polish, support quality, or reliability - so treat them as a sanity check, not a final answer.

Live offers

Every live listing on the English-language Amazon marketplaces that I've matched to this printer. Cheapest first. Affiliate links.

  • 🇺🇸
    Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer Fully Open Source with Resume Printing Function DIY Printers Build Volulme 8.66x8.66x9.84 inch
    Amazon.com · New
    $175.99
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 Series Printer with Direct Drive Extruder, CR Touch Auto Bed Leveling, Dual Z-Axis for Smooth Printing, Silent Motherboard, 220×220×270mm Build Volume (Ender 3)
    Amazon.com · New
    $179.99
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 3D Printer with Ender 3 4010 Extruder Hotend Fans
    Amazon.com · New
    $183.31
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 3D Printer with Comgrow Filament Dryer
    Amazon.com · New
    $209.28
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 Max Neo 3D Printer, CR Touch Auto Leveling Bed Dual Z-Axis Full-metal Extruder Ender 3D Printer Large Print Size 11.8x11.8x12.6in
    Amazon.com · New
    $369.00
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus 3D Printer, CoreXZ 600mm/s High-Speed Auto Leveling Direct Drive Extruder Stable Metal Build Tri-Metal Nozzle Ender 3D Printer Large Print Size 11.8x11.8x13.0in
    Amazon.com · New
    $378.08
    View
  • 🇺🇸
    Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus 3D Printer Bundle with PLA Filament 1.75mm 4 Packs（2 White and 2 Black）
    Amazon.com · New
    $423.00
    View

Close alternatives - what $176 gets you elsewhere

Think of this like the shopping-cart upsell: here's what a tenner more or less could buy you in roughly the same category. Same FDM tech, same marketplace, all prices live. Stretches are data-driven; they're not sponsored placements.

Spend less
MALYAN M320 FDM Mini
MALYAN
M320 FDM Mini
$160 (-$16)

Save the money, similar specs on paper. You'd give up: 12.1 L vs 3.4 L build volume, 260°C hot end vs undefined°C.

Open page →
Stretch the budget
Sovol T300 Max Speed up to 600mm/s
Sovol
T300 Max Speed up to 600mm/s
$199 (+$23)

Get: 19.4 L more build volume (31.5 L) · 300°C hot end (was 260°C).

Open page →
Size up
BAMBULAB Bambu Lab A1 mini + LED Lamp
BAMBULAB
Bambu Lab A1 mini + LED Lamp
$234 (+$58)

Get: 4.7 L more build volume (16.8 L) · 300°C hot end (was 260°C).

Open page →

Frequently asked

What materials can the Creality Ender 3 print? +

At $176 the Creality Ender 3 is a PLA, PETG, TPU machine. The 260°C hot end covers PETG with a small safety margin. ABS and nylon need an enclosure plus more heat - not this printer.

How fast is the Creality Ender 3? +

Advertised at 180 mm/s, but that is motion-system capability, not what the hot end can sustain. Expect real-world prints at 80-150 mm/s without quality collapse.

How big can I print on the Creality Ender 3? +

220×220×250 mm (12.1 L). Comfortable for medium props, functional parts up to ~25 cm, and batch printing. One of the most-used working sizes in hobby 3D printing.

Does the Creality Ender 3 have auto-levelling? +

No - manual levelling only. Plan a weekend tuning the bed with a piece of paper and a hex key before your first clean first layer. At this price in 2026, that is a real drawback.

Is the Creality Ender 3 worth $176? +

At $176 the Creality Ender 3 is in hobby-entry territory - low-risk way to try the hobby. Expect older motion systems and basic feature sets, but print quality will surprise people coming from five-year-old reviews.

Related reading

Long readHow to pick your first 3D printerSpec by spec, what actually matters on a first printer and what the marketing hopes you will not question.Read →Long readFDM vs resin 3D printingWhen each process wins, where each fails, and why most beginners should start with FDM.Read →
Prices are live from the marketplace and refresh on every page load. I earn a small commission on purchases made through the affiliate links above - it costs you nothing and keeps the data-gathering running. I never accept free hardware.
Buy on Amazon.com $175.99 →