Ender 3 in 2026: Which Ender 3 Is Actually Still Worth Buying
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“Ender 3” now covers eight years of printers. Buy new only from the V3 family: the V3 SE for the lowest price, the V3 KE for speed and a 300 °C hotend, the V3 or V3 Plus for the stiffer CoreXZ frame. The original Ender 3, Pro, V2 and Neo are obsolete at new prices and only make sense used, as tinkering platforms.
Where to buy
The generations
| Model | Year | Volume | Hotend / bed | Levelling | Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ender 3 / Pro | 2018 | 220 × 220 × 250 | 255 °C / 110 °C | Manual | ~60 mm/s practical | Obsolete |
| Ender 3 V2 | 2020 | 220 × 220 × 250 | 255 °C / 100 °C | Manual (BLTouch optional) | ~80 mm/s practical | Obsolete |
| Ender 3 Neo / V2 Neo | 2022 | 220 × 220 × 250 | 260 °C / 100 °C | Auto (CR Touch) | ~100 mm/s | Superseded |
| Ender 3 S1 / S1 Pro | 2022 | 220 × 220 × 270 | 260 / 300 °C | Auto | ~150 mm/s | Superseded |
| Ender 3 V3 SE | 2023 | 220 × 220 × 250 | 260 °C / 100 °C | Auto | 250 mm/s | Current, budget |
| Ender 3 V3 KE | 2023 | 220 × 220 × 240 | 300 °C / 100 °C | Auto, Klipper | 500 mm/s | Current |
| Ender 3 V3 / V3 Plus | 2024 | 220 × 220 × 250 / 300 × 300 × 330 | 300 °C / 110 or 100 °C | Auto, Klipper, CoreXZ | 600 mm/s | Current |
Why the old ones are obsolete
An original Ender 3 needs manual bed levelling, a Bowden extruder that struggles with TPU, a 255 °C hotend with a PTFE liner, and a Marlin firmware with no input shaping. Every one of those is a troubleshooting article on this site: first layers, stringing, Z banding. The V3 SE fixes levelling and direct drive for less than the old machine plus the usual upgrades cost. Buy an old Ender 3 used only if you want to learn by fixing.
Which V3
- V3 SE: cheapest working printer from a major brand. Slow, PLA and PETG, reliable. Best for a first printer on a tight budget.
- V3 KE: Klipper, 500 mm/s, 300 °C, Wi-Fi. The default Ender 3 for most buyers. See the KE page.
- V3 and V3 Plus: CoreXZ, 20000 mm/s². The best printing Enders; the Plus is the only one over 220 mm. See the V3 lineup.
What an Ender 3 is not
Enclosed. All of them are open frames for PLA, PETG and TPU. If ABS is on the list, the K1C is the Creality to compare, or add an enclosure. If zero tinkering is the goal, the Bambu A1 mini and A1 are the honest alternatives. Owners of older Enders should read Ender 3 upgrades before spending on a machine whose replacement costs less than the parts.
The units in the box
The listings are the three current models on Amazon US: V3 SE, V3 KE and V3 Plus.
FAQ
Is the Ender 3 V2 still sold? Rarely new; Creality has moved to the V3 family.
Do old Ender 3 upgrades fit the V3? Mostly no; different hotend, extruder and frame families.
LayerWalker
Print defect diagnosis, calibration procedures and parts that actually fit. Corrections welcome through the contact page.
