Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
- Price
- $199
- Score
- 8.4/10
- Wins
- 2/5
Creality Ender 3 V3 KE vs Prusa MK4S
- The Creality Ender 3 V3 KE wins, 8.4 vs 7.8 out of 10.
- Near-same build volume (220×220×240 vs 250×210×220 mm, 1.01×).
- The Ender 3 V3 KE is faster (500 ÷ 200 = 2.5×) and costs $730 ($929 − $199) less. Easy pick.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Prusa MK4S
- Price
- $929
- Score
- 7.8/10
- Wins
- 2/5
The verdict
Buy the Ender 3 V3 KE.
8.4/10 vs Prusa MK4S's 7.8/10, and it wins 2 of 5 categories. The V3 KE is the best $199 printer when WiFi and Klipper matter to you. The Bambu A1 Mini is the alternative at the same price; pick Bambu for polish, pick this for Klipper access and community customization.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
Ender 3 V3 KECreality · FDM
vsPrusa MK4SPrusa Research · FDM
| Ender 3 V3 KE | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| $199 (wins) | Price | $929 |
| 11.6 L (wins) | Build volume | 11.6 L |
| 500 mm/s (wins) | Top speed | 200 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm | Finest layer | 0.05 mm |
| 8 kg | Weight | 7 kg |
Features
| Ender 3 V3 KE | Feature | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Klipper firmware | No |
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | Yes |
| Yes | Direct drive | No |
| Yes | PEI build plate | No |
| Yes | WiFi | No |
| Yes | Color screen | No |
| No | Open source | Yes |
| No | PrusaSlicer | Yes |
| No | Nextruder | Yes |
| No | Input shaping | Yes |
| No | Ethernet | Yes |
Value math
$199 ÷ 11.6 L and $929 ÷ 11.6 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| Ender 3 V3 KE | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| $17.13 (wins) | $ per liter | $80.43 |
| $0.40 (wins) | $ per mm/s | $4.64 |
Scores out of 10
| Ender 3 V3 KE | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| 10 (wins) | Value | 6 |
| 8 | Beginner Friendliness | 8 |
| 8 | Print Quality | 9 (wins) |
| 8 (wins) | Speed | 6 |
| 8 | Reliability | 10 (wins) |
| 8.4 (wins) | Overall | 7.8 |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 220 × 220 × 240 mm
- 250 × 210 × 220 mm
What owners say
Klipper and WiFi for $199? Creality is not playing around anymore.
Ender 3 V3 KE owner, r/CrealityThe KE is what the Ender 3 should have been years ago. Solid printer.
Ender 3 V3 KE owner, 3DPrintBeginner (YouTube)My MK3 ran for 5 years without a single failed print. The MK4S continues that legacy.
Prusa MK4S owner, r/prusa3dIf reliability is your #1 priority, nothing beats Prusa. Nothing.
Prusa MK4S owner, Thomas Sanladerer (YouTube)
Pros & Cons
Ender 3 V3 KE
- +Klipper with WiFi at $199: normally this combination costs $299+
- +Direct drive comes standard, not as a $40 upgrade
- +500mm/s is real and achievable with the pre-installed Klipper profiles
- −Open frame makes ABS printing inconsistent
- −220mm bed is smaller than some $199 competitors
Prusa MK4S
- +Prusa's QC is genuinely better than anyone else's: every printer is test-printed before shipping
- +PrusaSlicer is open source and powerful, no subscription, no cloud required
- +Customer support answers in hours, not weeks
- −200mm/s max is a third of what CoreXY machines do at half the price
- −$929 for an open-frame bed-slinger is a hard sell in 2025
Buy these with it
A printer does nothing without these. Grab them in the same order.
- ELEGOO PLA filament, 1kgThe easy filament to start on. Prints at low temperatures and warps less.
- ELEGOO PETG filament, 1kgTougher and more heat tolerant than PLA, for parts that get handled or sit in the sun.
- SUNLU filament dryer S1 PlusWet filament causes stringing and rough surfaces. A dryer fixes that before you blame the printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Creality Ender 3 V3 KE better than the Prusa MK4S?
By the numbers, the Creality Ender 3 V3 KE scores higher (8.4/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Prusa MK4S may be the smarter buy if you need reliability.
Which is better for beginners, Creality Ender 3 V3 KE or Prusa MK4S?
Both score 8/10 for beginners. Go with the Creality Ender 3 V3 KE to save $730.
Is the Prusa MK4S worth $730 more than the Creality Ender 3 V3 KE?
The Creality Ender 3 V3 KE actually scores higher (8.4/10) despite costing $730 less. The Prusa MK4S only makes sense if you specifically need reliability.
What's the main difference between Creality Ender 3 V3 KE and Prusa MK4S?
Build volume (220x220x240mm vs 250x210x220mm) and print speed (500 vs 200 mm/s). The Creality Ender 3 V3 KE is best for budget; the Prusa MK4S targets reliability.