Creality Ender 3 V3
- Price
- $289
- Score
- 8.4/10
- Wins
- 3/5
Creality Ender 3 V3 vs Elegoo Mars 4
- The Creality Ender 3 V3 takes the crown with 8.4/10 vs 7.2/10.
- It pulls ahead in Beginner Friendliness, Speed, Reliability.
- That said, the Elegoo Mars 4 saves you $140 and wins on Value.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Elegoo Mars 4Discontinued
- Price
- $149
- Score
- 7.2/10
- Wins
- 1/5
Last recorded price. Replaced by the Elegoo Mars 4 Ultra at $240.
The verdict
Buy the Ender 3 V3.
8.4/10 vs Mars 4's 7.2/10, and it wins 3 of 5 categories. If you want real speed on a real budget and you're not precious about WiFi or a camera, this is the answer. It's a meaningful step up from the V3 SE and doesn't cost much more.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
Ender 3 V3Creality · FDM
vsMars 4Elegoo · RESIN
| Ender 3 V3 | Spec | Mars 4 |
|---|---|---|
| $289 | Price | $149 (wins) |
| 12.1 L (wins) | Build volume | 1.9 L |
| 600 mm/s | Top speed | 80 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm | Finest layer | 0.02 mm (wins) |
| 8.6 kg | Weight | 6.2 kg |
Features
| Ender 3 V3 | Feature | Mars 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | CoreXZ | No |
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | No |
| Yes | Direct drive | No |
| Yes | PEI build plate | No |
| Yes | Klipper firmware | No |
| No | 7K mono LCD | Yes |
| No | WiFi | Yes |
| No | USB | Yes |
Value math
$289 ÷ 12.1 L and $149 ÷ 1.9 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| Ender 3 V3 | Spec | Mars 4 |
|---|---|---|
| $23.88 (wins) | $ per liter | $76.65 |
Scores out of 10
| Ender 3 V3 | Spec | Mars 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Value | 10 (wins) |
| 9 (wins) | Beginner Friendliness | 6 |
| 8 | Print Quality | 8 |
| 8 (wins) | Speed | 5 |
| 8 (wins) | Reliability | 7 |
| 8.4 (wins) | Overall | 7.2 |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 220 × 220 × 250 mm
- 153 × 77 × 165 mm
What owners say
Klipper at this price point is a game changer. This is what the Ender 3 should have always been.
Ender 3 V3 owner, Modbot (YouTube)Huge upgrade from my V3 SE. Speed difference alone is worth it.
Ender 3 V3 owner, r/CrealityAt $149 you're getting a genuinely capable printer. Elegoo's quality control shines even at this price.
Mars 4 owner, r/resinprintingPerfect starter resin printer. Just buy extra FEP films, you'll go through them.
Mars 4 owner, r/PrintedMinis
Pros & Cons
Ender 3 V3
- +CoreXZ architecture at $289 is genuinely absurd value
- +Klipper comes pre-installed, no flashing required
- +600mm/s keeps up with machines twice the price
- −No WiFi means you're walking to the printer with a USB stick
- −No enclosure: ABS will warp, ABS will warp, ABS will warp
Mars 4
- +$149 entry into Elegoo's quality resin lineup
- +7K resolution is still detailed enough for D&D and Warhammer minis
- +WiFi monitoring included even at this price
- −No tilt release: FEP films will need replacing more often than the Ultra variants
- −7K detail is noticeably softer than the 9K and 12K machines on fine surface textures
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.
Buy these with it
A printer does nothing without these. Grab them in the same order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Creality Ender 3 V3 better than the Elegoo Mars 4?
By the numbers, the Creality Ender 3 V3 scores higher (8.4/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Elegoo Mars 4 may be the smarter buy if you need budget.
Which is better for beginners, Creality Ender 3 V3 or Elegoo Mars 4?
The Creality Ender 3 V3 is more beginner-friendly (9/10 vs 6/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Creality Ender 3 V3 worth $140 more than the Elegoo Mars 4?
The Creality Ender 3 V3 scores higher overall (8.4/10 vs 7.2/10). The extra $140 gets you corexz architecture at $289 is genuinely absurd value.
What's the main difference between Creality Ender 3 V3 and Elegoo Mars 4?
Technology: the Creality Ender 3 V3 is FDM (filament) and the Elegoo Mars 4 is RESIN (resin). FDM prints bigger functional parts; resin delivers finer surface detail.