Creality K2 Plus
- Price
- $899
- Score
- 7.8/10
- Wins
- 3/5
Creality K2 Plus vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- The Elegoo Centauri Carbon wins, 8.2 vs 7.8 out of 10.
- K2 Plus prints 2.6× the volume (350³ ÷ 256³ = 2.56) for $600 ($899 − $299) more.
- K2 Plus is faster, 600 vs 500 mm/s.
- Pick the Centauri Carbon if your prints fit in 25.6 cm.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Price
- $299
- Score
- 8.2/10
- Wins
- 2/5
The verdict
Buy the Centauri Carbon.
8.2/10 vs K2 Plus's 7.8/10, and it wins 2 of 5 categories. Best value in 3D printing right now, full stop. Firmware is rough around the edges but nothing that kills the deal. If this is your budget, buy it.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
K2 PlusCreality · FDM
vsCentauri CarbonElegoo · FDM
| K2 Plus | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $899 | Price | $299 (wins) |
| 42.9 L (wins) | Build volume | 16.8 L |
| 600 mm/s (wins) | Top speed | 500 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm (wins) | Finest layer | 0.1 mm |
| 27 kg | Weight | 17.5 kg |
Features
| K2 Plus | Feature | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Enclosed | No |
| Yes | 350mm build volume | No |
| Yes | CFS multi-color | No |
| Yes | WiFi | No |
| Yes | Camera | No |
| Yes | Active carbon filter | No |
| No | Enclosed CoreXY | Yes |
| No | Auto bed leveling (4 pressure sensors) | Yes |
| No | Chamber camera monitoring | Yes |
| No | 320C all-metal hotend | Yes |
| No | Pre-assembled and calibrated | Yes |
| No | Steel + aluminum + glass enclosure | Yes |
Value math
$899 ÷ 42.9 L and $299 ÷ 16.8 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| K2 Plus | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $20.97 | $ per liter | $17.82 (wins) |
| $1.50 | $ per mm/s | $0.60 (wins) |
Scores out of 10
| K2 Plus | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Value | 10 (wins) |
| 6 | Beginner Friendliness | 8 (wins) |
| 9 (wins) | Print Quality | 8 |
| 9 (wins) | Speed | 8 |
| 8 (wins) | Reliability | 7 |
| 7.8 | Overall | 8.2 (wins) |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 350 × 350 × 350 mm
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
What owners say
Nothing else gives you 350mm enclosed at this price. Period.
K2 Plus owner, r/3DprintingThe K2 Plus is Creality's most ambitious machine yet, and it mostly delivers.
K2 Plus owner, Make Anything (YouTube)There's no reason to buy anything else at this price. It would be excellent at twice the cost.
Centauri Carbon owner, How-To GeekFinally an affordable CoreXY. The Centauri Carbon changes what you should expect for under $300.
Centauri Carbon owner, Tom's HardwareBuy two of these instead of one fancier printer at twice the price. Seriously.
Centauri Carbon owner, r/3Dprinting
Pros & Cons
K2 Plus
- +350mm enclosed cube: nothing else in the consumer space matches this volume at the price
- +Multi-color CFS means you're not limited to single-filament on big jobs
- +Active carbon filtration handles ABS fumes at this scale
- −27kg means you set it up once and it stays there
- −CFS adds setup complexity that single-color users don't need to pay for
Centauri Carbon
- +Enclosed CoreXY at $299. Yes, really.
- +PLA, PETG, ABS: all print well out of the box
- +Pre-assembled, printing within minutes of opening the box
- −Firmware needs attention after unboxing
- −Heat creep shows up on long prints above 270C
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 K2 Plus better than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
By the numbers, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon scores higher (8.2/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Creality K2 Plus may be the smarter buy if you need large-prints.
Which is better for beginners, Creality K2 Plus or Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is more beginner-friendly (8/10 vs 6/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Creality K2 Plus worth $600 more than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon actually scores higher (8.2/10) despite costing $600 less. The Creality K2 Plus only makes sense if you specifically need large-prints.
What's the main difference between Creality K2 Plus and Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
Build volume (350x350x350mm vs 256x256x256mm) and print speed (600 vs 500 mm/s). The Creality K2 Plus is best for large-prints; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon targets budget.