Elegoo Neptune 4 Max
- Price
- $469
- Score
- 7/10
- Wins
- 2/5
Elegoo Neptune 4 Max vs Prusa MK4S
- The Prusa MK4S wins, 7.8 vs 7 out of 10.
- Neptune 4 Max prints 7.3× the volume (420×420×480 ÷ 250×210×220 = 7.33) and costs $460 ($929 − $469) less.
- Neptune 4 Max is faster, 500 vs 200 mm/s.
- Pick the Prusa MK4S if your prints fit in 22 cm.
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
- 3/5
The verdict
Buy the Prusa MK4S.
7.8/10 vs Neptune 4 Max's 7/10, and it wins 3 of 5 categories. Buy it for the ecosystem, not the specs. PrusaSlicer, open source, community, and support that's still there in 5 years. Don't buy it if speed or price are your primary metrics: the competition has both covered.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
Neptune 4 MaxElegoo · FDM
vsPrusa MK4SPrusa Research · FDM
| Neptune 4 Max | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| $469 (wins) | Price | $929 |
| 84.7 L (wins) | Build volume | 11.6 L |
| 500 mm/s (wins) | Top speed | 200 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm | Finest layer | 0.05 mm |
| 22 kg | Weight | 7 kg |
Features
| Neptune 4 Max | Feature | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Klipper firmware | No |
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | Yes |
| Yes | Direct drive | No |
| Yes | PEI build plate | No |
| Yes | 420x420x480mm build | No |
| No | Open source | Yes |
| No | PrusaSlicer | Yes |
| No | Nextruder | Yes |
| No | Input shaping | Yes |
| No | Ethernet | Yes |
Value math
$469 ÷ 84.7 L and $929 ÷ 11.6 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| Neptune 4 Max | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| $5.54 (wins) | $ per liter | $80.43 |
| $0.94 (wins) | $ per mm/s | $4.64 |
Scores out of 10
| Neptune 4 Max | Spec | Prusa MK4S |
|---|---|---|
| 9 (wins) | Value | 6 |
| 5 | Beginner Friendliness | 8 (wins) |
| 7 | Print Quality | 9 (wins) |
| 7 (wins) | Speed | 6 |
| 7 | Reliability | 10 (wins) |
| 7 | Overall | 7.8 (wins) |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 420 × 420 × 480 mm
- 250 × 210 × 220 mm
What owners say
420mm Klipper for $469. Elegoo just won the large format budget race.
Neptune 4 Max owner, r/3DprintingPrinted a full cosplay breastplate in one go. Absolutely remarkable value.
Neptune 4 Max owner, r/cosplayMy 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
Neptune 4 Max
- +420x420x480mm with Klipper for $469: the price-to-volume ratio is hard to beat
- +Direct drive on a bed this large is unusual and useful for flexible materials
- +Klipper gives you full control to tune speed and acceleration for the mass of this bed
- −Open frame at this scale means ABS warping will ruin prints without serious prep
- −The sheer footprint means a dedicated table minimum; don't try to share desk space
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 Elegoo Neptune 4 Max better than the Prusa MK4S?
By the numbers, the Prusa MK4S scores higher (7.8/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max may be the smarter buy if you need large-prints.
Which is better for beginners, Elegoo Neptune 4 Max or Prusa MK4S?
The Prusa MK4S is more beginner-friendly (8/10 vs 5/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Prusa MK4S worth $460 more than the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max?
The Prusa MK4S scores higher overall (7.8/10 vs 7/10). The extra $460 gets you prusa's qc is genuinely better than anyone else's: every printer is test-printed before shipping.
What's the main difference between Elegoo Neptune 4 Max and Prusa MK4S?
Build volume (420x420x480mm vs 250x210x220mm) and print speed (500 vs 200 mm/s). The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max is best for large-prints; the Prusa MK4S targets reliability.