Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Budget makers who want 4-color multicolor printing without committing to the Bambu or Prusa ecosystem — and are comfortable with a less mature software experience.
Full details →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want built-in 4-color multicolor printing under $400 — primarily for PLA and PETG. Open frame, so not suited for ABS or engineering filaments without the add-on enclosure.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra 3 | Flashforge AD5X | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Prosumer | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 255 × 255 × 260 mm | 220 × 220 × 220 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU | PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PETG-CF |
| Released | May 15, 2025 | Sep 1, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~212 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Wait | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Caution |
| Next model | — | — |
The V2 expands to 255×255×260 mm — 34% more printable volume than the original Kobra 3 — for larger parts and more batch production.
The V2 includes a 720p camera for real-time print monitoring and AI spaghetti detection, adding reliability features previously absent from the Kobra 3 line.
The Kobra 3 V2 Combo with ACE Pro is one of the most affordable 4-color setups available — often underpricing Bambu's A1 Combo.
The AD5X undercuts comparable multicolor setups on price with IFS built directly into the printer — no separate accessory needed.
No cloud dependency or mandatory account. OrcaSlicer is community-standard open-source slicer software — familiar to most experienced makers.
Ships ready for PLA-CF and PETG-CF without requiring a nozzle upgrade — a genuine differentiator at this price point.