The Anycubic Kobra S1 and Snapmaker U1 are both prosumer-tier printers, but the U1 costs 1.8× as much — so the question is what the extra money buys. Both are CoreXY printers with 4-slot multicolor and automatic calibration. The U1 costs $400 more and gets you an open-source design and 26% more build volume; the Kobra S1 answers with an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA and PA on its materials list) and a top speed of 600 mm/s (vs 500).
First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on
Best for: Makers who want an enclosed multicolor CoreXY at a prosumer price for PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA — and prefer the Anycubic ecosystem. For reliable PA or PC printing, consider the Kobra S1 Max or Qidi Q2 which offer active chamber heating.
Full details →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Multicolor and multi-material hobbyists who want a true tool changer (four separate hotends, soluble supports, TPU and PLA in one print) for well under $1,000, and tinkerers who value Klipper-based firmware they can inspect and modify.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra S1 | Snapmaker U1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $499 | $899 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Prosumer | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 250 × 250 × 250 mm | ★ 270 × 270 × 270 mm |
| Max Speed | ★ 600 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ★ ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ★ ✅ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Feb 11, 2025 | Apr 10, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | — |
| Cycle advice | Caution | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra S1 was released on Feb 11, 2025, 639 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
The U1 was released on Apr 10, 2026, 216 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
On timing alone, the U1 is the safer buy right now — it launched only 216 days ago, while the Kobra S1 has no release history pointing to a successor yet.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Kobra S1 lists at $499 and the U1 at $899 — $400 apart, so the U1 costs 80% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $32 for the Kobra S1 versus $46 for the U1 — the Kobra S1 is the better value per litre as well.
With both in sale windows until Dec 5, 2026, this is a good moment to buy either — compare the live sale prices before you decide.
Our pick for most buyers is the Kobra S1, for a lower price ($400 less) and an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA and PA on its materials list). Go for the U1 instead if you want an open-source printer you can modify and repair yourself — the Kobra S1 is not open source.
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
The Kobra S1 combines an enclosed build chamber with 600 mm/s CoreXY motion — offering improved heat retention over open-frame printers for ABS and ASA.
Brings Anycubic's value-focused approach to the enclosed CoreXY segment — competing with the Qidi Q2 and Bambu P2S, with multicolor and filament drying included at $499.
A practical cubic build volume well-suited for functional mechanical parts, enclosures, and prototypes.
Each filament has its own preheated hotend, and swaps take about 5 seconds. Multicolor prints skip the purge tower and filament waste of single-nozzle switching systems.
Separate hotends mean PLA with PVA or breakaway supports, or rigid PLA with TPU, in one print. Single-nozzle multicolor systems handle these combinations poorly.
Snapmaker has published its Klipper, Moonraker and Fluidd forks on GitHub, and Snapmaker Orca is built on Orca Slicer. There is already an active community firmware project. RFID filament recognition stays proprietary.