The Anycubic Kobra X (entry) and Snapmaker U1 (prosumer) come from different brands and sit in different tiers, so this is less a head-to-head than a question of how much printer you need. Both are open-frame printers with 4-slot multicolor and automatic calibration. The U1 costs $500 more and gets you an open-source design and support for PCTG and PVA; the Kobra X answers with a top speed of 600 mm/s (vs 500) and extra engineering materials (ABS).
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want multicolor printing at the lowest possible entry price and don't need a large build volume or premium features.
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 X | Snapmaker U1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | ★ $399 | $899 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Entry | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 260 × 260 × 260 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 | Mar 1, 2026 | Apr 10, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | — |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Caution | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra X was released on Mar 1, 2026, 256 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.
Both are early enough in their cycles that timing should not decide this one. The Kobra X launched 256 days ago and the U1 launched 216 days ago. Pick on features and price.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The Kobra X lists at $399 and the U1 at $899 — $500 apart, so the U1 costs 125% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $23 for the Kobra X versus $46 for the U1 — the Kobra X is the better value per litre as well.
If you are buying before Dec 5, 2026, the active sale tips value toward the U1.
Our pick for most buyers is the U1, for an open-source design and support for PCTG and PVA, plus a higher editor score (8.4 vs 8.0). Go for the Kobra X instead if you want to spend less — it is $500 cheaper ($399 vs $899). The U1 is also in a sale window right now (Black Friday, until Dec 5, 2026).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
Listed at $399 and frequently on sale for $279–299 with ACE Gen 2 included, the Kobra X is one of the most affordable ways to get into multicolor FDM printing.
The same cube-format build volume as the pricier Kobra 4 — practical for most everyday prints.
The second-generation ACE Gen 2 offers improved filament switching reliability over the original ACE Pro, with support for up to 4 colors per print.
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.