Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Professional makers, studios, and engineers who need large-format printing with genuine multi-material capability, open-source hardware, and Prusa's long-term support.
Full details →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 →| Prusa Research XL | Anycubic Kobra X | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Professional | Entry |
| Motion | CoreXY | BedSlinger |
| Build Volume | 360 × 360 × 360 mm | 260 × 260 × 260 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 5 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ✅ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PA, PA-CF, PC | PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU |
| Released | Nov 20, 2023 | Mar 1, 2026 |
| Cycle length | ~730 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Wait | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Caution |
| Next model | — | — |
Unlike filament-switching AMS/MMU systems, the XL physically swaps print heads. Each material has its own nozzle, eliminating purge towers entirely and enabling true multi-material prints.
One of the largest build volumes available in a CoreXY printer at this price point — suited for large props, architectural models, and batch production.
Every component is documented, parts are stocked for years, and the community has developed hundreds of modifications and improvements.
At $279–299 with ACE 2 Pro included, the Kobra X is one of the most affordable ways to get into multicolor FDM printing.
A slightly larger cube-format build volume than the Kobra 3 V2's 255×255×260 mm bed — practical for most everyday prints.
The second-generation ACE 2 Pro offers improved filament switching reliability over the original ACE Pro, with support for up to 4 colors per print.