🖨 3D Printer Radar

Prusa Research XL+vsQidi Tech Plus4

💰Qidi Tech Plus4 is $1600 cheaper (229% less)
📐Prusa Research XL+ has 79% more build volume
⚡Qidi Tech Plus4 tops out at 600 mm/s vs 500 mm/s
🏠Only Qidi Tech Plus4 has an enclosure — required for ABS, ASA, PA engineering filaments
Cross-ecosystem comparison: These printers use different software ecosystems. Accessories, filament profiles, and community support are not interchangeable between brands. Consider the total ecosystem cost, not just the printer price.
Prusa Research XL+
Buy/Wait:Upgrade Kit

Next model announced — but an upgrade kit is available for existing owners

🔧 Upgrade kit available — from XL

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 →
Qidi Tech Plus4
Buy/Wait:Superseded

This printer is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Qidi Tech Plus5.

Best for: Makers and small businesses who need a large enclosed build volume for engineering materials at a prosumer price — particularly those printing PA-CF, ABS, and PC at scale. Look for clearance deals — the Plus5 is the current model.

Full details →
Prusa Research XL+Qidi Tech Plus4
Pricing
Starting Price$2,299★ $699
Print Specs
TierProfessionalProsumer
MotionCoreXYCoreXY
Build Volume★ 360 × 360 × 360 mm305 × 305 × 280 mm
Max Speed500 mm/s★ 600 mm/s
Multicolor★ ✅ 5 slots✅ 4 slots
Enclosure❌★ ✅
Auto Calibration✅✅
Open Source★ ✅❌
Upgrade Kit🔧 From XL—
Buy Timing
ReleasedAug 13, 2026Sep 20, 2024
Cycle length~997 days~408 days
Cycle adviceUpgrade KitSuperseded
Deals adviceBuyClearance
Next modelXL Pick & Place Toolhead (Late 2026)—

Quick Winner

💰
Budget pick
Qidi Tech Plus4
$699 starting
📐
Large prints
Prusa Research XL+
360×360×360 mm
⚡
Fastest prints
Qidi Tech Plus4
600 mm/s
🔓
Open ecosystem
Prusa Research XL+
Open source

Bottom Line

💰Qidi Tech Plus4 saves you $1600 — choose it if budget is your primary constraint
🏠Qidi Tech Plus4 is the only choice if you print ABS, ASA, PA, or PC — those materials require an enclosure
🔓Prusa Research XL+ is the pick for open firmware, community mods, and long-term repairability

Materials

Prusa Research XL+ only
—
Both
PLAEasy to print, no enclosure needed — everyday parts
PETGTougher, slightly flexible, moisture-resistant
ABSHeat and impact resistant — needs enclosure
ASAUV-stable ABS alternative — outdoor parts, needs enclosure
TPUFlexible rubber-like — phone cases, gaskets, wheels
PANylon — strong and wear-resistant, needs dry storage
PA-CFCarbon-fibre nylon — very stiff, abrasive to standard nozzles
PCPolycarbonate — extremely tough, challenging to print
Qidi Tech Plus4 only
PPS-CFExtreme temperature and chemical resistance

Why buy each?

Prusa Research XL+

Tool-changer multicolor — no purge waste

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.

360×360×360 mm build volume

One of the largest build volumes available in a CoreXY printer at this price point — suited for large props, architectural models, and batch production.

Fully open source and serviceable

Every component is documented, parts are stocked for years, and the community has developed hundreds of modifications and improvements.

Qidi Tech Plus4

305×305×280 mm build volume

One of the largest build volumes in the prosumer enclosed category — 40% more printable area than the Bambu X1C at a lower price point.

Active 65°C chamber heating

The second-generation active heating delivers consistent chamber temperatures for PA, PA-CF, ABS, ASA, and PC with minimal warping across the full build plate.

370°C bimetal hotend

Handles high-performance engineering composites including PA-CF, PET-CF, and PPS-CF without requiring a separate hotend upgrade.