The Qidi Tech Max4 (professional) 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 CoreXY printers with 4-slot multicolor and automatic calibration. The Max4 costs $150 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 163% more build volume; the U1 answers with an open-source design and support for PCTG and PVA.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Professional makers and small studios who need the maximum enclosed build volume in Qidi's lineup for large engineering parts, architectural models, or batch production — at a price point below the Bambu H2S.
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 →| Qidi Tech Max4 | Snapmaker U1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | $1,049 | ★ $899 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Professional | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | ★ 390 × 390 × 340 mm | 270 × 270 × 270 mm |
| Max Speed | ★ 800 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ★ ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ★ ✅ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Dec 1, 2025 | Apr 10, 2026 |
| Cycle length | — | — |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Max4 was released on Dec 1, 2025, 346 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 Max4 launched 346 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 U1 lists at $899 and the Max4 at $1,049 — $150 apart, so the Max4 costs 17% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $20 for the Max4 versus $46 for the U1 — so the pricier Max4 actually gives you more build space per dollar.
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 Max4, for an enclosed chamber (with ABS, ASA, PA, PA-CF, PC and PPS-CF on its materials list) and 163% more build volume. Go for the U1 instead if you want to spend less — it is $150 cheaper ($899 vs $1,049).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
The Max4 offers the largest build volume in Qidi's lineup — enabling large functional parts, architectural models, and production batch runs that exceed Plus5 capacity.
The Max4's closed-loop XY adds positional feedback for improved accuracy at high speeds — a differentiating feature at this price tier that reduces dimensional errors on large prints.
Qidi's proven active chamber heating technology scaled to a 390×390 mm bed — critical for consistent ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and PPS-CF results across the full build plate.
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.