Overdue for a refresh โ no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who need active chamber heating for ABS, ASA, and PA printing. Look for clearance deals โ the Q2 is the better long-term buy if available.
Full details โMid-cycle โ watch for announcements before buying
Best for: Makers who want CoreXY speed and precision with Prusa's open-source ethos, community support, and long-term repairability โ without Bambu's closed ecosystem.
Full details โ| Qidi Tech Q1 Pro | Prusa Research Core One | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Entry | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 245 ร 245 ร 240 mm | 250 ร 220 ร 270 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | โ No | โ No |
| Enclosure | โ | โ |
| Auto Calibration | โ | โ |
| Open Source | โ | โ |
| Upgrade Kit | โ | โ |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PA, PA-CF, PC | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PA, PC |
| Released | Mar 20, 2024 | Jan 14, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~518 days | ~730 days |
| Cycle advice | Wait | Caution |
| Deals advice | Buy | Caution |
| Next model | โ | Core One S (enclosed) (Expected 2027) |
The Q1 Pro's heated chamber was groundbreaking at its price point. ABS, ASA, and PA prints come out without warping that plagues open-frame printers.
Same speed class as Bambu Lab printers at a fraction of the price for enclosed printing.
The Core One matches Bambu CoreXY speed (600 mm/s) while keeping everything open source โ firmware, hardware, slicing profiles.
Unlike Bambu's closed ecosystem, every component of the Core One can be modified, repaired, or community-improved.
Existing MMU3 units and the new MMU3 for Core One bring 5-color multicolor printing to the CoreXY platform.