Best Resin 3D Printers

2100 years ago, a group of people in China stumbled upon a trick that gave birth to papyrus scrolls. 1500 years later, a German called Johann Gutenberg invented the first printing press. Five centuries later, the first instance of screen printing came into existence. And a mere seven decades after this, in 1986, the first object was printed in three dimensions.

That is how fast man has progressed in terms of technology.

Our Pick

ANYCUBIC Photon S

Best Overall

Going by sheer numbers, the original Anycubic Photon was perhaps the most popular among the best resin printers on the market.

Since its inception, the face of 3D printing has seen a rapid change and witnessed a magnanimous growth rate. As is the case with all modern developments, the advances in this field also caught the eye of business people and common folk alike, and since then, 3D printing has not looked back. 

From just a hobby to simple desktop designs to industry-grade prototypes, the market for 3D printing has grown manifold in recent years, and Stereolithography printing, better known as resin printing after its source material, has taken the market by storm. As significant industries like optical, dental, mechanics, and jewelers, etc. quickly take up 3D resin printing to create innovative formations for their business, let us now have a look at the five best resin 3D printers available on the market under $500.

SLEEKER AND SMARTER

4.6/5

QIDI TECH X Max

  • High print quality
  • Faster layer times 
  • Even light distribution

An elf on your Shelf

4.2/5

Dremel Digilab 3D20

  • High print quality
  • Faster layer times
  • Less resin smell in the air

The most Elegant of 'em all

3.9/5

BIBO 2 Touch Laser

  • Impeccable MSLA printing
  • More spacious resin vat
  • Great value for money

How was this list made?

Forty-eight hours of scouring the internet for research and comparable data. Seventy-two hours of asking active users on various forums which 3D printers do they prefer. Around forty hours of asking fellow bloggers and users for further insights. And countless hours of careful consideration and minute observations going through a plethora of options in the quest to find the best 3D printer. This, in short, was what went behind compiling this list of top picks to make it convenient for you, dear reader.

5 Best Resin 3D Printers under 500 on the Market

1. ANYCUBIC Photon S

Sleeker ,Simpler and Smarter

Pros
  • High print quality
  • Faster layer times
  • Even light distribution
Cons
  • Plastic is a step down from the original Photon
  • Chitubox Slicer works better than inbuilt software

Sleek, stylish, and sturdy, the Photon S by Anycubic is a user’s delight, and arguably the best resin printer on the market in our price bracket. The aluminum-based structure is polished off by acrylic, making it both elegant and durable. As far as resin printers are considered, the Photon has been a game-changer, ever since its inception. 

The idea behind this model was to embrace a more practical approach towards creating quality liquid resin 3D printers. Evidently, they managed to pull it off. An upgraded UV-lighting improves the resolution and accuracy of your printouts. Additionally, the dual Z-axis rail stabilizes the bed, so that you don’t have to worry about the Z wobble issue, making it the best choice for large x-y objects. 

Additional features include a touch screen control panel that offers you an interactive experience, sanded Aluminium platform for enhanced adhesion, a double air filtration system for reducing odor divergence around your workplace, and CE certified power supply. 

The slicing is carried out by an in-house developed software called “Photons Workshop,” which works behind the screen, slicing documents in a customized .photon or .photons format, even as Photon S weaves its magic. 

How to Use:

As almost all its parts come pre-assembled in the package, the process of setting up your printer becomes straightforward. Once you’ve made sure that the FEP movie is on the vat, you can quickly build and set the printing platform and the resin container via an easy installation guide, and you’re ready for glory. 

Pros

  • Dual z-axis eliminating Z-wobble
  • High print quality
  • Faster layer times
  • Even light distribution
  • Built-in Double Air Filtration System
  • Less resin smell in the air

Cons

  • The plastic that the printer is encased in, despite still being better than the bucket tops of the other printers, is a step down from the original Photon
  • Some users say that the Chitubox Slicer works better for them than the inbuilt software

Our Verdict

Going by sheer numbers, the original Anycubic Photon was perhaps the most popular among the best resin printers on the market. The Photon S is everything it was, and more. The green resin accompanying the printer is among the best resins in the market, so this one gets a definite yes from our side. If you do get this printer, make sure you check out the website (photonsters.org) for a variety of tools and ware.

2. NOVA 3D Elfin

An elf on your Shelf

Pros
  • High print quality 
  • Faster layer times 
  • Less resin smell in the air
Cons
  • Sample resin is not included with the packaging
  • Chitbox works only with an extension

If the world of printing was a middle earthen legend, the Elfin by Nova 3D would genuinely be the Legolas of 3D printers. This out of the box device weighs a mere 16.53 pounds and features a 4.3-inch smart display screen. It has an inbuilt storage capacity of 8 GB, enabling you to attach your model file directly to the printer.  

The software used is the indigenous NOVAMake, which works best for dental and jewelry designing, and a customized light source ensures high precision. The one of its kind resin pour sink design allows you to stream the resin back to the bottle through the sink with filter paper, thus avoiding residue and keeping the recycling process convenient.

How to Use: 

As the printer comes with most of its parts set up and the plate leveled before being delivered, you simply have to assemble the resin vat and build plate to start printing. Remember to remove the protection film between the resin vat and the screen. Another thing to remember is not to unscrew the plates unless you need to resize the platform. 

Pros

  • Dual z-axis eliminating Z-wobble
  • High print quality
  • Faster layer times
  • Even light distribution
  • Built-in Double Air Filtration System
  • Less resin smell in the air

Cons

  • Smaller build area than filament printers but larger than other 3D resin printers
  • There isn’t any sample resin included with the packaging
  • Chitbox works only with an extension

Our Verdict

Nova 3D Elfin is easy amidst the best 3D resin printer available on the market. Great design, value for money, stability, adjustable z-axis mounting screws, clubbed together with both wired and wireless connectivity make it perfect for a variety of designing tasks like dentures, jewelry and do it yourself jobs. We (along with hundreds of other satisfied users) give it four and a half stars out of five and definitely recommend it.  

3. ELEGOO Mars UV

The most Elegant of 'em all

Pros
  • Impeccable MSLA printing
  • More spacious resin vat
  • Great value for money
Cons
  • Gasket seal doesn’t fit perfectly
  • Insufficiently lubricated Z-axis
  • Loud exhaust fan

ELEGOO Mars carries with it the distinction of being the best 3d printer that comes with the latest version Chitubox Slicing Software. While a regular open-source software takes up to 10 minutes to slice a 30 MB file, Chitubox allows you to do the same within a minute. The latest, ELEGOO Chitubox 5.0, is the best software for offline printing. It also enables you to hollow out your model before slicing it, thereby saving on the resin residue. 

The ELEGOO Mars comes equipped with a 3.5″ inch color touch screen and 40W UV lights, enabling high precision and resolution for a smart and convenient printing experience. Add to it great design and user-friendly interface, and you get a device that allows even newbies to print great designs. 

How to Use:

You can start with printing out your first design a mere five minutes after you receive your device. It is already semi-assembled, complete with a steel ball balancing structure on the build platform.  

 Pros

  • Impeccable MSLA printing
  • More spacious resin vat
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Gasket seal doesn’t fit perfectly
  • Insufficiently lubricated Z-axis
  • Loud exhaust fan

Our Verdict

To be honest, we were taken by sheer surprise in the right way. After going through a lot of “cost-effective” 3D printers, we could convincingly say that the ELEGOO Mars, to borrow from Shashi Tharoor, is a surprising farrago of good, robust design and outright joy being broadcast by a brilliant printer masquerading as a cheap one, when it could’ve been quickly sold for $700 device.

4. Hieha SQ1

Best suited to meet your needs

Pros
  • Good quality printing with accurate details. 
  • Easy to navigate the touch screen display. 
  • Allows pausing and recalibrating
Cons
  • Fairly small build area.
  • Switching resins midway may cause the build.
  • HiEHA’s website can be challenging to navigate.

Another printer on the list embedded with the now legendary Chitubox slicer, Heiha SQ1 uses a 2K HD masking LCD display, precise up to 45 microns to print almost perfect 3D models of your designs. In case of power failures or material accidents, the printer stores ongoing position and print data in order to resume printing automatically upon restoration. Additionally, in case of a mishap, you also have the option of terminating the process midway. 

The design is led credence to via an all-aluminum plus acrylic body. The use of precise Taiwanese HIWIN dual linear guide rails enables pinpoint accuracy. Both online and offline printing is powered by a NanoDLP system Herein, allowing you to access a bunch of features that are otherwise non-existent in regular 3d printers.

With (DUP) Direct UV-light printing technology-enabled, the Hieha SLA LCD High-Resolution Resin 3D Printer is a pioneer of its field. The method mentioned above exposes the resin to focused UV light directly, thereby hardening and forming the model. With the ability to print layers as thin as up to 20 microns, it is a boon in the fields of medicine, dental, and jewelry. 

How to Use: 

The printer comes pre-calibrated and assembled upon delivery. The Nano system lets you pause the upload of files, select your desired parameters, and resume after that. It is recommended to use Google Chrome browser while connecting the printer to a computer or mobile device. 

Pros

  • Good quality printing with accurate details. 
  • The z-axis linear guide rails speed up the time and help keep the printer quiet. 
  • Easy to navigate the touch screen display. 
  • Designs can be uploaded through ethernet, WiFi, USB, or Slicer. 
  • Allows pausing, recalibrating, and resuming printing in an ongoing job.

Cons

  • Fairly small build area. (4.53 in x 2.56 in x 3.94 in) 
  • Switching resins midway may cause the build.
  • HiEHA’s website can be challenging to navigate.

Our Verdict

Even without the free resin sample, the Heiha SQ1 is worth its salt. Ideally suited for dental clinics, jewelry studios, and prototype companies, it is a machine even novices can efficiently operate. Its undeniable USP is the ability to reprogram ongoing printing projects, and it makes a strong case for itself. Other perks like determining resin usage, remaining time, and offline printing make it a great machine to use. We decided to give it four and a half stars out of five and a thumbs up.

5. LONGER Orange 30

True to its name, it lasts longer

Pros
  • Great build size and includes a resin.
  • Ensures a speedy printing process.
  • Silent fans make for quieter printing. 
Cons
  •  X-Y resolution is not as high as claimed.
  • Printer requires manual leveling. 
  • Slicer GUI might look bland and unappealing. 

The Orange 30 by Longer is a high precision resin 3D printer, with a built-in 2k LCD screen, 2560×1440 resolution, and 47.25µm pixel size. It ensures the accuracy and stability of the Z-axis by using a reliable linear guide and a unique slide design. Featuring the matrix UV LED Design, this printer provides higher intensity and better uniformity, that too in shorter print time than its contemporaries. 

With a uniform Matrix UV lighting, bigger print size, more stability and durability, and higher precision and resolution, it is the perfect 3D printer for all uses. It also includes a temperature detection system. Whenever the temperature rises above the recommended limit, this smart system stops printing immediately. Couple that with a highly efficient cooling system, and you get a high lifespan on your printer. 

Orange 30 is the optimum model of 3D printers under the Longer brand. A group by the name of YouthQuest Foundation got this printer to expose their students to a resin printer. The experiment churned out over a hundred designs, and none of them faced any glitches, including a 142 mm long print. 

It was also found to adapt and work perfectly well with Alphasense ceramic resin. Now, Alphasense is not your regular run of the mill item and is a pretty demanding resin. However, it worked out amazingly. 

How to Use: 

The ease of leveling makes it usable within mere minutes of unboxing it. Like all Longer Devices, Orange 30 also uses LongerWare to slice designs, which is reputed as being faster than regular printing software. Additionally, it is compatible with Chitbox. 

Pros

  •  Great build size and value for money, includes a resin.
  •  Software that ensures a speedy printing process.
  •  Silent fans make for quieter printing. 
  • Sturdy construction improves accuracy and reduces the need for calibration.

Cons

  • The X-Y resolution is not as high as claimed.
  • The printer requires manual leveling. 
  • The slicer GUI might look bland and unappealing. 

Our Verdict

Although the printer does fall a bit short in the department of precision, it makes up for it by being such a price-effective and handy device. The underlying fact that this printer finds its roots in a successful Kickstarter campaign, and has still managed to deliver on its root promises is a rare feat in itself. By our words, the Longer Orange 30 is undoubtedly among the best 3D resin printers in the market today.

Also Check : Best Printers for Kids

A Buyer's Guide: What to Look for in a 3D Resin Printer

Before actually going ahead with your purchase, it is advised that you ask yourselves a few questions and give honest answers to them. Here goes –

  1. Do you need a 3D printer? Think again.
  2. Why do you need a 3D printer? 
  3. What are your expectations from the printer?
  4. What type of printer should you consider?
  5. Which printer’s capabilities meet your needs?
  6. What’s the best place to purchase your printer?

Now that you’re sorted and have finally decided upon getting a 3D printer, here are a few tips that would make the process of helping you choose your perfect 3D printer easier. 

  1. Know Precisely what you want to Print:

    Before you buy a 3D printer, it is a great help if you’re clear on the question of what to print. There is a lot of difference between creating simple 3D designs for making your desk beautiful and making full grade industrial models. Contemplate your options, printing choices, and frequency beforehand. 

  2. Safety First:

    The best things come in the safest packages. You’ll notice that the best liquid resin 3D printers come with the best safety features as well. Case in point, automatic temperature control and cooling system to prevent overheating is a common feature among the best printers.

  3. Be Resolute about Resolutions

    : In the field of 3D printing, the resolution is measured in microns. The resolution, like image resolution, decides the clarity and preciseness of your design. The lower points of the list are near 25 microns, in FDM machines, and can go up to 100 microns in the best resin 3D printer. The higher the microns, the better the final product design, smoothness, and precision. 

  4. Know your Style:

    A lot of 3D printing hobbyists and enthusiasts use an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printer instead of resin methods like DLP, SLA (Stereolithography) and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). These printers extrude hot materials and plastics, known as a filament, to create 3D-printed objects. 

Although way less clinical and convenient than resin printers, they make for a very entertaining pastime. It is hence advised that you know how much time and energy are you willing and able to invest in it before investing the money.

  1. Do not Compromise on Quality Features:

    It’s quite natural, even convenient, to overlook a few features while going through whole catalogs and bunches of printers. After all, deals that are better money-wise do tend to take our attention away from finer details that are so crucial in the long run. But keeping an eye out for features like heated glass beds, touchscreen interfaces, Z-axis and filament support, etc.may end up enhancing your 3D printing experience significantly.

  2. Find a Brand with Excellent Support:

    Finally, before you confirm the purchase of your resin 3D printer, go through the manufacturer’s customer support. In case of problems with your device, does the company help out its customers? Does it have a proper helpline or merely a social media presence? Such things come in handy if you come across any problem with your printer. 

Conclusion

Resin 3D printing has traditionally been instrumental in cutting outsourcing costs and optimizing production processes. Earlier, it required skilled craftsmen and technicians to handle the equipment. Still, with new-age cutting edge technology enabling even amateurs to create versatile designs, it has indeed come into its own. 

Now that you’ve gone through the list of best 3D printers under $500, and also been up to date with your personal requirements and FAQ’s, it is time that you go out and buy that printer you’ve been so desperately saving up for. 

Alternatively, if you know someone who would love it, a resin 3D printer would be the best gift for them. The world of creative ideas and designs beckon you. Go ahead, have fun, and take care!