Best Budget Resin 3D Printer

While 3D printers were once extremely pricey, it's not possible to find tons of affordable 3D printers. Although filament printing might be the most popular, resin-based 3D printing produces high-quality prints that look stunning. As such, resin printing has many benefits over traditional filament printing. Check out the best budget resin 3D printers for high-quality printing on the cheap!

What is a Resin 3D Printer?

Stereolithography or SLA 3D printing functioning by lowering a build platform into a tank of resin. Layers of this photosensitive liquid resin are exposed to a UV laser, and the resin hardens into a specified pattern while being built layer upon layer. By comparison, fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing typically uses filament. The most common FDM printing materials are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PLA (Polylactic Acid). An FDM printer extrudes filament and deposits it layer-by-layer on a built platform. 

Why Should You Get an SLA 3D Printer?

A resin 3D printer is a fantastic purchase. Because SLA printers are capable of generating extremely accurate prints, stereolithography prints boast incredible detail. What's more, SLA 3D printers are capable of producing watertight models. For situations where fine feature detail and smooth surfaces are necessary, an SLA printer is a great choice. 

Is Resin 3D Printing Better than FDM Filament Printing?

Resin 3D printing has a lot of advantages over filament printing, but comparing FDM vs. SLA printers reveals pros and cons for both technologies. Stereolithography printing delivers extremely detailed and smooth prints. As such, resin printing touts improved print quality as well as reliability. Using light rather than heat as FDM does during the printing process helps avoid thermal expansion. However, the printing process is generally longer than with FDM printing. 

Filament printing, on the other hand, often results in rougher, less accurate prints. That's not to say all FDM prints are rough around the edges. Many can deliver exceptional quality prints. But in general, resin printers trounce filament 3D printers. Depending on the printer, an FDM machine can be fairly easy to set up or complicated with an involved bed-leveling process. Where filament printing really excels its simple post-processing. Whereas SLA prints require cleaning in water before a dunk in either isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or water depending on the liquid resin used, followed by curing, filament prints require little more than removing some supports and smoothing out any rough edges. Moreover, resin printing demands a well-ventilated environment while filament printing is safe virtually anywhere. 

Resin 3D printing pros:

• High-quality, smooth prints
• Can produce watertight prints
• Extremely reliable
• Easy to set up and level the build platform
• Affordable printers

SLA 3D printing cons:

• Complex post-processing that involves washing and curing
• Requires a well-ventilated printing area
• Generally smaller build area than FDM printers

Best Budget Resin 3D Printer for Most People - Elegoo Mars 2 Pro

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro (our review) is an outstanding resin-based SLA 3D printer. It's affordable and delivers terrific print quality. Print speeds have been improved over the Elegoo Mars and Elegoo Mars Pro. Build quality is great with a carbon filter for odor reduction, quiet linear rail for silent operation, and a front-facing USB port for ease of access. Prints come out looking gorgeous. The monochrome LCD curing screen delivers a good resolution. 

Unfortunately, the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro doesn't come with a 4K screen. Oddly enough, though the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro replaces the Mars Pro, its 2K resolution is actually lower than the 1620 x 2560 panel on the Mars Pro. But the higher resolution on the Mars Pro LCD curing screen is spread across a larger build area so the pixel density is reduced. As such, you'll find an XY resolution of 50 microns on the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro versus 47 microns on the Marts Pro. Despite the lower resolution, the pixel density is actually slightly greater, granted the difference is likely not noticeable. Disappointingly, you won't find protective glass around the LCD screen so you'll need to be extra careful to avoid scratches. Ultimately, the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is the best overall budget resin 3D printer for most makers. 

Pros:

• Cheap as chips
• Excellent print quality
• Fast print speed - about twice as fast as the Mars Pro
• Front-facing USB port
• Carbon filter built-in for odor reduction
• Quiet linear rail for silent operation

Cons:

• Lacks a 4K screen
• Lower resolution screen than the Mars Pro, but higher pixel density
• No protective glass around the LCD screen

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Best Cheap SLA 3D Printer - ANYCUBIC Photon Mono

The ANYCUBIC Photon Mono is a good, cheap 3D printer. With its 130 x 78 x 165 mm build volume, 2560 x 1620 pixels resolution, and 1-2 second layer curing time along with a 50mm/h maximum printing speed, the Photon Mono is a cost-effective SLA printer that doesn't compromise on quality. Its 51 micron XY resolution results in lovely prints. 

ANYCUBIC keeps the price of its Photon Mono down by delivering a no-frills printer. You won't find amenities such as a built-in filtration system or Wi-Fi operation. You might consider the ANYCUBIC Photon Mono SE which features nearly identical specs to the Mono but with Wi-Fi, a convenient hinged hood, and an onboard filtration system. Still, if you can live without some of the quality of life improvements on the Mono SE, the Photon Mono is the best cheap SLA 3D printer you can find. 

Pros:

• 2K 2560 x 1620-pixel resolution
• 130 x 78 x 165 mm build volume
• 1-2 second layer curing time
• 50mm/h max. print speed
• 51-micro XY resolution
• Extremely affordable
• Easy to replace the FEP

Cons:

• Lacks built-in filtration system
• No wireless connectivity
• Doesn't have a hinged hood for easy access

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Top Budget Resin Printer for Beginners - Longer3D Orange 10

The Longer3D Orange 10 is a solid stereolithography printer that won't break the bank. At around $210 USD, the Longer3D Orange 10 is a shockingly competent resin 3D printer. Onboard, you'll find a 2k LCD screen at 2560 x 1440. The 4.72 x 2.68x 6.69-inch build volume is decent, and its matrix UV LED array fosters reliable, smooth prints. A 47.25-micro resolution makes for fabulous details.

What's more, Longer3D offers a custom self-developed slicer. Sporting a slew of convenient features including one-click support generation, LongerWare is a neat SLA 3D printer slicer. And the Orange 10 is compatible with ChiTuBox as well. Since its proprietary slicer, LongerWare, simplifies the 3D modeling slicing process, the Longer3D Orange 10 is the best budget resin SLA 3D printer for beginners. While you won't find a filtration system or Wi-Fi connectivity, its low price tag and ease of use more than compensate. 

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Great proprietary slicer in LongerWare with features such as one-click support generation
• ChiTuBox compatibility
• 2K 2560x1440 high-resolution LCD screen
• 47.25-micron XY resolution
• Extremely affordable
• Uniform matrix UV LED light

Cons:

• No built-in filtration system
• Lacks Wi-Fi

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Best Resin 3D Printer Under $200 - Creality LD-002R

While Creality may be best-known for its budget-priced FDM 3D printers, the massively-popular 3D printing company also offers an awesome, affordable SLA 3D printer in its LD-002R. Creality packs in a bevy of quality-of-life features. There's a front-located USB port, a resin vat with height markings for in millimeters, plus a perforated print plate that provides good adhesion. Print quality is astounding with no artifacting or unreliability. Its light source remains consistent throughout.

As a result of its perforated built plate, you can't print straight on the build platform. Instead, you'll need to print with supports. Granted, it's best to use supports for resin 3D printing regardless. Creality keeps the price down by foregoing wireless connectivity and a filtration system. Oddly enough, Wi-Fi is a setting you can toggle on, although the board itself seems to lack wireless connectivity. You may also consider the Creality LD002H with its built-in carbon filtration system and monochrome 2K LCD light source which is well-worth the $50 upgrade over the LD-002R. At around $200 USD, the Creality LD-002R is a solid, budget-conscious resin-based 3D printer that delivers top-notch prints without breaking the bank. 

Pros:

• Excellent print quality
• Easy to level the built platform
• Millimeter markings in the resin vat for simple resin measurements
• Z-axis linear rail for reducing artifacting
• Perforated build plate for better adhesion

Cons: 

• No filtration system
• Lacks Wi-Fi
• Tough to print straight on the built platform

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Best Budget 4K Resin SLA 3D Printer - Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K

As its name suggests, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K boasts a 4K resolution with a 35-micron resolution. Its 3D models are incredibly detailed. A whopping 80mm/hour print speed ensures blisteringly-fast print speeds with as low as 2-second layer prints. The monochrome LCD screen is capable of handling over 2000-hours of use. Its 5.2 x 2.9 x 5.1-inch print volume is about in line with most other resin 3D printers. Sadly, the build platform isn't the best. What's more, leveling the build plate isn't necessarily the easiest process. While the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K features a technical resolution upgrade, real-world print quality differences from 2K machines is almost negligible. Nevertheless, if you're in the market for a 4K resin 3D printer on the cheap, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K is a great option. 

Pros:

• 4K LCD resolution
• 80mm/hour print speed
• 5.2 x 2.9 x 5.1-inch print volume
• Excellent print quality
• Good price-to-performance ratio
• Compact, small footprint

Cons:

• Not the easiest to level
• Uneven build platform quality

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Best Value Resin 3D Printer on the Market - Nova3D Elfin 2

The NOVA3D Elfin2 is a cheap but good stereolithography 3D printer. It sports a 2K 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution LCD. There's a 132 x 74 x 150 mm build area. XY-axis positioning accuracy is 0.05mm with Z-axis positioning accuracy of 0.01mm. As such, the Nova3D Elfin 2 produces fantastic prints. Uniquely, there's semi-automated bed leveling. Plus, there's an Android operating system (OS) onboard in addition to features like Wi-Fi. Disappointingly, there's no filtration system. But the wireless connectivity, simple bed leveling, and 2K screen that churns out high-quality 3D prints makes the Nova3D Elfin 2 an SLA printer with nearly unrivaled band-for-your-buck. 

Pros:

• 2K (2560 x 1440) pixel resolution LCD
• XY-axis positioning accuracy of 0.05mm, Z-axis positioning accuracy of 0.01mm
• Wi-Fi onboard
• Excellent print quality

Cons:

• No filtration system

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Best Budget Resin 3D Printers - Top Cheap but Good SLA 3D Printers You can Buy

High-quality 3D prints don't have to cost a fortune. For superb print quality on a budget, there are tons of cheap 3D SLA printers you can find. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is the best option for most users, while the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K delivers a lot of resolution for little money. Nova3D's Elfin2 offers Wi-Fi, while the Creality LD-002R packs quite a punch at under $200 USD. Longer3D's Orange 10 comes with a simple slicer that's perfect for beginners, and the ANYCUBIC Photon Mono is a budget-conscious 3D printer that doesn't skimp on print quality. 

Your turn: Which cheap, good resin SLA 3D printers do YOU recommend?