Best multi-colour 3D printers

The three tiers

What is the cheapest way to print in multiple colors?

The cheapest path to multicolor prints without manual filament swapping is a printer with native multi-color hardware built in, such as the Anycubic Kobra X Fast 3D Printer at $299.99. It handles up to four colors from the base machine, without buying a separate automated material unit.

The alternative, an AMS-style add-on, costs more up front but is generally considered more reliable for frequent color changes and can be expanded with additional units later, which a fixed native system cannot.

Is an AMS worth the extra cost over native multicolor?

It depends on how often multicolor printing happens. An AMS-style system like Bambu's AMS lite or AMS 2 Pro is built specifically around automated filament switching and is the more common choice among people who print multicolor regularly, because it is designed to be expanded and because it also functions as multi-material storage, not just multicolor switching.

For occasional multicolor projects, a native four-color printer covers the need for a couple hundred dollars less and without an additional unit taking up desk space.

Does more colors always mean a better printer?

No. Color count is one variable among many, and a machine's frame, extruder design and reliability matter more for everyday print quality. A four-color native system used well produces better results than an eight-color AMS system fed poorly stored, tangled filament. Buy for the number of colors you actually use, not the highest number available.

How much extra filament does multicolor printing waste?

Every color change purges some filament to clear the old color from the nozzle or feed path before the new color prints cleanly. Projects with many small color changes across a print can use substantially more filament than a single-color version of the same model, so factor that into any per-print cost estimate.

How we chose

This roundup is researched from manufacturer listings and published specifications rather than a side-by-side physical comparison. Every product and price is checked against PrintFarmCalc's verified product catalog.

Machines were grouped by how they achieve multicolor printing: native multi-extrusion built into the base printer, versus an add-on automated material system (AMS-style) that swaps filament for the printer. Both approaches are valid; the right one depends on budget and expected color count.

Buying tips

Native multi-extrusion vs. automated material system

A native multi-color printer, like the Kobra X line, builds a fixed number of color inputs into the machine itself. An AMS-style system is a separate unit that feeds filament to the printer and can often be expanded with additional units later. AMS systems tend to cost more but scale further.

More colors means more waste

Every multicolor printer purges filament when it switches colors, and that purged filament is waste. Multicolor prints with many small color changes use noticeably more filament than the model's visible volume suggests, so budget filament accordingly.

Check how many colors you actually need

Four colors covers most hobbyist multicolor projects: logos, simple characters, and color-blocked functional parts. Buying an eight or sixteen-color capable system for a project that only ever uses three colors is spending on capability you will not use.

Multicolor adds print time

Color changes pause the print to purge and prime the new filament, which adds real time to a job. A multicolor version of a model can take noticeably longer than the same model printed in one color.