Ranked #4 of 8 3D printers
Prusa MK4S Review (2026)
The open-source workhorse. Buy it for life.
Prices and specs verified September 2026. How we rate products.
Every 3D printing discussion eventually mentions Prusa, and the MK4S shows why: Tom’s Hardware Editors’ Choice, 29/30 on independent test suites with ~0.1 mm dimensional accuracy, and print-farm owners who run theirs "all day" over other machines for first-layer consistency. The Nextruder direct-drive extruder with its 10:1 planetary gearbox is simply a superb piece of engineering.
What you are really buying is the philosophy: open-source firmware and hardware, published service manuals, parts availability measured in years, 24/7 human support, and zero cloud dependency. For farms with proprietary designs or anyone who has been burned by a bricked cloud-dependent gadget, that matters more than millimeters per second.
The honest context: Prusa’s CORE One+ Gen 2 is now the flagship, and the MK4S was left off the Gen 2 upgrade list — it is at the end of its upgrade line (though Prusa supports machines for years). At $999 list it costs 2–3× budget CoreXY rivals, the frame is open, and a full MMU3 multicolor setup with enclosure approaches $1,400. The $740 Back to School assembled price is the sane entry point. This is a values purchase as much as a printer purchase — and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Reference-level print quality — Tom’s Editors’ Choice, 29/30 test scores
- Open-source hardware and firmware; repairable buy-it-for-life design
- No cloud dependency; 24/7 support; parts available for years
- Quiet operation with excellent first-layer consistency
- Huge ecosystem: Printables, Prusament discounts, farm-proven reliability
Cons
- Premium price — 2–3× budget CoreXY machines
- Open-frame bed-slinger; no enclosure included (needed for ABS/ASA)
- No longer the flagship — left off Prusa’s Gen 2 upgrade list
- Full multicolor setup (MMU3 + enclosure) can approach ~$1,400
- Kit assembly no longer ships a printed manual
Key specs
- Build volume
- 250 × 210 × 220 mm
- Max speed
- Not published (24 mm³/s flow)
- Motion
- Open-frame Cartesian, Nextruder direct drive
- Multicolor
- Optional MMU3 — 5 colors (~$359–389)
- Nozzle
- Bondtech CHT high-flow brass, 290 °C max
- Bed
- PEI spring steel, 120 °C, load-cell leveling
- Noise
- Very quiet (reviewer consensus; no official dB)
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Prusa Connect
Who it is for
Best for
- Open-source devotees
- Print farms
- Buy-it-for-life buyers
Not for
- Spec-per-dollar maximizers
- Enclosed printing out of the box
- Multicolor on a budget
Frequently asked questions
Is the Prusa MK4S still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if you value open-source, repairability, and long-term support over raw specs-per-dollar. If you want maximum printer for minimum money, Bambu or Elegoo win on paper.
Should I buy the kit or assembled?
The kit ($592 on sale) saves money and teaches you the machine, but the assembled unit ($740 on sale) is the better value for most — the discount rarely justifies a full weekend of assembly.
Can the MK4S print multicolor?
Yes, with the MMU3 add-on (up to 5 colors, ~$359–389). Budget for it honestly: printer + MMU3 + enclosure for ABS work can approach $1,400 all-in.