Is a 3D printer worth it?
A 3D printer pays for itself when the money you save by printing at home adds up to its price. Enter what you would print each month and what those prints would cost to order, and the calculator shows how many months that takes.
How to use it
- Enter the price of the printer you have in mind, as it costs in your country.
- Estimate how many prints you would make in a month, and what one would cost to order from a print service or a shop, shipping included.
- Fill in the filament weight and print time of a typical print. A slicer shows both; the tool pages on this site show the size of each model.
- Enter your spool price and weight, your printer's average power and your electricity price.
- Read the months to pay back. Change the number of prints per month to see how much it depends on how often you print.
The formula
Cost per print at home = filament weight ÷ spool weight × spool price + print hours × power in kW × price per kWh
Saving per print = price to order one − cost per print at home
Saving per month = saving per print × prints per month
Months to pay back = printer price ÷ saving per month
When a print costs more at home than to order, or you print nothing, the printer never pays back on money alone, and the calculator says so.
Failed prints, spare parts and your own time are left out. They make home printing a little more expensive, so treat the result as the best case.
Worked example
A €300 printer, and 4 prints a month that would cost €15 each to order. Each print uses 80 g from a €20 spool of 1 kg and takes 4 hours at 100 W, with power at €0.30 per kWh.
| Cost to print one at home | €1.72 |
|---|---|
| Saving per print | €13.28 |
| Saving per month | €53.12 |
The printer pays for itself in about 6 months.
What the number leaves out
- Things you would never order. Many prints only make sense at home: a test piece, a part that fits one drawer, a gift with a name on it. Those have no order price to compare with, but they are often why people buy a printer.
- Learning time. The first weeks go to setting up, calibrating and failed prints. After that, most prints run without much attention.
- Resale value. A printer that you sell after a few years gets part of its price back, which shortens the real payback time.
When it is worth it
Printing a few things a month that you would otherwise order usually pays back a beginner printer within a year. Printing one thing a year doesn't. The bigger the gap between the order price and the cost at home, the faster it goes: filament for a small part costs cents, while a print service charges for setup, its time and shipping.
Questions
What does it cost to print at home?
Mostly filament and electricity. A 1 kg spool makes many small parts, and a printer on a long print uses about as much power as a bright lamp. Use the print cost calculator for a full breakdown with printer wear and failed prints.
Which printer should a beginner get?
One that fits the size of the things you want to print. The printer guide on this site compares the Bambu Lab printers by size, materials and multi-color.
Why does the result say never?
Either the number of prints per month is zero, or a print costs as much at home as it does to order. Raise the prints per month or check the order price.
Are spare parts included?
No. Nozzles, build plates and other parts wear out over time. Add their cost to the printer price if you want them in the payback time.
May I sell prints made with these tools?
You may sell the prints you make with these tools. You don't need to ask first.