Best Overall
Bambu Lab P1S ($699) — 500mm/s, enclosed CoreXY, AMS-ready. The benchmark for plug-and-print in 2026.
Best Budget
Creality Ender-3 V3 SE ($219) / Anycubic Kobra 3 ($269) — great entry points.
Best Speed
Bambu Lab X1 Carbon ($1,199) — lidar, AI spaghetti detection, dual-core.
Best for Tinkerers
Prusa MK4 ($799) — open-source, fully repairable, legendary support.
Best Resin
Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra ($399) — 12K resolution. Carbon-fiber: Creality K1C ($559).
CoreXY under $700 now matches 2023 $2,000 machines. Multi-color stabilized around Bambu AMS + Prusa MMU3.