12 Best Resin 3D Printers in 2024 (All Price Ranges)

Welcome to our best 3D printer for resin review for 2024.

We researched and tested the top 20 resin 3D printers on the market, and ranked them according to value, affordability, and print quality. Then we separated them based on budget so you don’t waste any extra time.

WARNING: Read carefully and only buy a printer that’s proven to work. We spent $300 on a resin 3D printer once only for it to glitch and freeze halfway through. Guess how much help the customer service was?

Zero!

That’s why we tested the top 20 best-selling models – to make sure they actually work.

Choose one of the top-rated models to make sure you get something that produces ultra-high quality quickly and easily.

Ready…

Set…

PRINT!

Also, if you’re new to resin 3D printing, then see our guide towards the end. We’ll learn more about resin printing and what to look for in a 3D printer. But without further ado, let’s take a look at the top resin 3D printers in the market.

Best Resin 3D Printers At A Glance

We’ve broken down the resin 3D printers into three categories: options under $500, between $500 and $1,500, and over $1,500. We’ll start with those under $500. 

Budget Resin 3D Printers: Under $500
1. Creality Halot One
2. Elegoo Saturn
3. Anycubic Photon Mono X
4. Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K
5. Elegoo Mars 3 Pro
(Best Value)

Best Intermediate 3D Printers: $500 – $1,500
6. Elegoo Saturn 2 8K
7. Peopoly Moai

8. Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K (Best Choice)

Best Professional 3D Printers: Over $1,500+
9. Prusa SL1S Speed
10. Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K (Premium Choice)
11. Anycubic Photon Mono M3 Max
12. Elegoo Jupiter

Budget Resin 3D Printers: Under $500

First up, we’ve got the budget resin 3D printers. Keep in mind that these resin 3D printers will lack the accuracy, build volume, and sophistication of the higher-priced resin 3D printers. These are options that are great for DIY-ers, hobbyists, and people starting out with resin 3D printing.

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 127 x 80 x 160 mm | Print Resolution: 50 microns | Printing Speed: 60 mm/h

Creality is easily the biggest name in the consumer 3D printing industry, making up a large percentage of the market through their Ender series of printers. While Creality mainly focuses on FDM 3D printers, they also sell some pretty great SLA machines, such as the Halot One.

While the Creality Halot One was only released in 2021, its technology is a little outdated, with an LCD screen that has a pixel resolution of 2K. This isn’t too low, though, considering the very budget-friendly pricing of the Halot One. And a 2K LCD pixel resolution is still more than enough to yield very high-definition prints with a ton of detail!

Plus, Creality really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the other electronics onboard the Halot One. Moreover, the printer has a 64-bit 4-core computer chip to help process G-code commands super fast so that prints come out well.

And the Halot One has a full-color touchscreen LCD with an interface that’s very easy to use. Even a five-year-old could start a print on the Halot One! Plus, the printer has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can remotely monitor and control your printer!

Additionally, because the Halot One is made by Creality, the printer is fully compatible with all of Creality’s SLA printer attachments and upgrades. This includes their line of resins, wash and cure machine, and more!

So, if you want a decent resin 3D printer, don’t want to spend too much money, and are looking for a good brand, the Creality Halot One is a no-brainer!

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 192 x 120 x 200 mm | Print Resolution: 50 microns | Printing Speed: 30-40 mm/h

The Saturn by ELEGOO is the perfect budget resin 3D  printer for mad scientists, inventors, and world-domination enthusiasts… or just anyone who needs a massive print volume at an affordable price.

The first two resin 3D printers are great for smaller details and miniature models. But the Saturn is meant for larger, less detailed prints. We don’t recommend it for figurines – we mean large, more functional-minded pieces.

One of our team even used it to create some movie props (Thor’s Hammer? Hell yeah!).

And the MSLA is lightyears faster than most other printers. The Saturn can print a layer in less than two seconds in some cases. This resin 3D printer is also insanely accurate and has great precision, considering how large the volume is. 

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 192 x 120 x 245 mm | Print Resolution: 50 microns | Printing Speed: 60 mm/h

Still have plans for world domination because the Elegoo Saturn wasn’t up to the task? You have another shot at it, thanks to the Photon Mono X. (Just spare me though)

Both printers compete with each other because they target similar audiences. I’ll briefly talk about the Photon Mono X and then discuss the differences between them.

The Photon Mono X allows you to create large prints at a high resolution – thanks to its wide build volume and high-res 4K LCD. And because of the monochrome LCD, cure times are super fast, which means faster printing. This screen also has the advantage of a longer life compared to traditional RGB screens.

The build plate looks industrial and well-made – the quality frankly astounded me. With the larger build plate, you can 3D print terrain with ease. What was less astounding and mostly ridiculous was the Wifi option, however. With this, you can only connect Anycubic’s mobile app to the printer. You cannot connect the slicer on the computer to the machine.

The UI is top-notch, with a highly responsive touchscreen. It has plenty of menu options as well, like layer cure time and UV light strength, among others. 

You’ll need to tune the settings to get accurate prints, but once that is done, the printer is unstoppable. The Mono X is for you if you want the flexibility to 3D print larger with exceptional print quality

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 134 x 75 x 130 mm | Print Resolution: 35 microns | Printing Speed: 80 mm/h

If you want exceptional print quality without breaking the bank then the Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K is for you. The biggest difference between the original Sonic Mini and the new and improved one is the LCD resolution.

Compared to other affordable resin 3D printers like the Anycubic Photon series and Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, we found the printing quality superior in the former. The XY layer resolution of the Mini 4K is 35 microns vs the 50 microns of those two printers. 

In all fairness, the differences between prints from the three printers weren’t pronounced. But in detail-packed miniatures and jewelry, you’ll notice the power of the 4K LCD.

The Sonic Mini 4K also prints faster – one layer in 2 seconds fast.

If you want a beginner-friendly resin 3D printer, then the Mini 4K is for you. It’s that easy to use. Just plug-in, level, and start printing. The default settings in Chitubox work without any adjustments although you’ll have to tweak it for certain designs.

In terms of printer noise, the Sonic Mini 4K is a bit noisier than the original the Sonic Mini. The noise mainly comes from Mini’s Z-axis stepper motor during the changing of layers. 

All in all, for 3D printing jewelry and miniatures you can’t go wrong with the Sonic Mini 4K. It excels where print details is a must. 

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: MSLA | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 143 x 90 x 175 mm | Print Resolution: 35 microns | Printing Speed: 30-50 mm/h

Easily one of my favorite resin 3D printers to ever hit the market is the Elegoo Mars 3 Pro. It was actually my very first own resin 3D printer, and, to this day, it blows me away with its exceptional print quality, despite its very budget-friendly price.

The Elegoo Mars 3 Pro is made by the same manufacturer as the Elegoo Saturn, and, like the Saturn, the Mars 3 Pro is fitted with a high-detail 4K LCD screen. However, the key difference is that the Mars 3 Pro is a whopping $150 less than the Saturn, which my wallet loves to hear.

But, seriously, the 4K LCD screen on the Elegoo Mars 3 Pro does a fantastic job of pumping in the print quality. Just check out some of the prints people were able to make without ANY modifications to the default slicer settings:

It’s incredible!

Moreover, Elegoo states that the Mars 3 Pro has an X/Y printing resolution of just 35 microns, which is exceptionally low for a 4K printer. And, with this low X/Y resolution, you can print super-detailed models without having to worry about part precision or accuracy!

But besides the quality capabilities of the Mars 3 Pro, the printer is still one hell of a resin machine. It’s got a touchscreen user interface that’s very easy to use. Without watching a single tutorial, I was able to master using the Mars 3 Pro and navigating the buttons in no time!

Whether you’re new to 3D printing or an expert, it’s no question that the Elegoo Mars 3 Pro brings a good bargain to the table. Its high-detail 4K printing capabilities and easy-to-use interface, not to mention its compatibility with the Elegoo ecosystem, are well worth the sub-$250 price tag.

Pros

Cons

Product Reviews: $500 - $1,500

Next, we’ve got our second tier of resin printers, which fall in $500-$1,500 price range. These resin printers, like the Elegoo Saturn 2 8K and Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K, yield much better print quality than the machines in the budget category. And they usually have other benefits, like faster print speeds and improved printing precision.

If you’re going to spend ~$1,000 +, you might as well get the best. If not, then you might as well just stick with a budget model, right?

Printer Type: MSLA | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 219 x 123 x 250 mm | Print Resolution: 28.5 microns | Printing Speed: 30-70 mm/h

First up in this category, we’ve got another Elegoo printer: the Saturn 2 8K. Not gonna lie, I didn’t think this printer was gonna make it on this list, given that it was Elegoo’s first 8K 3D printer. But I’m happy to say Elegoo proved me wrong, and the Saturn 2 is easily one of the best low-cost 8K resolution printers on the market!

Perhaps the most important feature of the Elegoo Saturn 2 is its 8K LCD screen, which maximizes the detail of prints. It’s truly incredible how well prints made on the Saturn 2 come out, no matter how much detail they have. Just check out the example print below:

What’s most surprising, though, is its X/Y resolution, tested to be just 28.5 microns. This is one of the lowest X/Y resolutions of any printer on the market today and means that all your prints from the Saturn 2 will be very accurate and well-detailed!

The Elegoo Saturn 2 also offers a pretty spacious build platform, measuring 219 x 123 x 250 mm. This is more than enough for printing small models, like miniatures, and enables you to print larger projects too!

Elegoo also states that the Saturn 2 can be used with print speeds up to 70 mm/hour. This is very fast, and most resin printers, like many of the ones featured in the budget-friendly category, can only print with speeds of 30-50 mm/hour. Moreover, the ability to print fast will lend itself very useful when you’re making large models.

So, if you want an 8K resin 3D printer that gives you a decent amount of print space and is fast, I highly recommend the Elegoo Saturn 2!

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: SLA | Materials: Any Resin Designed for SLA Printers | Build Volume: 130 x 130 x 180 mm | Print Resolution: 70 microns | Printing Speed: 160 mm/s

Next up is the Moai by Peopoly (not to be confused with the Moai 130 – that’s an upgraded version).

What you get in this printer is a lot of power and usability. A minimum thickness of 5 microns is super rare for a 3D printer, and the Moai makes it look easy. On a similar note, feel free to check out our reviews of the most accurate and precise 3D printers.

Additionally, the print volume is pretty respectable.

You get a lot of accuracy and precision with this machine, but the speed could use a little work. Keep in mind that this SLA printer is a kit and requires some assembly. Once it’s up and running, you have very little maintenance to worry about. 

This unit is really reliable and easy to use. On top of that, the metal framework keeps the vibrations low.

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 165 x 72 x 180 mm | Print Resolution: 22 microns | Printing Speed: 80 mm/h

Phrozen is a leading manufacturer of resin 3D printers, and, in the past year, they’ve developed a few 8K resin 3D printers. The Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is one of these machines, and it’s easily one of the best resin 3D printers on the market.

As you can probably tell by the name of the printer, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is equipped with an 8K pixel resolution LCD screen. This part is the key element that makes the machine so good at printing detail. It’s actually insane how much detail the Sonic Mini 8K can yield in a print; just look at the example print below:

Source: Youtube VogMan

The Sonic Mini 8K has an X/Y resolution of just 22 microns, which is insane for under $1,000. 22 microns is easily the lowest X/Y resolution I’ve ever seen, and it’s close to five times more precise than a normal FDM 3D printer (100 microns). As such, you can expect your prints to come out super detailed and accurate when made on the Sonic Mini 8K.

On top of its printing accuracy, the Sonic Mini 8K has some other great features, like a super-sturdy frame design comprising two linear rails for maximum stability. This means problems like Z-wobble aren’t likely to occur!

Sadly, though, the Sonic Mini is pretty mini, with a build space measuring only 165 x 72 x 180 mm. While this is enough for small prints (e.g. miniatures), you might have to split up larger designs to fit them in the build volume.

But, overall, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is one hell of a printer when it comes to print quality, and I strongly suggest it if you want a solid resin printer!

Pros

Cons

Product Reviews: Over $1,500+

Ok, now it’s time to get serious. All the previous models are for budget-minded hobbyists, enthusiasts, and small-scale commercial use. But, in this category, we’ll go over some of the top-of-the-line models meant for serious 3D printing people and businesses.

The machines under this category may have a high price tag, but their features make every penny worth it. Printers in this price range offer insane print quality, precision, accuracy, build space, speed, and anything else you’d ever want from a resin 3D printer!

Printer Type: MSLA | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 127 x 80 x 150 mm | Print Resolution: 50 microns | Printing Speed: 1.4 s/layer

Prusa is one of the biggest names in the consumer 3D printing industry, with popular printers like the Prusa i3 MK3S+ and Prusa Mini under their belt. The SL1S Speed is Prusa’s third iteration of their original Prusa SL1, which was their first SLA 3D printer. And, as you can probably tell from the name of this machine, the SL1S Speed is optimized for fast printing.

Furthermore, Prusa made a lot of changes to the SL1S Speed from their earlier SLA printer, replacing the original LCD screen with a monochrome LCD screen and using a slightly different set of UV panels to decrease the amount of time needed for layer curing. The result: 3 times faster layer curing times for much shorter print times.

Prusa really ain’t kidding when they say the SL1S Speed is the fastest SLA 3D printer on the market. It can seriously outrun just about any SLA resin 3D printer out there, making it the perfect option if you want to pump out resin prints as fast as possible.

Sadly, with its speed, the SL1S is also a bit lacking when it comes to printing resolution. Though prints come out very well on this printer, it’s only got a 2.5K LCD screen under the hood.

This means prints made on the SL1 Speed won’t be nearly as detailed as if they were printed on an 8K LCD screen. But I’m not gonna lie, it’s not that noticeable, especially since most models don’t require an 8K or even a 4K pixel resolution.

But the Prusa SL1S Speed 100% makes up for this issue with its reliability. Just like any Prusa printer, the SL1S Speed is super consistent in the quality and success of its prints. And that’s something not all printers, no matter their print quality, have!

So, if you want a printer that will consistently bring your resin prints at record-breaking speeds, then give the Prusa SL1S Speed a shot!

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: LCD | Materials: Compatible with Phrozen and 3rd Party Resins of 405 nm | Build Volume: 330 x 185 x 400 mm | Print Resolution: 43 microns | Printing Speed: 70 mm/hr

Another product from Phrozen is the Sonic Mega 8K, the older brother to the Sonic Mini 8K, which we already went over. As indicated by its name, the Sonic Mega 8K is another 8K resolution printer with a “mega” build space.

Moreover, the Mega 8K gives you 330 x 185 x 400 mm of print volume to work with, which is more than enough for most typical resin prints. With this large print space, you can print many miniature models at once or print larger parts, like a phone stand!

Sadly, the larger space on the Sonic Mega comes with a slightly worse printing resolution compared to the Sonic Mini. The Sonic Mega 8K has an X/Y printing resolution of 43 microns, a little over double the 22 microns offered by the Sonic Mini 8K. But don’t worry, because 43 microns is still half as much as a typical 3D printer and will still allow for super detailed prints, like the one below:

Besides print quality, the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K is packed with many other features, such as its frame design. Instead of the inconvenient and silly trapezoid shape that most resin printers have, Phrozen made the Sonic Mega 8K completely rectangular. And they added double-hinged doors to the printer to make part removal easy while keeping the appearance of the machine sleek!

Lastly, I also can’t forget to mention the super high 70 mm/hour maximum print speed on this machine which comes in handy when printing large models. This is much faster than normal resin printers, like the Elegoo Mars 3, which usually have a max print speed of just 30-50 mm/hour.

So, if you’re looking for a resin printer in this price range, and want a lot of print space, definitely check out the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K! It’s detailed, precise, big, and fast!

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: MSLA | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 298 x 164 x 300 mm | Print Resolution: 46 microns | Printing Speed: 60 mm/hr

You’ve probably heard of Anycubic before, whether from their long list of amazing resin printers or in our discussion of the Photon Mono X a few sections back. While Anycubic mainly makes printers for those on a budget, their Photon M3 Max is an outlier and a great pick for a resin 3D printer in this price range!

While you’d expect a machine in this price range to offer 8K printing resolution, the Photon Mono M3 Max doesn’t quite meet the standard. But don’t worry, because its 7K LCD screen isn’t too far off the mark and will still yield very detailed models, significantly better than those made on a budget resin 3D printer.

Sadly, though, the X/Y resolution of this printer is 46 microns, and the Z-axis resolution (AKA minimum layer height) is 10 microns. This isn’t terrible by any standard, but, considering the price of the Photon M3 Max, I’d want to see something a little lower and more precise.

The main reason you might be interested in the Anycubiuc Photon M3 Max, though, is its print space, a whopping 298 x 164 x 300 mm. On top of being larger than basically any resin printer on the market, this size is greater than most FDM 3D printer build spaces too! With so much space, you’ll be able to print many small models at once or some very large parts, like a laptop stand or water bottle holder!

And, as it’s a large printer, it’s good to know that the frame is very stable. With two linear rails and a well-designed build plate holder, you shouldn’t have any wobbling going on during printing. It’s also worth mentioning that this printer has a very easy-to-use graphical interface that makes navigating the printer’s functions, like cleaning the VAT or starting a print, a breeze!

Overall, the Anycubiuc Photon M3 Max is an absolute beast of a resin 3D printer. It’s got tons of print space, a well-built frame, and a 7K LCD screen for high-detail printing. But, best of all, because it’s an Anycubic 3D printer, the M3 Max is compatible with Anycubic’s large ecosystem of other products, like their wash station, UV curing light, and many available resins!

Pros

Cons

Printer Type: MSLA | Materials: 405 nm UV Resins | Build Volume: 278 x 156 x 300 mm | Print Resolution: 51 microns | Printing Speed: 30-70 mm/hr

Lastly, the Elegoo Jupiter is yet another product from the famed manufacturer, Elegoo. The Jupiter is one of the largest resin printers offered by Elegoo, which makes sense, considering Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.

So how much space are we talking about? An incredible 278 x 156 x 300 mm.

Not as quite as large as the Anycubuc Photon M3 Max, but pretty damn close and easily larger than every other printer on this list. With this much space, you’ll be able to print just about any resin model you want, whether it’s five miniatures at once or a phone stand!

On another note, the Jupiter, unlike some of the other high-end resin printers, doesn’t have an 8K LCD resolution. But, similar to the Photon M3 Max, it’s not far from 8K, with a 6K LCD resolution that can still yield super-detailed models!

But what I find most impressive about the Jupiter is that it’s able to maintain an X/Y printing resolution of just 51 microns. This is very low and admirable, considering the size of the machine.

So if print space is the name of the game for you, but you still want a fair amount of print quality, the Elegoo Jupiter is the one for you! It’s big but also precise; something you don’t see every day!

Pros

Cons

What is a Resin 3D Printer?

A resin 3D printer is different from the standard FDM printers you’ve probably seen. Resin 3D printers use liquid resin and some science to print. Compared to FDM printers, they’re a lot more accurate, more expensive, and admittedly a lot cooler to watch. Additionally, the final product is much stronger and sturdier.

Resin 3D printers are available in three different 3D printing technologies: LCD, DLP, and SLA.
Let’s take a look at how these three technologies compare to one another.

What’s the Difference Between LCD, DLP, and SLA?

Stereolithography (SLA) is the most common type of resin printer. Digital Light Processing (DLP) and LCD resin technologies are pretty common to one another. All three of these resin 3D printing technologies work in a similar way. They use light to cure liquid resin into a solid form.

  • SLA uses a laser to cure the resin. An alternate version of SLA is called MSLA, and it works the same but a lot faster by using advanced technology.
  • DLP and LCD will both use a screen and illuminate a layer of the print. The resin will cure on the illuminated parts of the layer. The difference between these two types is subtle. The DLP uses a projector for illuminating, and LCD opts for a less-expensive LCD screen. 
  • All three have the same accuracy and precision. LCD and DLP are a little faster, and SLA is a bit less expensive.

How to Pick the Best Resin 3D Printers

Just like any other 3D printer, there’s a lot of specs associated with a resin printer. You might get confused with what really matters, so let’s discuss the most important features for you.

Everyone’s needs are different when it comes to resin 3D printing, but this is a good list to get you started. 

Cost

Cost is arguably the most important metric when it comes to picking the best resin 3D printer for you. It’s so important that the product reviews are broken up into three cost categories.

We found that resin printers fall into three categories: beginner (budget resin 3D printers), intermediate (when you want to take your 3D printing to the next level), and pro (3D printing for business or for prototyping). These three categories correspond almost exclusively with the price bracket it’s in: under $500, between $500 and $1,500, and over $1,500.

Speed

Speed is another distinguishing feature between these resin 3D printers. Different 3D printing technology and mechanical upgrades lead to slower or faster speeds. MSLA resin 3D printers are the fastest, so if speed is important, you should focus on those.

Print Volume

The last thing to consider is how big the print volume is. The print volume will limit how big of a piece you can print. In some cases, a small print volume makes it impossible to print the types of items you want to

Conclusion

Five years ago, your options for a consumer-level resin 3D printer were very limited. But times have changed, and today, you have tons of options in a few different price ranges.

If you’re on a budget and looking for a resin 3D printer with a price under $500, then I strongly recommend the Elegoo Mars 3 Pro or Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K. Both printers offer 4K printing resolution, which can yield very high-definition parts with a ton of detail.

If you’re willing to spend a little more and are looking for a resin printer in the $500 to $1,500 range, then the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K and Elegoo Saturn 2 8K are two spectacular printers to check out. Both have 8K LCD screens for ultra-high-detail prints. Plus, these machines are very well-built and have other great features too!

Finally, if you’re looking for a resin printer over $1,500, then definitely check out the Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K or Elegoo Jupiter. Both of these printers offer 8K or near-8K printing resolution offers incredible print quality with a very large print space that can hold many small models at once!

But, no matter what resin 3D printer you pick, I sincerely wish you an amazing journey full of fun prints and no problems!

Pat Nathaniel
Pat Nathaniel
Pat is the editor-in-chief at Printing Atoms. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and wants to spread the word on 3D printing. When he's not writing, he likes to tinker with his Ender 3 Pro, test filament brands, and scuba dive.
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