Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
Budget, and often discounted
The budget machine with genuine auto-leveling, and the cheapest machine on the list worth owning. When the unit is good it prints, and the direct-drive extruder and dual Z screws were unheard of at this price when it launched.
Quality control is the lottery: some units work out of the box, some never do. There is no WiFi and no camera, the 260 °C rated nozzle has a PTFE liner that degrades above 230 °C, and it is the least moddable Ender yet. In 2026 the small step up to an A1 on sale buys a different experience.
Best at: The rock-bottom price, and the largest community when something goes wrong.
Worst at: Consistency between units; connectivity, which is none.
| Build volume | 220 × 220 × 250 mm |
|---|---|
| Frame | Open bedslinger |
| Nozzle | 260 °C rated; 230 °C in practice |
| Bed | 100 °C |
| Colors | 1 |
| Calibration | Auto mesh level and Z offset |
| Camera | None; no WiFi either |
| Firmware | Marlin based |
| Noise | Not published as a level ?; one review metered 66 dB at 10 cm and 44 dB at 1.5 m V |
| Warranty | 1 year in the US, 2 years in the EU; hotend and extruder kits 3 months; build plate, nozzle and PTFE not covered M |
M manufacturer figure V measured by an owner or reviewer ? unverified
Check the current price at Creality ↗manufacturer store; not an affiliate link
