Creality SPARKX i7 vs Elegoo Neptune 4 Max
Researched by Riley Hart · prices checked Nov 4, 2026
As of Nov 4, 2026, the Creality SPARKX i7 costs $399 and the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max costs $394, so the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max is $5 cheaper. The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max scores higher in our ranking (8.6 vs 8.1 out of 10). Pick the Creality SPARKX i7 for beginners who want affordable 4 color PLA prints. Pick the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max for budget makers who need very large PLA, PETG or TPU prints. They split the points we can measure, 1 each.
Who wins, point by point
They split the points we can measure, 1 each. Built from today's prices, the specs and independent tests for these two robots.
| SPARKX i7 | Neptune 4 Max | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price today | $399 | $394 | Tie |
| Build volume | 260 x 260 x 255 mm | 420 x 420 x 480 mm | Neptune 4 Max |
| Top print speed | 500 mm/s | 500 mm/s | Tie |
| Max nozzle temp | 300°C | 300°C | Tie |
| Release year | 2025 | 2023 | SPARKX i7 |
- You want the newer model (2025 vs 2023)
- Best for beginners who want affordable 4 color PLA prints
- You care most about build volume (420 x 420 x 480 mm vs 260 x 260 x 255 mm)
- Best for budget makers who need very large PLA, PETG or TPU prints
- Build volume
- 260 x 260 x 255 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 500 mm/s
- Multicolor
- Up to 4 colors
- Enclosure
- No
Quiet, low cost 4 color starter printer from Creality
Full Creality SPARKX i7 review, pros and cons →- Build volume
- 420 x 420 x 480 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 500 mm/s
- Multicolor
- No
- Enclosure
- No
Budget 420 x 420 x 480 mm Klipper printer for big prints
Full Elegoo Neptune 4 Max review, pros and cons →Side by side
| Creality SPARKX i7 | Elegoo Neptune 4 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399 | $394 |
| 3 year cost | $399 | $394 |
| Our score | 8.1/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Rank in 3D printers | #6 | #2 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | 1 year (Creality Canada store product page) | Not checked |
| Build volume | 260 x 260 x 255 mm (Creality) | 420 x 420 x 480 mm (Elegoo, Tom's Hardware) |
| Print speed | Up to 500 mm/s, 10,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Creality); Tom's Hardware printed a Benchy in 21 minutes | Up to 500 mm/s (Elegoo); Tom's Hardware says 140 mm/s is the recommended optimal speed |
| Multi color | Up to 4 colors with the CFS Lite (Color Combo); takes cardboard and 2 kg spools but does not retract spools (Tom's Hardware) | No, single extruder (Tom's Hardware) |
| Enclosure | No, open frame | No, open frame (Tom's Hardware) |
| Auto leveling | Yes, full auto leveling and Z offset before each print (Creality, Tom's Hardware) | Yes, 121 point inductive auto leveling plus manual knobs (Tom's Hardware) |
| Max nozzle temp | Not listed by Creality; Tom's Hardware notes a 300 C materials limit and a 0.4 mm hardened steel nozzle | 300 C, 0.4 mm high flow nozzle (Elegoo, Tom's Hardware) |
| Heated bed | Yes, up to 100 C, two sided PEI plate (Creality, Tom's Hardware) | Yes, PEI textured spring steel plate (Tom's Hardware); max temperature not confirmed |
| Filament types | PLA, PLA-Silk, PETG, TPU, PLA-CF (Creality); Tom's Hardware printed 95A and 85A TPU | PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS (Tom's Hardware); 3DWithUs found ABS warped without an enclosure |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, USB drive, LAN mode, cloud and app (Creality, Tom's Hardware) | Wi-Fi, microSD, USB (Tom's Hardware) |
| Camera | Yes, 720p AI camera with light and privacy cover, spaghetti detection (Creality) | No (not listed by Tom's Hardware or Elegoo) |
| Noise | No dB figure; Tom's Hardware and CGMagazine found it very quiet, with a Silent mode | No dB figure; Tom's Hardware called the curtain fan way too noisy |
| Assembly | About 5 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to the first print (CGMagazine) | n/a |
| Weight | 9.12 kg; 470 x 423 x 456 mm. CFS Lite adds about 3.4 kg (Creality, Tom's Hardware) | 18.1 kg; 658 x 632 x 740 mm (Tom's Hardware) |
| Firmware | n/a | Klipper (Tom's Hardware) |
| Best for | beginners who want affordable 4 color PLA prints | budget makers who need very large PLA, PETG or TPU prints |
| Skip if | you need to print ABS, ASA or nylon | you want a plug and play or enclosed printer |
Specs are maker claims unless a reviewer is named. Prices from the stores we link, checked daily.
What reviewers found
Creality SPARKX i7
- Tom's Hardware: Editor's Choice. Benchy in 21 minutes. A tuned four color castle used 31.59 g of filament plus 49.38 g in the purge tower. Only one failure across the multicolor tests, from bed adhesion. Source
- CGMagazine (8.5/10): Ready to print in about 20 minutes. Prints were smooth and clean. The AI camera caught the one failed print, stopped the printer and sent an alert. The remote live feed failed once or twice. Source
Elegoo Neptune 4 Max
- Tom's Hardware: Speed Benchy took 31 min 12 s. A 250% articulated frog took 10 h 26 min with rough spots and a near layer shift. A TPU purse printed well at 45 mm/s. About twice as fast as the Neptune 3 Max. Source
- 3DWithUs (4.5 out of 5): Assembly took about 30 minutes. Printed a 520 mm window handle and eight PETG brackets in one batch. The screen failed out of the box and needed a manual fix. ABS warped. Source
Questions buyers ask
Which is better, the Creality SPARKX i7 or the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max?
The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max scores higher in our ranking (8.6 vs 8.1 out of 10). Pick the Creality SPARKX i7 for beginners who want affordable 4 color PLA prints. Pick the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max for budget makers who need very large PLA, PETG or TPU prints.
Which is cheaper?
The Elegoo Neptune 4 Max at $394, versus $399 for the Creality SPARKX i7, checked Nov 4, 2026.
What is the difference between the SPARKX i7 and the Neptune 4 Max?
Build volume: 260 x 260 x 255 mm (Creality) on the SPARKX i7, 420 x 420 x 480 mm (Elegoo, Tom's Hardware) on the Neptune 4 Max. Print speed: Up to 500 mm/s, 10,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Creality); Tom's Hardware printed a Benchy in… on the SPARKX i7, Up to 500 mm/s (Elegoo); Tom's Hardware says 140 mm/s is the recommended optimal speed on the Neptune 4 Max. Multi color: Up to 4 colors with the CFS Lite (Color Combo); takes cardboard and 2 kg spools but does… on the SPARKX i7, No, single extruder (Tom's Hardware) on the Neptune 4 Max.
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