# Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K vs Formlabs Form Studio 1

As of Nov 4, 2026, the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K costs $650 and the Formlabs Form Studio 1 costs $699, so the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is $49 cheaper. The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K scores higher in our ranking (8.1 vs 8.0 out of 10). Pick the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K for miniatures and fine detail models. Pick the Formlabs Form Studio 1 for hobbyists and small studios who want reliable, low mess resin printing.

Prices checked Nov 4, 2026. HTML version: https://robotsforthat.com/vs/elegoo-saturn-4-ultra-16k-vs-formlabs-form-studio-1/

## Side by side

| | Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K | Formlabs Form Studio 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $650 | $699 |
| 3 year cost | $650 | $699 |
| Our score | 8.1/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Rank in 3D printers | #7 | #10 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | 12 months on the machine; LCD screen 3 months; resin tank and build plate 6 months (Elegoo US store) | 1 year on Formlabs hardware (Formlabs comparison page) |
| Build volume | 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm (Elegoo) | 200 x 125 x 235 mm, 5.9 L (Formlabs) |
| Print speed | Up to 150 mm/h in fast mode, about 5.5 s per layer (Elegoo claim) | Up to 130 mm/h with Alpha Fast Resin at 250 micron layers; about 40 mm/h average across materials (TechRadar) |
| Multi color | No, resin printer prints one resin at a time | No, resin printer prints one resin at a time |
| Enclosure | Yes, lift off UV blocking cover (resin printer) | Yes, hood over the print area; Tom's Hardware found the hood mount flimsy |
| Auto leveling | Yes, automatic leveling with no manual adjustment (Elegoo) | Level check during onboarding (Tom's Hardware); automatic resin dispensing from cartridges (TechRadar) |
| Max nozzle temp | Not applicable, resin (MSLA) printer with no nozzle | Not applicable, resin (MSLA) printer with no nozzle |
| Heated bed | No heated bed; heated resin vat holds resin at 30 C (Elegoo); GamingTrend says preheat takes about 10 minutes | No heated bed; heated chamber 25 to 45 C (TechRadar) with conduction resin heating (Tom's Hardware) |
| Filament types | Not applicable, uses 405 nm resin: standard, water washable, ABS like, plant based and tough resins (Elegoo) | Not applicable, uses Formlabs resins (nine validated per TechRadar, no biocompatible ones) plus Open Material Mode for third party resin |
| Connectivity | Dual band Wi-Fi with cluster printing (Elegoo); CNX Software also lists Ethernet and USB | Ethernet and Wi-Fi; PreForm and Dashboard software (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar) |
| Camera | Yes, AI camera with chamber light for empty plate and warp detection, monitoring and timelapse (Elegoo) | Yes, for live monitoring and timelapse (Tom's Hardware) |
| Noise | n/a | No dB figure; TechRadar described a low, rhythmic background sound |
| Assembly | Ready to print in about 10 minutes (GamingTrend); touchscreen setup wizard (CNX Software) | About 5 minutes to set up (TechRadar) |
| Weight | 16.1 kg; 327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm (CNX Software) | 14.5 kg; 342 x 315 x 502 mm (Tom's Hardware) |
| Resolution | n/a | 35 micron XY pixel pitch, 28 LED backlight; layers 30 to 250 microns (Formlabs, TechRadar) |
| Best for | miniatures and fine detail models | hobbyists and small studios who want reliable, low mess resin printing |
| Skip if | you cannot ventilate for resin fumes | you want the cheapest resin printer or many third party resins |

## What reviewers found

### Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K

- CNX Software: Printed a chess set at 0.05 mm layers and 2.3 s exposure, with pieces taking 2 h 26 min to 3 h 7 min each and supported figurines 1 h 23 min to 1 h 56 min. Prints stuck firmly and showed sharp detail. Downsides were the 16.1 kg weight and a touchscreen only emergency stop. [Source](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/02/22/elegoo-saturn-4-ultra-16k-review-a-resin-3d-printer-tested-with-mercury-plus-3-0/)
- GamingTrend (100/100): Called it the best consumer 3D printer on the market by a large margin. Ready to print in about 10 minutes, vat preheat took about 10 minutes and print time estimates were accurate. Noted slicer software is not quite ready and the 16K gain over 12K is hard to see. [Source](https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/saturn-4-ultra-16k-minor-upgrade-think-again-2/)

### Formlabs Form Studio 1

- Tom's Hardware: Editor's Choice. No print failures in testing. A figure took 10 h 56 min at 0.05 mm layers using 264 ml of resin. Print times felt slow with standard resin. [Source](https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/formlabs-form-studio-1-review)
- TechRadar (5/5): Editor's Choice. No failed prints over a month, including a resin swap. A 100 mm model took about 10 hours; a tank model took 2 h 44 min. RFID cartridges were not recognized on beta software. [Source](https://www.techradar.com/pro/formlab-form-studio-1-review)

## Questions buyers ask

### Which is better, the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K or the Formlabs Form Studio 1?

The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K scores higher in our ranking (8.1 vs 8.0 out of 10). Pick the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K for miniatures and fine detail models. Pick the Formlabs Form Studio 1 for hobbyists and small studios who want reliable, low mess resin printing.

### Which is cheaper?

The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K at $650, versus $699 for the Formlabs Form Studio 1, checked Nov 4, 2026. Over 3 years with running costs: $650 vs $699.

### What is the difference between the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K and the Form Studio 1?

Build volume: 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm (Elegoo) on the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, 200 x 125 x 235 mm, 5.9 L (Formlabs) on the Form Studio 1. Print speed: Up to 150 mm/h in fast mode, about 5.5 s per layer (Elegoo claim) on the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, Up to 130 mm/h with Alpha Fast Resin at 250 micron layers; about 40 mm/h average across… on the Form Studio 1. Enclosure: Yes, lift off UV blocking cover (resin printer) on the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, Yes, hood over the print area; Tom's Hardware found the hood mount flimsy on the Form Studio 1.

Full reviews: [Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K](https://robotsforthat.com/robot/elegoo-saturn-4-ultra-16k/index.md), [Formlabs Form Studio 1](https://robotsforthat.com/robot/formlabs-form-studio-1/index.md)