Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K vs Snapmaker U1
Researched by Riley Hart · prices checked Nov 4, 2026
As of Nov 4, 2026, the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K costs $650 and the Snapmaker U1 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 7.3 out of 10). Pick the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K for miniatures and fine detail models. Pick the Snapmaker U1 for fast multi color with little waste. 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.
| Saturn 4 Ultra 16K | U1 | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price today | $650 | $699 | Saturn 4 Ultra 16K |
| Warranty | 12 months | 1 year | Tie |
| Build volume | 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm | 270 x 270 x 270 mm | U1 |
- You want to spend less (saves $49)
- Best for miniatures and fine detail models
- You care most about build volume (270 x 270 x 270 mm vs 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm)
- Best for fast multi color with little waste
- Build volume
- 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 150 mm/h in fast
- Multicolor
- No
- Enclosure
- Yes
Sharp 16K resin printer for miniatures with heated vat and AI cam
Full Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K review, pros and cons →- Build volume
- 270 x 270 x 270 mm
- Max speed
- Up to 500 mm/s toolhead
- Multicolor
- Yes
- Enclosure
- No
4 head tool changer for fast multi color with little purge waste
Full Snapmaker U1 review, pros and cons →Side by side
| Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K | Snapmaker U1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $650 | $699 |
| 3 year cost | $650 | $699 |
| Our score | 8.1/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Rank in 3D printers | #7 | #19 |
| 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 in the US for machines and modules (Snapmaker US store) |
| Build volume | 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm (Elegoo) | 270 x 270 x 270 mm (Snapmaker) |
| Print speed | Up to 150 mm/h in fast mode, about 5.5 s per layer (Elegoo claim) | Up to 500 mm/s toolhead speed, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Snapmaker) |
| Multi color | No, resin printer prints one resin at a time | Yes, 4 independent toolheads; tool swaps took about 10 to 12 s for Tom's Hardware and about 5 s for TechRadar, with very low purge waste |
| Enclosure | Yes, lift off UV blocking cover (resin printer) | No, semi open; optional Top Cover sold separately for ABS, ASA, PA and PC (Snapmaker) |
| Auto leveling | Yes, automatic leveling with no manual adjustment (Elegoo) | Yes, mesh bed leveling and automatic toolhead offset calibration (Snapmaker) |
| Max nozzle temp | Not applicable, resin (MSLA) printer with no nozzle | 300 C, 0.4 mm stainless steel nozzles (Snapmaker) |
| Heated bed | No heated bed; heated resin vat holds resin at 30 C (Elegoo); GamingTrend says preheat takes about 10 minutes | Yes, up to 100 C, flexible PEI plate (Snapmaker, TechRadar) |
| Filament types | Not applicable, uses 405 nm resin: standard, water washable, ABS like, plant based and tough resins (Elegoo) | PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, PCTG; PET, ABS, ASA, PA, PC with the Top Cover; carbon and glass fiber blends also need a hardened nozzle (Snapmaker) |
| Connectivity | Dual band Wi-Fi with cluster printing (Elegoo); CNX Software also lists Ethernet and USB | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), USB flash drive (Snapmaker); Tom's Hardware also lists LAN. Klipper firmware, OrcaSlicer support |
| Camera | Yes, AI camera with chamber light for empty plate and warp detection, monitoring and timelapse (Elegoo) | Yes, 2 MP chamber camera (Snapmaker); both reviewers hit an early bug where it did not work with Orca |
| Noise | n/a | No dB figure; TechRadar found it much quieter than competing multi filament machines |
| Assembly | Ready to print in about 10 minutes (GamingTrend); touchscreen setup wizard (CNX Software) | Setup takes 15 to 30 minutes (TechRadar) |
| Weight | 16.1 kg; 327.4 x 329.2 x 548 mm (CNX Software) | 18.2 kg; 584 x 499 x 730 mm (Snapmaker) |
| Best for | miniatures and fine detail models | fast multi color with little waste |
| Skip if | you cannot ventilate for resin fumes | you mostly print single color parts |
Specs are maker claims unless a reviewer is named. Prices from the stores we link, checked daily.
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
- 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
Snapmaker U1
- Tom's Hardware: Editor's Choice. Tool swaps took about 10 to 12 s versus about 90 s on Bambu Lab. A PLA spiders print took 3 h 20 min with 4.4 g of purge waste, where a P1P took about 2 hours longer and used about 25 g more. A multicolor lettering print wasted just 0.76 g. Source
- TechRadar (4.5/5): Scored 4.5 out of 5 with average dimensional error of 0.056 mm. Tool changes took about 5 s and multi color prints ran two to three times faster than before; a robot tortoise finished in under a day versus 36 hours previously. Cons were add ons needed for some materials and early connectivity bugs. Source
Questions buyers ask
Which is better, the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K or the Snapmaker U1?
The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K scores higher in our ranking (8.1 vs 7.3 out of 10). Pick the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K for miniatures and fine detail models. Pick the Snapmaker U1 for fast multi color with little waste.
Which is cheaper?
The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K at $650, versus $699 for the Snapmaker U1, 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 U1?
Build volume: 211.68 x 118.37 x 220 mm (Elegoo) on the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, 270 x 270 x 270 mm (Snapmaker) on the U1. 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 500 mm/s toolhead speed, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration (Snapmaker) on the U1. Multi color: No, resin printer prints one resin at a time on the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, Yes, 4 independent toolheads; tool swaps took about 10 to 12 s for Tom's Hardware and… on the U1.
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