[3D Printing] Ultimaker 3D Printer Comparison: S5/S7/S8/Factor 4

Which one is the best?
It all depends on your needs.
These four UltiMaker 3D printers each cater to specific applications and budgets.

If you need to use high-temperature engineering filaments, choose the Factor 4.
This is because it is a device with stronger thermal control capabilities, which can prevent part warping.

If your filament needs are closer to the carbon fiber nylon category, choose the S8. The S8 has a speed advantage over the Factor 4.
But if your budget is limited and you can't afford the S8, choose the S7 or the S5.
Since they have a lot in common, you won't be disappointed with either the S7 or the S5.

Speed and Efficiency
With a speed of 500 mm/h, the S8 is the company's fastest 3D printer, comparable to the Bambu Lab X1C.
The speed increase is thanks to new technology called Cheetah in the printer's motion control, combined with other advanced technologies, which increases speed without sacrificing quality.

Materials
UltiMaker S-series 3D printers (S5, S7, S8) support the same range (300+ types) of filaments, including:
PLA – Easy to print, suitable for general use.
ABS – Strong and heat resistant, requires an enclosed build chamber.
PETG – Durable, chemical resistant, slightly flexible.
Nylon – Flexible, wear-resistant, hygroscopic.
CPE – Similar to PETG, but more chemical resistant.
CPE+ – More temperature resistant than standard CPE.
TPU 95A – Flexible and rubber-like.
Polycarbonate – High strength, high temperature resistant.
PP – Lightweight, fatigue resistant.
PVA – Water-soluble support material.
Breakaway support material – Can replace PVA, easy to remove.

Third-party and experimental materials:
UltiMaker printers also support third-party filaments, including metals (such as stainless steel) and advanced composites (such as carbon fiber reinforced filaments, wood-filled PLA, and special engineering-grade materials).
Together, UltiMaker's materials plus third-party data with available print profiles will give you one of the longest material menus in any FDM.

The Factor 4 focuses on engineering-grade materials, so you won't have access to the full 300+ series of the S-series, but in return, you can use high-temperature materials like PPS-CF and PEKK.

Metal Filaments
The S5 and S7 can print stainless steel parts using the optional UltiMaker Metal Expansion Kit.
It is currently unclear whether the S8 is compatible with the Metal Expansion Kit.
The Factor 4 can natively print with stainless steel filament without any type of expansion kit.

UltiMaker Material Station
Although material stations are ubiquitous in FDM 3D printing today, the UltiMaker Material Station was one of the earliest material changers.
The UltiMaker Material Station is a filament management system for the S5, S7, and S8 3D printers.
All three printers use the same device and it is an optional accessory.

The Factor 4 has a different type of material station, and it is built into the machine.

One of the main features of the Material Station is its ability to hold up to six spools of filament simultaneously.
It also enables automatic filament detection, loading, and switching, eliminating manual intervention.
When one spool runs out, the system automatically switches to another.

Humidity control is another important advantage of the Material Station.
It maintains a controlled environment with humidity below 40% RH, which helps protect humidity-sensitive materials like PVA and nylon from absorbing moisture.

The Material Station integrates with UltiMaker Cura software and supports UltiMaker certified and third-party filaments.

Technical Specifications
In summary, on paper, the S-series printers are very similar.
The S7 improves reliability and productivity for advanced users; the S8 expands on this with faster speeds and higher accuracy.
The S5's performance, although slightly behind, offers better value for money.
The Factor 4, on the other hand, stands alone, emphasizing industrial manufacturing applications, with a sturdy steel and aluminum chassis, an actively heated chamber, triple-insulated build volume, direct drive extruders with larger motors, and nozzles that can reach 340ºC for engineering-grade materials.

It is worth noting that the S5 does not have any air filtration unless you purchase the optional air filter located on top.

	Factor 4	S8	S7	S5
Print Volume	330 x 240 x 300 mm	330 x 240 x 300 mm	330 x 240 x 300 mm	330 x 240 x 300 mm
Weight	120 kg (265 lbs)	29.1 kg (64.2 lbs)	29.1 kg (64.2 lbs)	29.1 kg (64.2 lbs)
Minimum Layer Height	60 microns	20 microns	20 microns	20 microns
XYZ Resolution	6.25, 7.8, 2.5 microns	6.9, 6.9, 2.5 microns	6.9, 6.9, 2.5 microns	6.9, 6.9, 2.5 microns
Print Bed	PEI Coated Flexible Steel	PEI Coated Flexible Steel	PEI Coated Flexible Steel	Glass
Max Nozzle Temperature	340 °C	340 °C	280 °C	280 °C
Nozzle Diameter	0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm	0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm	0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm	0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm
Chamber	Fully Enclosed, Actively Heated Chamber up to 70ºC	Fully Enclosed, Passively Heated	Fully Enclosed, Passively Heated	Partially Enclosed, Passively Heated
Air Filter	HEPA filter	Replaceable EPA filter	Replaceable EPA filter	Air filter needs to be purchased separately
File Transfer	Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz), Ethernet, USB	Wi-Fi 2.4 & 5 GHz: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac LAN: Ethernet USB: 2.0	Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz), Ethernet, USB	Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz), Ethernet, USB

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