The Best DIY 3D Printer Kits

Most 3D printers today are sold as ‘plug-and-play’ systems—either fully assembled or semi-assembled and ready to print out of the box. However, this wasn’t always the standard. The industry’s roots can be traced back to the RepRap project, launched by Adrian Bowyer in 2005. His vision was a self-replicating machine capable of manufacturing its own parts. This sparked a global community of makers who build their printers from scratch, a movement that remains highly active two decades later.

In the DIY ecosystem, there are two main paths. The first involves fully open-source projects, such as Voron, where every component is sourced or printed individually. The second path is 3D printer kits: curated sets provided by manufacturers with all necessary components and instructions. Kits are generally more affordable than their pre-assembled counterparts and offer the builder a deep understanding of the machine’s mechanics, making future troubleshooting and modding much easier. This list focuses on the latter category. While most are FDM/MEX systems, we have included one unique technological outlier, ordered from highest to lowest price.

1. Dagoma Disco Ultimate: An Affordable FDM Classic

Starting at €399, the Disco Ultimate from French manufacturer Dagoma is one of the most affordable 3D printer kits, marketed as the most accessible dual-color 3D printer on the market. It uses an SD card, an inductive probe (for bed leveling), and several 3D-printed components, which take less than a day to assemble. Despite its appearance, the Disco Ultimate offers a build volume of 200 x 200 x 200 mm. It also features a layer thickness of 50 microns, XY positioning accuracy of 50 microns, and a maximum print speed up to 30% faster than its predecessor, the DiscoEasy 200.