Almost every home 3D printer uses one of two technologies: FDM, which melts plastic filament, or resin, which hardens liquid resin with light. They are good at very different things, so picking the right one matters more than picking the right brand.
I print on a filament printer myself, so the resin side of this page comes from the manufacturers’ published specifications, checked in October 2026. Store links may earn me a commission.
The short answer
- Choose FDM for useful parts, household items, prototypes and bigger prints. It is the right choice for most beginners.
- Choose resin if you mainly print miniatures, figures or jewelry and want the finest possible detail.
How they work
FDM (filament)
An FDM printer pushes a plastic filament through a hot nozzle and draws each layer on a build plate, one line at a time. Common materials are PLA, PETG, TPU and, on enclosed printers, ABS and ASA.
Resin (MSLA)
A resin printer has a vat of liquid resin above a screen. The screen shows a light pattern for each layer, the resin hardens where the light hits, and the build plate lifts the model out of the vat layer by layer.
Side by side
| FDM (filament) | Resin | |
|---|---|---|
| Detail | Good. Layer lines are visible up close | Excellent. Layers are much thinner and almost invisible |
| Strength | Strong, especially PETG and ABS | Standard resin can be brittle. Tough resins exist |
| Print size | Larger build volumes for the money | Usually smaller |
| Mess and safety | Low. Mostly clean | Liquid resin irritates skin. Needs gloves and ventilation |
| After printing | Remove supports and you are done | Wash in alcohol or water, then cure with UV light |
| Running costs | Filament is cheap and keeps well | Resin, cleaning liquid and spare film add up |
| Best for | Parts, tools, toys, prototypes | Miniatures, figures, jewelry, detailed models |
What resin printing involves
Resin printing gives very fine detail, but it comes with a routine. You need nitrile gloves, a well-ventilated room, a place to wash and cure prints, and a safe way to get rid of resin waste. Uncured resin should never go down the drain. If that sounds like too much, start with FDM.
Can you start with one and add the other?
Yes, and many hobbyists do. A common path is to start with an FDM printer for everyday projects and add a resin printer later if miniatures become a big part of the hobby.
Where I’d start
For FDM, the Bambu Lab A1 is an easy start and the Creality Ender-3 V3 SE suits a tight budget. For resin, the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra has a large build plate, the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra is smaller and cheaper, and the Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro is another option.