Best Resin Printers 2026 - SLA/DLP Comparison for Fine Detail

Resin printing (SLA/DLP) is the other side of 3D printing. Fine detail, smooth surfaces, beautiful miniatures. But messier, more complex, and more expensive than FDM.

This comparison covers four serious options from budget to professional.

Quick Comparison

Printer	Price	XY Resolution	Z Resolution	Build Volume	Reliability
Anycubic Photon Mono 2S	$299	47 microns	25 microns	165×72×80mm	Very good
Creality LD-006	$349	48 microns	25 microns	192×120×120mm	Good
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K	$749	27 microns	25 microns	165×72×80mm	Excellent
Formlabs Form 3+	$3499	25 microns	25 microns	145×145×145mm	Exceptional

Reality check: Budget resin printers ($300-400) offer 80% of premium quality at 10% of cost. Most users don’t need a $3500 machine.

Anycubic Photon Mono 2S ($299) - Best Budget Option

Positioning: Entry-level resin printing. Proven design, huge community.

Specs:

• Resolution: 47 microns XY, 25 microns Z
• Build volume: 165×72×80mm (small)
• Print speed: 30-50mm/hour (slow, resin inherent)
• Wavelength: Mono (monochrome UV, faster than color)
• Warranty: 1 year

Strengths:

1. Cheap ($299) - Entry point for resin printing
2. Reliable - Proven design, millions sold
3. Great community - Massive support online
4. Fast mono printing - Faster than color resin systems
5. Easy operation - Simple software, minimal configuration
6. Good quality - 47 microns is fine detail

Weaknesses:

1. Small build volume - 165×72mm is limiting (one miniature per print)
2. Messy process - Resin is toxic, requires ventilation
3. Consumables expensive - Resin costs $30-40/liter
4. Limited manufacturer support - Anycubic support is adequate but not premium
5. Build plate fragile - Crashed plate = $50-100 replacement

Real print scenario: Benchy equivalent (resin version): 2 hours, professional quality Miniature figurine (25mm): 1 hour Batch of 5 small parts: 2 hours

Honest assessment: Best entry to resin printing. Worth the investment if you want detail impossible with FDM. Accept the mess.

Creality LD-006 ($349) - Similar to Anycubic, Larger Bed

Positioning: Anycubic Mono 2S competitor with bigger build volume.

Specs:

• Resolution: 48 microns XY, 25 microns Z
• Build volume: 192×120×120mm (larger than Anycubic)
• Print speed: Same as Anycubic
• Wavelength: Mono
• Warranty: 1 year

Strengths:

1. Larger build volume - 192×120mm fits more parts per print
2. Same quality as Mono 2S - Essentially equivalent resin system
3. Slightly cheaper - $349 vs. $299 (not much difference)
4. Growing Creality support - Creality support is better than Anycubic

Weaknesses:

1. Newer model - Less field data (Mono 2S has been proven longer)
2. Smaller community - Fewer user templates/profiles
3. Anycubic ecosystem larger - More aftermarket parts, supports

Comparison to Anycubic:

• Same quality output
• LD-006 has bigger bed (+40% volume)
• Anycubic has larger community
• Practically equivalent, pick based on bed size preference

Honest assessment: Functionally identical to Mono 2S. Larger bed is advantage if you batch print. Community is smaller but growing. Safe choice.

Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K ($749) - Sweet Spot Premium

Positioning: Professional-quality resin printing at consumer price.

Specs:

• Resolution: 27 microns XY, 25 microns Z (2× sharper than budget)
• Build volume: 165×72×80mm (same as Anycubic)
• Print speed: 40-60mm/hour (slightly faster than budget)
• Wavelength: 4K (high-res projection)
• Warranty: 1 year

Strengths:

1. Exceptional resolution - 27 microns is professional-grade detail
2. Proven design - Phrozen is specialty resin manufacturer
3. Excellent software - Professional slicer included
4. Reliable - Reputation for consistency
5. Quality is obvious - Prints look professional immediately

Weaknesses:

1. $750 is significant jump from $300 budget models
2. Small build volume - Same as Anycubic (165×72mm)
3. Complexity higher - Software is more powerful but learning curve
4. Less community than Anycubic - Smaller user base

Real print quality: Budget printer (47 micron): Visible layer lines, acceptable detail Phrozen (27 micron): Nearly invisible layer lines, exceptional detail Difference: Professional look vs. hobbyist look

Honest assessment: Worth the jump for serious miniature painting or jewelry. Hobbyist miniatures work fine on budget, but Phrozen output is noticeably superior.

Formlabs Form 3+ ($3499) - Professional Gold Standard

Positioning: Premium professional resin printer. Used by jewelry designers, dentists, engineers.

Specs:

• Resolution: 25 microns XY, 25 microns Z
• Build volume: 145×145×145mm (cubic, largest here)
• Print speed: 100mm/hour (faster than consumer systems)
• Wavelength: Proprietary wavelength optimized for Form resins
• Warranty: 2 years

Strengths:

1. Exceptional build quality - Premium materials, precision engineering
2. Form resins are excellent - Proprietary chemistry, very reliable
3. Professional support - Formlabs provides direct support
4. Largest build volume - 145×145mm allows larger prints
5. Consistency - Same print repeatedly, same result

Weaknesses:

1. Expensive ($3500) - 10× budget printer cost
2. Proprietary resins - Locked into expensive Form resins ($100-150/liter)
3. Proprietary supplies - Cartridges, resin only from Formlabs
4. Overkill for hobby - Way more power than most need
5. Learning curve - Professional software, complex workflow

When Formlabs makes sense:

• Professional production (jewelry, miniatures for sale)
• Medical/dental applications (FDA approval)
• Investment jewelry
• High-volume reproducibility

When it doesn’t make sense:

• Hobby printing (budget printer does 90% of what you need)
• Prototyping (one-off prints, overkill)
• Budget-conscious (3× Phrozen cost for marginal improvement)

Honest assessment: Best-in-class, but only if you have budget and actual need for professional capability. $750 Phrozen covers 95% of use cases.

Head-to-Head Scenarios

Scenario 1: Print 10 miniatures for tabletop gaming

• Anycubic Mono 2S: 2 batches of 5, 4 hours total, $5-10 material
• Phrozen Sonic Mini: Same (bed size limits same way)
• Formlabs: Same print, costs $100 more in materials

Result: Anycubic wins on cost, all produce gaming-quality miniatures

Scenario 2: Print detailed jewelry pieces for resale

• Anycubic: Possible, but detail visible under magnification
• Phrozen: Professional quality, detail impressive
• Formlabs: Exceptional, investment-grade appearance

Result: Formlabs if selling premium ($100+ pieces), Phrozen acceptable for $20-50 pieces

Scenario 3: Learn resin printing (first time)

• Anycubic ($299): Easy entry, small commitment, learning-friendly
• Phrozen ($749): Overkill to learn, but faster learning curve
• Formlabs: Too expensive to experiment with

Result: Anycubic is obviously better for learning

Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1)

Anycubic Mono 2S:

• Printer: $299
• Resin (6 liters at $35): $210
• Disposal (proper waste): $50
• Build plate (maybe): $0-50
• Total: $559-609

Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K:

• Printer: $749
• Resin (6 liters at $40): $240
• Disposal: $50
• Consumables: $0
• Total: $1,039

Formlabs Form 3+:

• Printer: $3,499
• Resin (Form resins, 6 liters at $120): $720
• Disposal: $100
• Cartridges/supplies: $100
• Total: $4,419

Verdict: Anycubic is 1/7th the cost of Formlabs, produces 80% of the quality.

Why Resin Printing is Messy

Resin is:

• Toxic (skin irritant, toxic fumes if heated)
• Sticky (hardens on tools, skin)
• Staining (permanent if spilled)
• Chemical sensitive (needs isopropyl alcohol for cleanup)

Post-processing required:

1. Remove from build platform (careful, resin sharp)
2. Wash in IPA (isopropyl alcohol, 2-3 minutes)
3. Air dry or second alcohol wash
4. UV cure (expose to UV light for hardening)
5. Clean tools in IPA (expensive consumable)

Time: 30 minutes per print (outside actual print time)

Cost: IPA at $15/liter, 100-200ml per print = $1.50-3 per print

Is Resin Worth It?

Yes if:

• You want miniature detail impossible with FDM
• You print jewelry or professional items
• You’re willing to tolerate messy process
• You have proper ventilation setup

No if:

• You want functional parts (FDM stronger)
• You’re budget-conscious (budget printer wins)
• You need large builds (resin beds are small)
• You dislike toxic chemicals (valid concern)

My Honest Recommendation

Scenario 1: “I want to try resin” → Buy Anycubic Mono 2S ($299)

• Entry price is low
• Quality is genuinely good
• If you hate it, $300 loss is manageable
• If you love it, upgrade to Phrozen later

Scenario 2: “I’m committed to resin miniatures” → Buy Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K ($749)

• Quality is noticeably better than budget
• Worth the investment if seriously committed
• Professional output justifies cost
• Skip Formlabs unless doing production

Scenario 3: “I need professional results commercially” → Buy Formlabs Form 3+ ($3499)

• Only if actually need professional capability
• Proprietary resins are excellent but expensive
• Support is exceptional
• ROI works if selling products

The Uncomfortable Truth

Resin printers are niche. Most people should stick with FDM. Resin is for specific use cases:

• Miniature painting enthusiasts
• Jewelry makers
• Precision prototype engineers
• Professional applications

Hobbyist 3D printing? FDM is answer. Resin is specialized tool.

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If you’re curious about resin but uncertain, buy Anycubic Mono 2S. If you hate resin, you’re out $300. If you love it, upgrade knowledge transfers directly to Phrozen, which is genuinely excellent.

Most people never need resin. Most who try it find it overkill for their needs. But those who need it can’t imagine going back to FDM for detail work.