You read online about affordable 3D printers made by Anet. Anet is a Chinese 3D printing company which manufacturers 3D printers and 3D filaments. You decided to buy an Anet printer, but that’s when the real challenge begins. There are quite a few of them and all are labeled differently, so I thought it was fitting to do an Anet 3d printer comparison.
Worry no more.
Frustrated with the lack of information and good side by side comparison table, I spent a few hours researching the differences between Anet printers – A8, A6, A3 and A2. In this brief article, I will do a comparison to show you what’s the difference between all Anet 3d printers.
Before we begin, please understand that the information gathered here is based on an online research. I had help from Anet Support Groups on Facebook, Anet printer owners as well as help from the Anet support team.
Just to clear things up, I do not own all of these printers, hence I will not be able to compare the printing quality and other similar things, though I firmly believe that because of the similarity in hardware and software all of these can print equality. You will notice that most of the differences are of functional, cosmetics and design nature.
One more thing which confuses people quite a lot are the printers name, which quite honestly make no sense. Printers were released in this order :
- Anet A8
- Anet A6
- Anet A3
- Anet A2
Most of the people, logically assume, that the higher number in the name means newer model. Obviously it’s not. It works quite the opposite. Furthermore, some of the models have additional variations. I will clarify those as well.
Anet A8 vs A6 vs A3 vs A2 comparison table
The best way to compare these printers is in a table. So I made one.
- Printer model
- Printer size
- Packgage size
- Printer Weight
- Package Weight
- Print Area
- Enclosure
- Print speed
- Nozzle diameter
- Layer thickness
- XY-axis positioning accuracy
- Z-axis positioning accuracy
- Material diameter
- Printer Frame Material
- Platform board material
- Mainboard
- Operating Temperature Range
- Screen
- Printer navigation
- Reset printer
- Pre-assembled
- LCD Screen
- Extruder type
- Supplied memory card
- Nozzle Temperature
- Heatbed Tempeature
- Auto leveling sensor
- Material
- Operating system
- Software
- File type
- Offline printing
- Retail price
- Model variation
- Anet A8
500 x 400 x 450 mm
19.7 x 15.7 x 17.7″
510 x 400 x 415 mm
204.7 x 137.8 x 86.6″
7.4 kg
261 oz
9.120 kg
322 oz
220 x 220 x 240mm
8.6 x 8.6 x 9.45″- 20 - 100mm/s
- 0.4mm
- 0.1-0.3mm
- 0.012 mm
- 0.004 mm
- 1.75mm
- Acrylic
- Aluminum
- Anet v1.0
- 10 to 30°C
- G-code, OBJ, STL
- 5 buttons
- on the mainboard
- 2004
- MK8 (vertical mount)
- 8GB
- 260°C
- 100°C
- Optional
- ABS / PLA / Wood / Nylon PVA / PP / Luminescent
- Windows XP / Windows 7 / Windows 8/Windows 10 / Mac / Linux
- Cura,Repetier-Host
- STL/OBJ/G-Code
- 145$
- A8 silver acrylic frame colorA8B - black acrylic frame color
- Anet A6
480 x 400 x 400 mm
18.9 x 15.7 x 15.7″
450 x 446 x 215 mm
17.7 x 17.5 x 8.5″
7.6 kg
268 oz
9.120 kg
322 oz
220 x 220 x 250mm
8.6 x 8.6 x 9.85″- 20 - 100mm/s
- 0.4mm
- 0.1-0.3mm
- 0.012 mm
- 0.004 mm
- 1.75mm
- Acrylic
- Aluminum
- Anet v1.0
- 10 to 30°C
- G-code, OBJ, STL
- rotatable knob
- on the mainboard and on via the menu
- 12864
- MK8 (parallel mount)
- 16GB
- 260°C
- 100°C
- Optional
- ABS / PLA / Wood / Nylon PVA / PP / Luminescent
- Windows XP / Windows 7 / Windows 8/Windows 10 / Mac / Linux
- Cura,Repetier-Host
- STL/OBJ/G-Code
- 176$
- no variations
- Anet A3
315 x 333 x 375mm
12.4 x 13.1 x 14.8″
385 x 365 x 420mm
15.2 x 14.4 x 16.5″
10 kg
353 oz
12 kg
424 oz
150 x 150 x 150mm
5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9″- 20 - 100mm/s
- 0.4mm
- 0.1-0.3mm
- 0.012 mm
- 0.004 mm
- 1.75mm
- AcrylicAluminum version available
- Aluminum
- Anet v1.0
- 10 to 30°C
- G-code, OBJ, STL
- rotatable knob
- on the mainboard and on via the menu
- 12864
- MK8 (parallel mount)
- 16GB
- 260°C
- 100°C
- Optional
- ABS / PLA / Wood / Nylon PVA / PP / Luminescent
- Windows XP / Windows 7 / Windows 8/Windows 10 / Mac / Linux
- Cura,Repetier-Host
- STL/OBJ/G-Code
- 245$
- A3- (acrlic frame)A3-AL (aluminum frame)
- Anet A2
510 x 310 x 210mm
20 x 12.2 x 8.3″
500 x 500 x 410 mm
19.7 x 19.7 x 16.1″
6 kg
212 oz
7.2 kg
254 oz
220 x 220 x 220mm
8.6 x 8.6 x 9.45″
220 x 270 x 220mm (Large/Optional)- 20 - 100mm/s
- 0.4mm
- 0.1-0.3mm
- 0.012 mm
- 0.004 mm
- 1.75mm
- Aluminum
- Aluminum
- Anet v1.0
- 10 to 30°C
- G-code, OBJ, STL
- rotatable knob
- on the mainboard and on via the menu
- 200412864(Optional)MK8 (parallel mount)8GB260°C100°COptionalABS / PLA / Wood / Nylon PVA / PP / LuminescentWindows XP / Windows 7 / Windows 8/Windows 10 / Mac / LinuxCura,Repetier-HostSTL/OBJ/G-Code153$A2 (silver/black frame color)A2-LCD(2004/12864)A2- heatbed (220/270mm)
Anet A8
Anet A8
is the first and the best selling printer released by Anet. It has the largest community behind it. It’s the model with highest number of modifications available. This is the printer I own, and despite plenty of modifications and huge learning curve, I am satisfied with it.
You can read more about A8 model :
Lately, I’ve noticed that some sellers are labeling A8-B, which is not an upgrade or anything, it just means that the acrylic frame color is black.
Anet A6 vs A8
A6
has been developed on the basis of A8. It carries a larger LCD display 12864 and has a rotary button for easier navigation. Furthermore compared to A8, Anet A6 can be reset from the printer menu (on the screen). A8 can be reset only by pressing a tiny reset button on the motherboard itself.
One more difference between the two is that the extruder is mounted differently. A8 has a vertical mount, whereas A6( and A2 and A3) has parallel MK8 extruder. Extruder, motherboard and all other parts are the same in both printers. A6 arrives with 16GB microSD card, where as A8 comes with half the size – 8GB.
On the internet there is a table which compares A6 vs A8, but contains some errors. Understand that all of the printers use the same Anet V1.0 motherboard.
No products found.
Below is a video which compares A6 and A8 quite well.
Update 5/1/2017 – You can now read full review that we did on Anet A6 on this link.
Anet A3
Out of all Anet printers, A3 is the only one which arrives fully assembled and can print right away. Its price is the highest. A3 is also the only model which has an enclosure. Design-wise A3 is the prettiest. It’s important to note that A3 has the smallest print size, as it’s maximum printing output is 150 x 150 x 150 mm. It is heaviest of all printers with an approximate weight of 10 kilograms.
Pricing for this model varies. Check the price of Anet A3 in these stores| GearBest |Amazon|
No products found.
Anet A2
Anet A2 is the only printer with a solid aluminum frame. At the same time it’s the most light-weighty of all. A2 is the most customizable one, since manufacturer and retailers sell various options for it, like LCD or extended heated-bed upgrade.
There are plenty of variations of A2.
First we have color variations, with 220m heated and different LCD displays.
- A2 Black 2004– Black aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
- A2 Silver 2004– Silver aluminum frame, 220mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
- A2 Black 12864- Black aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
- A2 Silver 12864- Silver aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
Second we have color variations, with an extended 270m heated and different LCD displays.
- A2 Plus Black 2004 (Extended) – Black aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
- A2 Plus Silver 2004 (Extended) – Silver aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
- A2 Plus Black 12864 (Extended) – Black aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
- A2 Plus Silver 12864 (Extended) – Silver aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
Be aware, if you’d like to install an auto-leveling sensor on your A2, do not buy 12864 LCD option, since it’s not compatible with auto-leveling.
No products found.
Learn more about Anet 3D printers
Anet A8: Final review in comparison to the Anet A6, Anet A3, & Anet A2
There you have it. I hope this article helped you understand the differences between different Anet D printer models and made your choice easier.
If there’s something I missed or you noticed an error, feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll update both table and article.
I do not wish to pick up all the credits for the table and information in this article. Lots of people helped me improve it and make it as accurate as possible. Special thanks goes to these guys :
- Tiffany T. (Anet sales representative)
- Steve W. , Atli M.E. , Jim M. ,Peter M.R. (Anet A-series 3D Printer Help & Discussion Facebook group)
- Cody S. , Stephen T.E. (Official Anet 3D printer Support Group on Facebook)
Last update on 2023-12-06 at 19:38 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Note that the Anet A2 has a bowden extruder which makes the hotend much lighter and allows much faster prints for that reason.
You’re right, I edited the table.
There is an aluminum frame version of the A3 as well
I was unable to find any more information about it, still working on finding out. Thanks for pointing it out.
If you follow the link to the Anet A3s it will say Framework Material: Aluminium
Interestingly enough… I have the Anet A3S http://anet3d.en.made-in-china.com/product/rbyQezRdbNtA/China-Fdm-Impresora-3D-Rapid-Prototype-3D-Printer-with-PLA-ABS.html
The information on it is blended in with the regular A3.
Terminal output from MatterControl shows controller board version ANET V2.0
->Communication State: AttemptingToConnect
->N2067 M105*20
->N1 M110 N1*125
->N1 M110 N1*125
Communication State: Connected
->N1 M110 N1*125
<-echo: External Reset
<-ANET2.0.0
<-echo: Last Updated: Jun 29 2016 10:44:38 | Author: (peyson, 20160523)
<-Compiled: Jun 29 2016
<-echo: Free Memory: 11499 PlannerBufferBytes: 1232
<-echo:Stored settings retrieved
<-echo:SD card ok
N1 M110 N1*125
N2 M105*37
N3 M114*36
<-X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00 E:0.00 Count X: 0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
N1 M110 N1*125
N2 M115*36
<-ANET; http://www.anet3d.com
N3 M114*36
<-X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00 E:0.00 Count X: 0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
<-ok
You say “Be aware, if you’d like to install an auto-leveling sensor on your A2, do not buy 12864 LCD option, since it’s not compatible with auto-leveling.” If a person would purchase an A2 with the 12864 LCD option could they simply just swap out the 12864 LCD with the 2004 LCD since it supports either?
I just got my A2+, so I’ll be looking into this, but it sounds possible. I assume you’d need to print out a different holder since the acrylic pieces holding the LCD will probably be different.
Please do not take this statement as granted, since I am just making an assumption here.
Thanks Pavle,
I would really like to get the A2 but Gearbest has it cheaper if you get it with the 12684LCD. I asked them if we could swap it out and they couldn’t answer me. I have asked a handful of sites and still heard nothing. If I can swap out the LCD then I would get the A2 and just swap out the LCD since I already have a 2004LCD at my workbench that I ordered in case it was possible to swap! Although I do like the amount of upgrades that can just be printed for the A8. Look forward to hearing what you think about the A2+ since you have been using the A8!
Hi Eric
Did you get any answer to this – swap to 2004 to allow for leveling?
I too am looking at a gearbest deal and am wondering the same thing.
Thanks
Andrew
If I understood Tiffany from Anet correctly, whom I have been in contact with, yes you can swap it out. However, She told me that if I want a printer that does the best quality that the A6 is the best of the bunch. I have decided to wait on getting one for now because I bought a different brand from Amazon that I am currently using that works very well right out of the box but I am going to want one with a bigger tray that is heated. So there is a good chance the A6 will be the one I go for when I finally do decide to get an Anet to work with.s
What is the advantage of the enclosure on the A8? Does it help with temperature? Am I fine getting any of the other models? The A8 bed seems okay but I fear I might regret not getting a bigger bed for that ONE time I need to print something big.
The A2 with 12864 LCD does support auto-level. You have to flash Skynet…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1425531684137349/ Join the support group on FB and search the posts for auto level.
Hello,
Nice compare. The best i found so far 🙂
I own a A6 and i am happy with it.
Only question i have, is there a real possibility to add a auto-leveling sensor on the A6 model.
All my searches for this option are made for the A8.
If so, what about the usage of a glass plate with a level sensor?
Thanks in advance,
Regards,
Roverius
Since the above reviews Anet have released a kossel delta style printer. I’ve previously got an Anet A2 which is a solid bowden style machine. The Anet A4 has a diameter of 200mm and height of 210mm. It has a nice solid pre-built an heavy base which I was impressed with which gives it a more professional look compared to the other DIY printers. It was quite a lot quicker to build because much is already installed. I like the way the electronics and power supply is enclosed in the base but you could unscrew it from underneath to get at the electronics. The board the the usual rubbish Anet though so I’ll be upgrading that. They could do with upgrading the board so you can make it a dual head. The A4 also uses a bowden style feed but the base is static which I found helped keep the parts from detaching from the base during print. It’s also much better if you want to build taller parts. It doesn’t have an auto levelling device built in so you have to alter the bed height with screws in the base to balance it.