The Front Desk Review

Creality · Updated June 2026

Creality K1: price, specs & release date

Creality K1, released 2023. Every price and spec below is linked to its source and dated — no guesses.

Source: matterhackers.com verified ✓ corroborated verify in ledger

SilverDeskmark49/100#6 of 15 in class

The Creality K1 is listed at $389 on matterhackers.com as of 2026-06-27, #6 cheapest of 18 3d printers (median $411); other retailers may be lower. It earns a Silver Deskmark — 49/100 pay-blind standing, #6 of 15 in class.

Verified Jun 27, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below

Cheapest 3d printers: Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro — $219

See Creality K1 on Amazon Live price at the store — may differ from the dated listed price above. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Creality K1 — Creality
Image: creality3dofficial.com (© Creality)

Price history

$389
2024-04-21→0% on record2026-06-27

How we know these prices

The curve above is one dated record of this product's price on its own source page — our own tracking combined with Internet Archive snapshots reaching back before we began. Every archived point links to the snapshot that proves it, so you can verify each one yourself.

Verify each point — 3 archived snapshots

Is the Creality K1 a good buy?

At $389, the Creality K1 is #6 cheapest of the 18 3d printers we track, where the median is $420. On the spec sheet, its release year of 2023 is below the median of the 16, its max speed mms of 600 is at the median of the 15, and its max hotend temp c of 300 is at the median of the 17.

Evidence of Record

Our data
Independent labsmeasured it
1
Physical metricsrecorded
1
Outlets on record1 tested · 1 mention-only
2

One independent lab measured this product across 1 physical metric — print quality. These numbers rest on a single hands-on source so far; 1 other outlet has it on record by mention only.

A coverage record, not a rating. How we count

Review consensus · sourced & dated

What reviewers say about the Creality K1

Two whitelisted testers (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar) hands-on reviewed the exact Creality K1 and both recommend it, praising fast speeds, print quality/accuracy and the enclosed Core XY design. Tom's Hardware flagged a clumsy locked-down Klipper, an awkward rear spool holder and reliability hiccups; TechRadar's only real gripe was no multi-filament plus AI camera/LiDAR being paid extras. K1 Max, K1C and K1 SE variants excluded.

Based on 2 reviews · 2 lab-tested · 2023-07-05–2023-10-24

Tested by Tom's Hardware, TechRadar

Consistently praised

  • Fast print speeds · 2 sources
  • Excellent print quality and accuracy · 2 sources
  • Fully enclosed Core XY design handles ABS/ASA well · 2 sources
  • Priced below similarly-equipped competitors · 2 sources

Commonly flagged

  • No multi-filament / single-color only
  • Awkward rear-mounted spool holder makes loading fiddly
  • Locked-down, modded Klipper (cloud bind required, no console/config/Z-offset access)
  • Reliability hiccups: occasional jams and drifting out of level after ABS

Where reviewers disagree Tom's Hardware criticized the modded, locked-down Klipper firmware, the rear spool holder and reliability quirks (jams, level drift after ABS); TechRadar treated the same Klipper limitations as 'generally not a concern for most users' and reported no such reliability issues, reaching a more uniformly positive verdict.

The sources (2)

Tom's Hardware lab-tested ·

Self-sliced 3DBenchy print time (PolyTerra PLA, 300mm/s, 0.25mm): 22 min 58 sec · Pre-sliced 3DBenchy print time (Hyper PLA): 25 min · Spider-Punk bust print time (125%, 300mm/s, 0.2mm): 7 hr 46 min · ABS cupholder print time (0.2mm): 2 hr 7 min

Creality's K1 is a fast Core XY printer with great quality that's more budget friendly than similarly equipped competitors.
I'm not a big fan of the rear mounted spool holder, which requires setting up the printer where it can be spun around in order to access the rack and the filament runout sensor when you need to load materials.
It had a few mysterious jams, and after a weekend of running ABS started to drift out of level, requiring a full factory reset to clear its sensors.

TechRadar lab-tested ·

In use, the K1 is everything you could want a single-extrusion 3D printer to be: fast and accurate.
The speed of print production is incredibly fast, but what truly stands out is the print quality.
the only significant feature missing is multi-filament capability.

Specifications

Price (US)$389 Published US price $389 (MatterHackers / Creality); occasionally discounted lower
BrandCreality
Released2023
TechnologyFDM
Build volume (mm)220 x 220 x 250 mm
Max speed mms600
Auto levelingYes
MulticolorNo
EnclosedYes
Max hotend temp c300

Source: matterhackers.com (verified 2026-06-27) · corroborated by 3dpros.com. Build volume 220x220x250 mm, max speed 600 mm/s, hotend 300C, enclosed design, and strain-based auto-leveling confirmed via MatterHackers (the cited source) and 3DPros. priceUsd corrected from an unverifiable $519 'street' figure to the published $599 shown on the cited MatterHackers listing. No multicolor.

Is the Creality K1 worth it vs cheaper 3d printers?

Creality K1 against its closest cheaper and pricier 3d printers on the specs that matter — every value sourced. See all 18 ranked

ProductPriceTechnologyBuild volume (mm)Max speed mmsAuto levelingMulticolor
Creality K1 this$389FDM220 x 220 x 250 mm600YesNo
Anycubic Kobra 3$349FDM250 x 250 x 260 mm600YesNo
Bambu Lab A1$399FDM256 x 256 x 256 mm500YesNo

Frequently asked questions

What do reviewers say about the Creality K1?

Two whitelisted testers (Tom's Hardware, TechRadar) hands-on reviewed the exact Creality K1 and both recommend it, praising fast speeds, print quality/accuracy and the enclosed Core XY design. Tom's Hardware flagged a clumsy locked-down Klipper, an awkward rear spool holder and reliability hiccups; TechRadar's only real gripe was no multi-filament plus AI camera/LiDAR being paid extras. K1 Max, K1C and K1 SE variants excluded. Praised: Fast print speeds; Excellent print quality and accuracy; Fully enclosed Core XY design handles ABS/ASA well; Priced below similarly-equipped competitors. Flagged: No multi-filament / single-color only; Awkward rear-mounted spool holder makes loading fiddly; Locked-down, modded Klipper (cloud bind required, no console/config/Z-offset access); Reliability hiccups: occasional jams and drifting out of level after ABS; Stock plate needs glue stick; AI camera/LiDAR cost extra, not standard. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

How much does the Creality K1 cost?

The Creality K1 has a US price of $389 (Published US price $389 (MatterHackers / Creality); occasionally discounted lower), as of 2026-06-27.

How does the Creality K1 compare on price?

At $389, the Creality K1 is #6 cheapest of the 18 3d printers we track, where the median is $420.

Has the Creality K1's price changed?

No — the Creality K1 has held at $389 since 2024-04-21.

What is the lowest price the Creality K1 has been?

The lowest we have recorded for the Creality K1 is $389 on 2024-04-21.

Is now a good time to buy the Creality K1?

The Creality K1 is currently $389; the lowest we have recorded is $389 (2024-04-21). Every price is dated, so you can judge it against its own history.

When was the Creality K1 released?

The Creality K1 was released 2023.

What are the Creality K1's key specs?

Creality K1 (Creality): technology FDM, build volume mm 220 x 220 x 250 mm, max speed mms 600, auto leveling Yes, multicolor No. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-27.

Price of record: $389 at matterhackers.com, 2026-06-27. Other retailers may be lower — check the current price:

See Creality K1 on Amazon As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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