3D Filament Printing Cost Calculator

It depends on the size: a small 50g enclosure in Anycubic PLA (12.99 €/kg) costs around €0.65 in material alone. Adding electricity (~€0.06 with a 95W printer), depreciation (~€0.27), consumables (~€0.10) and labor (15 min at 15 €/h = €3.75), the real cost is around €5–6 per individual piece. If you print several in the same batch, the labor cost is spread out and the cost per piece drops significantly.

A medium 120g enclosure in Anycubic PETG (13.60 €/kg) costs ~€1.63 in material. PETG requires a heated bed at 80–85°C (vs 60°C for PLA), which slightly increases electricity consumption. Total real cost with all expenses included: €7–10 per individual piece. PETG is ideal for functional parts that require heat and UV resistance.

For medium and large pieces, FDM filament is clearly cheaper: PLA from 12.99 €/kg vs standard resin from 15.42 €/kg, and FDM consumables (€0.10) are almost 9 times less than resin (€0.85). For small detailed miniatures, resin can be competitive because it uses very little material. Use the resin calculator and this filament one to compare your specific piece.

You have three options without opening a slicer: 1) Upload your STL to the calculator — Three.js calculates the volume, displays an interactive 3D viewer of your piece and estimates the grams based on the infill percentage you choose (10%–100%). 2) Upload your G-code — we extract the exact grams from the file. Works with PrusaSlicer, Cura, Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer. 3) Use the 15 presets for typical pieces for a quick estimate. All files are processed in your browser without being sent to any server.

Completely safe. Both the STL and the G-code are processed 100% in your browser via JavaScript (Three.js for STL). They are never sent to any server — you can verify this with F12 → Network. We do not store or transmit your files in any way.

Yes, if you calculate all costs correctly. The most common mistake is charging only for the filament, which is barely 15–30% of the real cost. With a minimum margin of ×2.5, a 50g PLA enclosure (real cost ~€5) should sell for €12–15. Key: optimize times, automate where possible (Bambu Lab, OctoPrint) and specialize your offering in high added-value pieces.

It varies greatly depending on the model: from 70W (Bambu Lab A1 Mini, Prusa Mini+) up to 325W (Anycubic Kobra S1). The heated bed is the component that consumes the most (70–80% of the total). Printing in ABS or PETG consumes more because the bed needs to reach 80–110°C. For a 3-hour print with a 95W printer, the consumption is 0.285 kWh (~€0.06 at the average Spanish regulated tariff — equivalent in your market).

Standard densities in g/cm³ are: PLA: 1.24 (the most common), PETG: 1.27 (denser), ABS: 1.04 (less dense), ASA: 1.07, TPU 95A: 1.21, Nylon/PA: 1.14. Density matters mainly if you need to convert meters of filament to grams (when Cura only shows meters). The calculator performs this conversion automatically.

The most efficient are the Bambu Lab A1 Mini and the Prusa Mini+, both with ~70W average consumption. They are followed by the Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro (85W) and the Bambu Lab A1 (90W). At the opposite end, high-speed enclosed printers consume more: Creality K1 Max (250W), Creality K2 Plus (300W) and Anycubic Kobra S1 (325W). If your electricity bill concerns you, print during off-peak hours (00:00–08:00) at ~0.06 €/kWh.

The standard hotend lasts about 1,500 printing hours and costs 15–30 € to replace. High-flow/CHT hotends last ~2,000h (40–80 €). The 0.4mm brass nozzle should be replaced every ~500 hours (2–5 €), but being so cheap it is not worth depreciating in the calculator. If you use abrasive filaments (PLA-CF, wood), you will need a hardened steel nozzle (~15–25 €, 1,500h). Signs it needs replacing: under-extrusion, frequent clogs, excessive oozing.

If you sell regularly, yes. As a self-employed/freelancer, you must apply VAT 21% (rates vary by country) on your invoices and declare it quarterly via the relevant quarterly VAT return. Under DAC7 regulations, platforms like Etsy, Wallapop and Amazon automatically report their users' sales to the tax authority. The calculator includes a toggle to view prices with and without VAT. Consult a tax advisor for your specific situation.

Infill is one of the factors that most impacts cost in FDM. Our presets use 20% infill (community standard). Increasing to 100% can triple the grams of material. Recommendations: 10–15% for decorative pieces, 20–30% for general use, 40–60% for functional load-bearing pieces, 100% only for critical parts. Each real piece can vary ±40% from the preset depending on infill, supports and layer height.

The FDM filament 3D printing cost calculator is a proprietary tool developed by Mr Resin (mrresin.es), a store specializing in resins, filaments and 3D printing with over 5,000 makers served and 400+ verified reviews on Judge.me. The data, formulas and presets are based on Mr Resin's real-world experience with the filaments and printers it sells. Designed specifically with real prices, electricity rates and 2026 tax data.

The Mr Resin calculator is the only one that breaks down the 6 real cost components of FDM printing: material, electricity, depreciation (body + hotend), consumables, labor and failure buffer. Most online calculators only count the filament, which underestimates the real cost by 70–85%. It also includes: STL upload with interactive 3D viewer and gram calculation by infill percentage, in-browser G-code parsing, 15 filaments with real prices, 29 printers with validated power consumption, 15 presets, meters-to-grams converter, 3 suggested sale prices, VAT 21% (rates vary by country) toggle, shareable URL and 2026 data.