How to Get the Cheapest Filament for 3D Printing
Reading Time: 12 minutes Buying filament can be expensive, especially if you print frequently. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reduce the costs without losing quality.
I researched some of the best ways to get cheaper filament and came up with this guide to help you keep your 3D printing hobby or business alive.
How to Get the Cheapest Filament for 3D Printing
Here are some tips that you can use to get 3D printing filament at a low cost.
- Buy in bulk
- Go for lesser-known brands
- Compare prices on different platforms before buying
- Look out for deals and sales
- Consider recycled filament
- Negotiate with different suppliers for the best price
- Find a local supplier
- Search for used or slightly used filament
1. Buy in Bulk
First off, buying in bulk is a no-brainer. If you’re spending $20 per spool for individual rolls, that adds up fast. But when you buy in bulk, many sellers will give you a nice discount, and you might spend less.
For example, this 10KG of 1.75mm Black PLA filament is only $99.99 on Elegoo’s official website. That is approximately $9.99 per kg of filament.
x0pherl from Reddit says that he periodically bought 10kg of Elegoo filament from their site for $100 and had it shipped to his house. This was about $10 per spool, and the prints’ quality was still great.
GST3D is another great example of a filament manufacturer that charges less when you purchase in bulk from its official website.
To put things into perspective, you can pay between 7.99€ and 11.79€ per kg when you purchase 48kg of filament or just 37.50€ for 5kg. And to top it off, they offer free shipping.
According to 3Dprinting Reddit page users, you get SUNLU PLA+ or PETG in orders of 6 or more; you can get it for 12€ each kg shipped or even lower if you have a discount code or coupon. You can get a discount code by creating a new account.
I also came across their 6KG PLA 3D Printer Filament Bundle, which only costs $11.99 per kg.
Tehgoldenfoxknew from Reddit said he had an amazing experience using SUNLU because it was cheap and prints great. His only complaint was that their website was frequently out of the filament colors he wanted.
One user mentioned how they go through about 250KG of filament a month and recommend Eryone. He did mention how it takes 56 days from mainland China, though it would be a lot cheaper direct with bulk deals. He also uses a lot of Overture, eSUN and Ziro.
2. Go for Lesser-Known Brands
Next, you can try to skip the big brands and go for more affordable options. Big names are great but can be pricey. For example:
- Hatchbox
- Overture
- Matterhackers
- Prusament
Lesser-known brands offer quality filaments at a friendlier budget. For example:
- Kingroon
- Jayo
- Splice3d
- IIIDMax
- GST3D
Joshthehappy says that he has been getting Kingroon from their official reseller on eBay for a while now. It is usually shipped at about $11 a spool when purchased by the ten pack; with the occasional eBay coupon, it can be $8-9 a spool.
Here is the Kingroon3DPrinter official reseller on eBay.
It is cheaper than the other “cheap” PLA brands and decent enough quality. The only downside is that they recently switched to cardboard spools, but he respools and recycles them.
I checked on eBay and found this 10KG Kingroon PLA filament going for $89.99 pretax and $97.41 after tax. Additionally, it includes free shipping if you live within the United States.
However, shipping outside the United States can significantly drive up the final price. For example, shipping to Germany has a $76.37 fee and $31.61 VAT.
One user said that this was a great product with extremely reasonable pricing.
Another user gave the seller a pleasant review but was not impressed that the filament came in cardboard rolls instead of plastic.
Dagamore12 said that he had stupid good luck with IIIDMax PLA+ because it was cheap and it worked. It normally costs around $11 per KG and is often cheaper with coupons or sales.
However, he admitted that it was not the best PLA to get, but it still served him well.
According to JAYO’s official website, you can purchase five rolls of 1.1kg PLA at $58.99 and 10 rolls at $110.99. Jayo also offers free shipping to the USA and Europe, keeping the unit price at a fair price of about $11.8/kg.
3. Compare Prices on Different Platforms Before Buying
Before you buy, ensure you compare prices across multiple platforms. Amazon might be your go-to, but prices there are not always the cheapest.
Check out:
- AliExpress
- eBay
- Craigslist
- Alibaba
- Facebook Marketplace.
You should also look directly at the manufacturer’s website. Some include:
- eSun
- Elegoo
- Hatchbox
- Overture
- Creality’s official stores
However, don’t forget to consider the shipping costs, as this may affect the product’s price significantly.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the price of SUNLU PLA 3D on Amazon, which goes for $17.98/kg, and SUNLU’s official website, which costs around $10.99/kg.
@winebartender6653 from YouTube says that if you’re not trying to purchase 100+ rolls at a time, Aliexpress has some great sellers where you can get 10+kg of PLA/PETG for ~$6 a roll (and cheaper with cashback or good store coupons) during their sales events.
As an example, he was able to grab 20kg Kingroon HS-PETG for $5.25/kg (before cashback), 20kg Kingroon tri color for $9.25/kg (before cashback), and 10kg Jayo (SUNLU) matte PLA for $7.50 (before cashback). The filaments were locally shipped to him in New Jersey.
Sandermand from the Bambulab Reddit page said that his go-to under $20 a roll filament was SUNLU. He recommended buying it directly from SUNLU’s homepage instead of from Amazon.
4. Look Out for Deals and Sales
Always keep an eye out for deals and sales when buying filament. Retailers often slash prices during big events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or year-end clearances.
It’s the perfect time to stock up on filament at a fraction of the usual cost. For example, a spool normally costs $25 and might drop to $15 during a sale.
By planning your purchases around these events, you can get filaments cheaply and build up your supply!
One of the best places to scout for the best deals when shopping for 3D printing filament is 3D printing communities. That is where I came across Plasticfantasticdeals, a site with good deals for filaments, 3D printers, resin and more.
You can also join their Reddit page to get the latest deals: https://www.reddit.com/r/plasticfantasticdeals/
Pro tip: Download the Honey extension and add it to your browser. This application gives tips on getting the best deals when shopping online.
In the example below, it recommends droplisting the SUNLU PLA filament on Amazon to get sales alerts that will enable you to purchase it for a lower price later on.
BarredSubject from Reddit says that Amazon regularly sells eSun filament for low prices; you just need to keep your preferred brands in your basket and wait for the sales. Every other week, it gets at least a 33% discount.
Xthinhmanx from Reddit says that if you can wait, r/3dprintingdeals has crazy deals during the holidays. He bought a bunch of Overture for $8 per kg in December.
He also added that they have okay deals year-round, but he typically waits until November and December to buy filament in bulk.
As a user240485 from Reddit puts it, r/3dprintingdeals have filament offers nearly every day, most of them being coupons and alerts on Amazon. Occasionally, there are some super sub-10 bucks deals.
Remember to look for coupons and promo codes before checking out at sites like SUNLU! Many retailers offer discounts through coupon codes that can give you 10% off or more. It’s a simple way to save a few dollars on every filament spool.
5. Consider Recycled Filament
Get cheap and eco-friendly filament by going for recycled options. Companies like SUNLU create filament from recycled materials, often at a lower price point.
If you don’t need a super fancy finish for your prints, recycled filament can be a good option for things like prototypes or functional prints that don’t need to look perfect. Plus, you’ll be helping to reduce plastic waste.
ea_man from Reddit recommends the 10kg Recycled SUNLU Filament bundle, which only costs $99.99. That is $9.99/kg for various filaments, including:
- PLA
- PETG
- ABS
Jeff, who gave this product a 4-star rating, said it printed well at 100% speed on an X1 carbon, but at 125%, it could have problems. However, for $10 a roll, he was fine printing at 100%.
@jaspercallahan3318, who also bought a 10-pack of recycled PLA filament from SUNLU for $10 per kg, said they were good, and he couldn’t notice a difference with new ones.
6. Negotiate with Different Suppliers for the Best Price
When buying in bulk, negotiate directly with suppliers for the best price. Platforms like Alibaba and Aliexpress let you chat with manufacturers and negotiate for a better deal, especially if you’re ordering larger quantities.
Here is the result after I typed in 3D printer filament in the search box on Alibaba.
The more you buy, the more leverage you have to ask for a lower price. For example, if you want to buy 20 spools of PLA, you could ask for a discount on the cost of each roll or spool.
Just make sure to factor in shipping fees when dealing with international suppliers!
Dancyn 3D Prints from YouTube says he sources his filaments from Alibaba and buys from 6 different manufacturers. He pays around $10-$11 for tricolor PLA after landing and $7-$8 for solid color PLA after landing.
One pro tip he gives is that you should apply for the Alibaba Sales Tax Exemption Program if you have a business EIN and are in the US. This exempts you from sales tax, reducing the filament cost.
In this video, Crescent Kao perfectly explains the Alibaba Sales Tax and how to avoid paying it.
Also, it would help if you looked for the actual supplier when searching for a certain filament brand on Alibaba or Aliexpress.
For example, if you’re searching for SUNLU PLA filament, see if any of the sellers bears the brand’s name, and that might be the one you’re looking for.
You can check out Dancyn’s video for more tips on contacting suppliers, finding manufacturers, and negotiating for a good deal.
7. Find a Local Supplier
Sometimes, the best deals are right in your backyard! Look for local 3D printing filament manufacturers or suppliers. Alternatively, check if some known filament brands have a store nearby. Examples of popular brands with stores in different locations include:
- Matterhackers
- eSun
- Elegoo
By doing this, you can cut shipping costs and get the filament cheaper than when buying from online retailers.
For example, a local manufacturer might sell PLA filament for $15 per spool, while an online retailer charges $20 plus shipping.
Also, check platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or even local 3D printing groups to find someone selling filament near you.
_joeBone found a local manufacturer a few hours from him who made spools of up to 25 lbs. ABS in 3mm was going for under $10 a pound, and he got free shipping. Sometimes, he’d get “changeover” colors for even less.
Manowarp from Reddit gets his best deals on Craigslist. He says that in his area (DC), it’s common to find people selling unused or only slightly used filament for half the retail cost or even less.
His best score was six full rolls of Sunlu PLA+ for $15 total.
Zachary from Reddit wanted to know the best place to get cheap filament. 7drew7 responded that buying from a local store that sells or buys from the manufacturer’s site is good because Amazon changes with supply and demand, making their price a premium.
8. Search for Used or Slightly Used Filament
As a last option, you should consider looking for deals on “used” or “open box” filament on platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Alibaba.
Often, this filament is barely touched, maybe from returns or opened packages that didn’t suit the original buyer. These can be listed at a discount, sometimes up to 50% off the original price.
If you’re on Amazon, go to the search box and switch the category to “Amazon Resale.”
This will display items marked with “used offers”. Depending on the condition, you can score some great prices, often with little to no issues with the items.
For example, Elegoo PLA Plus filament typically goes for around $15.99, however this 2KG pack of Elegoo PLA Plus listed as “Used: Very Good” goes for only $22.96 (that is around $11.48 per kg).
Jon B from Amazon says that the First time he purchased this filament, he loved it! This filament was a 2 pack and it was delivered the same day. He added that he really liked how it prints. It was strong and easy to print with.
If you’re on eBay, you can follow this process:
- Type in the name of the filament you want in the search box.
- Scroll down to “Conditions” and check the “used” and “open box” boxes.
- This will enable you to view and purchase pre-owned filaments that are still in good condition. Factor in the shipping costs to avoid spending more than is necessary.
