Resin vs Filament: Which Costs Less per Print?
A side-by-side cost of a small figure printed in resin and in PLA, including consumables, and when each one is the cheaper choice.
By CalciTools · Published · 6 min read
Every number on this page is calculated with the same formulas as our calculators. How we build and check them
For a small figure, a resin print costs about $1.77 in resin, power and consumables, against roughly $1.51 for the same size part in PLA including printer wear. Resin wins on detail; filament wins on cost, and the gap widens quickly for bigger parts.
A side-by-side example
| Resin | PLA filament | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | $0.99 (30 ml + 10% waste at $30/L) | $0.70 (35 g at $20/kg) |
| Electricity | $0.03 | $0.06 |
| Consumables and wear | $0.75 (IPA, gloves, film) | $0.75 (printer wear) |
| Total | $1.77 | $1.51 |
Assumptions, not quotes: resin at $30 per liter, 60 W resin printer, $0.75 per print in consumables and film wear; PLA at $20/kg, 105 W printer, $600 printer over 3,000 hours. Your prices will differ — enter them in the calculators.
What drives the difference
- Material price per gram: resin usually costs more than standard PLA or PETG.
- Consumables: resin prints need washing and curing, gloves and paper towels, and the release film wears out.
- Solid vs infill: resin parts are solid unless you hollow them; FDM parts use a fraction of their volume as infill.
Work out your own numbers with the resin print cost calculator and the 3D print cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is resin printing more expensive than filament?
Per print, usually somewhat, because resin costs more per gram and each print uses consumables such as isopropyl alcohol and gloves. For small, highly detailed parts the difference is often small in absolute terms.
How many prints do I get from a 1 liter bottle of resin?
Divide the bottle size by the ml per print including supports and waste. A 30 ml figure with 10% waste gets about 30 prints from a liter.
Which is cheaper for large parts?
Filament, by a wide margin. Large solid resin parts use a lot of expensive resin, while FDM prints can use low infill.
Estimates for planning. Results depend on the numbers you enter — use the gram, hour and ml figures from your slicer, and your real material and power prices. Material densities are typical values; check your spool or bottle datasheet for exact figures.