3D Printing Filament Comparison
Compare PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, Nylon and ASA filaments side by side. See strength, flexibility, print difficulty, temperature and cost for each material.
Select Materials to Compare
PLA
£18/kg
Print Settings
Properties
Best Uses
Miniatures, prototypes, decorative items, beginner projects
Pros
- +Easy to print
- +Wide color range
- +Affordable
- +Low odor
- +Good detail
Cons
- -Not food-safe
- -Limited strength
- -Can warp slightly
- -Moderate UV sensitivity
ABS
£20/kg
Print Settings
Properties
Best Uses
Functional parts, enclosures, high-stress items
Pros
- +High strength
- +Good temperature resistance
- +Industrial standard
- +Durable
Cons
- -Difficult to print
- -Strong odor
- -Requires heated bed
- -Prone to warping
PETG
£22/kg
Print Settings
Properties
Best Uses
Functional parts, durable items, outdoor use
Pros
- +Good strength
- +Easy to print
- +Food-contact possible
- +UV resistant
- +Low warping
Cons
- -More expensive
- -Can string
- -Less color variety
| Property | PLA | ABS | PETG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per kg | £18 | £20 | £22 |
| Strength | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Flexibility | 1/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Ease of Printing | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| UV Resistance | Low | Moderate | Good |
PLA vs ABS vs PETG: Which Should I Print With?
PLA for almost everything - it prints easily at 190 to 220°C with no heated bed required, has minimal odour, and costs around £18/kg. Pick PETG (£22/kg, 225 to 250°C) when you need the print to survive outdoors, hold water, or take impact - phone holders, bottle caps, plant pots. Pick ABS (£20/kg, 230 to 250°C with a heated bed at 80 to 110°C) only when you specifically need the high-temperature resistance for car interior parts or enclosures.
The honest truth is that 80% of hobbyist 3D printing should just be PLA. ABS is fussy, smells bad, and warps off the bed if your printer does not have an enclosure. The functional advantages over PETG are marginal in most situations. The exception is if you live somewhere hot and need parts that will not deform in a sun-warmed car - PLA softens at around 60°C while ABS holds shape past 100°C.
When You Need Specialty Materials
TPU (£28/kg) is the flexible filament for phone cases, gaskets, watch straps and anything that needs to bend. It prints slowly (15 to 25mm/s versus 50 to 80mm/s for PLA) and demands a direct-drive extruder. Nylon (£35/kg) is the strongest of the common materials at 5 out of 5 on strength rating - perfect for working gears and hinges - but it absorbs moisture from the air aggressively and prints poorly without a dry box.
ASA (£25/kg) is essentially ABS with excellent UV resistance. If you are printing outdoor signage, garden brackets or anything that lives in direct sun for years, ASA does not yellow or crack the way ABS does. It still requires the heated chamber and patience that ABS demands. For most outdoor non-structural use, PETG is good enough and far easier.
Cost Per Print Reality Check
Material cost for a typical small print of 50g: PLA is roughly 90p, PETG £1.10, ABS £1.00, TPU £1.40 and Nylon £1.75. The £1 difference between materials is rarely the deciding factor - a failed ABS print that wasted 5 hours of machine time and electricity costs far more than the same print succeeding in PLA. Print failures are the real cost driver, and PLA fails the least.
Electricity adds 5 to 15p per hour of print time. A 5-hour print costs 25p to 75p in power. The full cost of a 50g print is closer to £1.50 to £2.00 once you include the wear-and-tear share of nozzles, build plates and printer depreciation. The [3D print cost calculator](/3d-print-cost-calculator) handles these full-cost figures for accurate pricing if you sell prints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PETG stronger than PLA?
Yes, but not by as much as you might think. PETG is more impact-resistant and more flexible (it bends rather than snapping), but PLA is actually stiffer in tension. For a part that needs to take a sudden impact, PETG wins. For a part under steady load, PLA holds up well. Both rate 3 or 4 out of 5 on overall strength - Nylon is the proper choice if you need a material that genuinely outperforms both.
Why is my ABS print warping off the bed?
ABS shrinks as it cools (around 0.7% linear shrinkage versus 0.3% for PLA). Without a heated bed at 100°C+ and ideally an enclosure to keep ambient air warm, the bottom layer cools faster than upper layers, contracts, and pulls itself off the build plate. Solutions: heated enclosure, brim or raft adhesion, ABS slurry on the bed, or just switch to PETG which warps far less.
Is PLA food-safe?
Pure PLA is technically food-safe but the printing process introduces concerns. The nozzle leaves microscopic crevices in every layer that harbour bacteria, and most nozzles are brass with lead content. Some additives in coloured PLA are not food-rated. For genuine food contact, use PETG with a stainless steel nozzle, print in vase mode (single-wall, no bacteria-trapping layers), and do not put it in the dishwasher.
What temperature should I print PLA at?
Start at 200°C nozzle and 60°C bed for most PLA brands. Premium PLA (Polymaker, Prusament) often prefers 210 to 215°C. PLA+ formulations sometimes need 220°C. Always print a temperature tower for any new spool - even the same brand varies between batches. Bed temperature matters less than nozzle temperature for PLA; some printers run PLA on an unheated bed with PEI sheets.
Related Tools
3D Print Cost Calculator
Calculate the true cost of 3D printing including filament, electricity, printer depreciation, failure rate and labour. Supports FDM and resin printers with popular presets.
Filament Usage Calculator
Check how much filament is left on your spool and whether you have enough to finish your next print. Supports 1.75mm and 2.85mm filament.
3D Print Shrinkage Calculator
Calculate how much to scale up your 3D model to compensate for material shrinkage. Supports PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon and ASA with X, Y, Z dimensions.