The Neptune 4 range is Elegoo's FDM bet: Cartesian bed slingers driven by Klipper, capable of a claimed 500 mm/s, at gentle prices. Four sizes, from the compact 225 mm to the giant 420 mm, sharing one recipe: dual-gear direct-drive extruder, auto leveling and modern firmware. No enclosure or CoreXY here — that's the Centauri's job.
The Neptune 4 takes on the Ender-3 and the Bambu A1 on the fast, affordable bed-slinger turf. Its edge: Klipper out of the box and large formats (Plus, Max) rare at this price.
In brief
Four open bed slingers on Klipper. Neptune 4 (compact, cheapest), 4 Pro (same footprint + linear rails and improved cooling), 4 Plus (large, 320 mm) and 4 Max (giant, 420 mm). All: dual-gear direct-drive extruder, auto-level, up to 500 mm/s (≈ 250 at quality settings). Ideal for PLA/PETG/TPU; ABS stays tricky without an enclosure. From ≈ $220 (Neptune 4) to ≈ $400 (4 Max).
Range table
| Model | Volume | Highlight | Price (≈) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neptune 4 | 225 × 225 × 265 mm | The Klipper entry | ≈ $220 |
| Neptune 4 Pro | 225 × 225 × 265 mm | Linear rails, better cooling | ≈ $280 |
| Neptune 4 Plus | 320 × 320 × 400 mm | Large format | ≈ $330 |
| Neptune 4 Max | 420 × 420 × 480 mm | Giant | ≈ $400 |
Common to all: Cartesian (bed slinger) motion, Klipper, 500 mm/s · 12,000 mm/s², dual-gear direct-drive extruder, auto leveling, open frame.
Which to choose?
- Neptune 4 — the best price to discover Klipper and speed, on a standard footprint.
- Neptune 4 Pro — the most recommendable: the linear rails and improved cooling give more consistent quality for a few dollars more.
- Neptune 4 Plus — when you need more height/area (helmets, tall parts) without going giant.
- Neptune 4 Max — for very large parts: one of the biggest affordable volumes on the market.
For all-round use, the Neptune 4 Pro is the sweet spot. Only step up to Plus/Max if part size demands it: a big bed costs more in heating, time and space.
Strengths & limits
Strengths
- Klipper out of the box: speed, input shaping and a modern UI with no tinkering.
- Affordable large formats: Plus and Max offer volume rare at this price.
- Direct-drive extruder: handles PETG and soft TPU well.
- Open & repairable: standard parts, big community.
Limits
- No enclosure: PLA/PETG mainly; ABS/ASA warps.
- Bed slinger: the moving bed caps real-world speed vs a CoreXY, especially at large sizes.
- No integrated multicolor on the Neptune range.
- "Kit" finish: less turnkey than a Bambu.
Neptune vs Centauri
This is the big Elegoo question. The Neptune is an open bed slinger: large formats, low price, perfect in PLA/PETG. The Centauri Carbon is an enclosed CoreXY: faster in practice, capable of ABS/ASA and carbon composites, but at 256 mm. For large-volume PLA → Neptune; for speed and technical materials → Centauri.
Who's it for?
The Neptune 4 is for those who want a fast, affordable and (often) large FDM, without an enclosure or closed ecosystem. The 4 Pro is the all-round pick; the 4 Max, the large-volume option on the market. For speed/technical materials, look at the Centauri Carbon; for very large industrial format, the Orange Storm Giga.
Elegoo's Klipper bed slinger: fast and affordable, up to the giant 420 mm — for PLA/PETG above all.