Welcome to the most exciting 3D printer comparison of 2025. For the past few years, the Bambu Lab P1S has been the top choice for fast, easy-to-use 3D printing. It delivered a "just works" experience that changed the entire consumer market. Meanwhile, the original Creality K1 had a rough start - it had great potential but suffered from early hardware and quality problems.
Now, Creality is back with a strong comeback. The Creality K1C isn't just an update; it's a complete fix, specifically designed to solve every major problem of the original K1.
This article won't declare a clear "winner." That would be impossible. Instead, we offer a detailed, feature-by-feature analysis to help you decide which of these amazing machines fits your specific needs, budget, and printing style. In 2025, the choice between the Bambu Lab P1S vs Creality K1C is more complex than ever. This guide will examine the hardware improvements, software systems, and real-world performance to see if Creality has finally created a true P1S competitor.
Quick Comparison
A spec sheet only tells part of the story, but it's the perfect place to start. Here's how these two high-speed competitors compare on paper.
| Feature | Creality K1C | Bambu Lab P1S |
|---|---|---|
| Build Volume (mm) | 220 x 220 x 250 | 256 x 256 x 256 |
| Chassis/Frame | Die-Cast Unibody | Welded Steel |
| Enclosure & Filtration | Full Enclosure, Active Carbon Filter | Full Enclosure, Active Carbon Filter |
| Max Print Speed (Advertised) | 600 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Motion System | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Hotend Type | All-Metal, Quick-Swap Tri-Metal | All-Metal, Stainless Steel |
| Nozzle Material (Stock) | Hardened Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Max Hotend Temperature | 300°C | 300°C |
| Bed Leveling System | Fully Automatic Hands-Free | Fully Automatic Hands-Free |
| Build Plate Surface | Flexible PEI Plate | Textured PEI Plate |
| Onboard Camera (and AI) | Included, AI-Powered Spaghetti Detection | Included, Timelapse & Monitoring Only |
| Supported Filaments (Out-of-Box) | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, CF-Filaments | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU |
| Multi-Material System | Manual/Third-Party | Integrated AMS (Optional Add-on) |
| Slicer Software | Creality Print | Bambu Studio |
| Firmware & Open Source | Klipper-Based (Rootable) | Proprietary |
From Box to First Print
The first few hours with a new printer define your experience. A smooth setup builds confidence, while a frustrating one creates lasting doubt.
Setup and Calibration
Both the K1C and P1S are designed for almost instant satisfaction. Unboxing involves removing a few shipping screws and foam supports. The physical assembly is minimal and takes less than 20 minutes for either machine.
Where they're similar is in the automated calibration process. When you first turn them on, both printers start a completely hands-off process. They run a series of checks, vibrate the print head to perform input shaping resonance compensation, and use a sensor in the toolhead to probe the bed and create a perfect first-layer mesh. For a new user, this process feels magical. The days of manually leveling a bed with a piece of paper are officially over for this class of printer. The initial calibration on both the K1C and P1S is extremely reliable, almost guaranteeing a perfect first layer without any user work.
The "It Just Works" Factor
After calibration, the next step is the first print. This is where the polish of the system comes into play. Bambu Lab has a slight edge here. The P1S, paired with Bambu Studio and the pre-loaded models on the internal memory, offers an incredibly smooth path. You select a model on the screen, confirm the filament type, and hit print.
The K1C is nearly as simple. Its touchscreen interface is clear, and Creality Print software makes sending files over Wi-Fi straightforward. The user experience is vastly improved from the original K1 and is now 95% as smooth as Bambu's. Both printers successfully deliver on the promise of getting a high-quality model from the slicer to the print bed with minimal hassle.
Core Performance
Marketing numbers are one thing; real-world results are another. Let's look past the advertised speeds and see how these machines truly perform day-to-day.
Speed vs. Quality
Both printers boast incredible top speeds of 500-600 mm/s. In reality, you will rarely print this fast if you value quality. These speeds are typically reserved for infill on large, simple models. A more realistic, everyday speed for high-quality prints with standard PLA or PETG is in the 200-300 mm/s range.
At these speeds, both machines are excellent. The CoreXY motion system, combined with effective input shaping, virtually eliminates ghosting (ringing) artifacts around corners. Pressure advance is also well-tuned out of the box on both, ensuring sharp corners and clean seams. For most users printing common materials, the speed and resulting quality will be indistinguishable between the two. They are both a massive leap forward from older-generation printers.
Print Quality Deep Dive
When we examine the prints closely, some minor differences emerge. The P1S has a well-known, though often minor, issue with Vertical Fine Artifacts (VFA). This can show up as a subtle, repeating pattern on flat vertical surfaces, a byproduct of the stepper motor and belt system. It's often invisible on complex models but can be noticeable on geometric prints.
The K1C, with its refined motion system, shows a slight improvement in this specific area. On standard torture tests like overhangs and bridging, both perform exceptionally well thanks to powerful part-cooling fans. The P1S, however, demonstrates slightly better print-to-print consistency. Printing the same complex model five times on a P1S yields five nearly identical parts. The K1C is very close, but occasionally shows minor variations, a lingering ghost of Creality's past quality control that has been mostly, but not entirely, fixed.
Operating Noise
Neither of these printers is quiet. The high speeds, rapid movements of the CoreXY system, and the trio of powerful cooling fans (hotend, part cooling, and chamber exhaust) produce a significant amount of noise. The sound is a mix of motor whines and the roar of air.
In a direct comparison, the K1C is marginally louder, primarily due to its more aggressive chamber fan. Neither is suitable for a shared living space or a quiet home office without a dedicated enclosure or being placed in another room. They are both most at home in a workshop, garage, or dedicated hobby room.
Material Versatility
This is where the battle lines are drawn most clearly. The "C" in K1C stands for "Carbon," and it's not just a marketing gimmick.
The Abrasive Filament Advantage
The Creality K1C's ace in the hole is its out-of-the-box readiness for abrasive materials. It ships standard with an all-metal, integrated "clog-free" extruder and a hardened steel nozzle. This combination is essential for reliably printing carbon fiber (CF) and glass fiber (GF) reinforced filaments, which will quickly destroy a standard brass nozzle.
The Bambu Lab P1S, in its stock configuration, comes with a stainless steel nozzle and extruder gears. To reliably print abrasive filaments on the P1S, users must purchase and install an upgraded hardened steel nozzle and hardened steel extruder gears. While this is a simple and relatively inexpensive upgrade, the K1C includes this capability from the factory, giving it a clear advantage for users who plan to work extensively with engineering-grade composite materials.
Enclosed for Success
Both printers are fully enclosed, which is critical for controlling the ambient temperature when printing high-temperature materials like ABS and ASA. An enclosed, heated chamber prevents warping and improves layer adhesion.
Both machines manage this well. The K1C and P1S both feature an active carbon filtration system to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and unpleasant odors associated with materials like ABS. In practice, both systems are effective for hobbyist use, making printing these materials in a well-ventilated room more tolerable. The K1C's unibody frame and tighter panel seals may give it a slight edge in maintaining a stable, higher chamber temperature, which is beneficial for more demanding engineering materials.
The Multi-Material System
While the K1C wins on abrasives, the P1S holds an unmatched trump card: the Bambu Lab Automatic Material System (AMS). This optional but transformative add-on allows the P1S to automatically switch between up to four different filaments in a single print. With a hub, you can even connect four AMS units for 16-material capability.
The integration is seamless. Bambu Studio makes setting up multi-color or multi-material prints (e.g., a rigid part with flexible TPU gaskets) incredibly simple. The AMS also functions as a sophisticated dry box, protecting filament from moisture.
As of 2025, the Creality K1C has no first-party equivalent. Achieving multi-material prints requires manual filament swaps or reliance on more complex third-party solutions that lack the polish and integration of the AMS. For anyone whose primary interest is multi-color printing, the P1S with the AMS combo remains in a class of its own.
The System
A 3D printer is more than just hardware. The software, connectivity, and underlying company philosophy are crucial parts of the long-term experience.
Slicer Software
The slicer is your primary interface with the printer. Here, Bambu Studio has a clear maturity advantage. Based on the powerful open-source PrusaSlicer, it's packed with features, logically laid out, and receives frequent, meaningful updates. The print profiles are perfectly tuned for Bambu's printers and filaments.
Creality Print, the slicer for the K1C, has evolved significantly. It's now a capable and user-friendly program, but it still feels a step behind Bambu Studio in terms of advanced features and overall polish. However, both systems are compatible with the popular third-party slicer OrcaSlicer (itself a fork of Bambu Studio), which gives advanced users a powerful alternative and levels the playing field considerably.
Cloud and Remote Control
Both printers offer robust cloud services and mobile apps for remote operation. You can start prints, monitor progress via the onboard camera, and receive notifications from anywhere.
Here, the K1C's included AI camera gives it a neat feature advantage. The "AI" is primarily a spaghetti detection system that can automatically pause a print if it detects a catastrophic failure, potentially saving a whole spool of filament. The P1S camera is for monitoring and creating timelapse videos only; it lacks this AI failure detection feature.
The Great Divide
The most significant philosophical difference lies in their approach to software. Bambu Lab has adopted a "walled garden" strategy, much like Apple. The hardware, software, and firmware are tightly integrated, proprietary, and closed. This results in a polished, reliable, and simple user experience but offers very little room for customization or tinkering.
Creality, on the other hand, built the K1C on a Klipper-based operating system. While it's locked down by default, it is possible for advanced users to gain root access. This opens up a world of deep customization, allowing users to tweak the printer's firmware, integrate their own macros, and fine-tune performance in ways that are simply impossible on the Bambu platform. This makes the K1C the clear choice for tinkerers and open-source advocates.
Long-Term Ownership
A printer is an investment. How it holds up after hundreds of hours of printing is just as important as its performance on day one.
K1C's Redemption
Has the K1C truly redeemed the K1's reliability issues? The consensus in the community is a resounding yes. Creality systematically addressed the primary failure points of the original K1. The problematic extruder was replaced with the new, robust, clog-free design. The bed leveling system was made more consistent. The firmware was stabilized. The K1C is the machine the K1 should have been, and its long-term reliability is now on par with its main competitors.
P1S's Proven Track Record
The P1S has the advantage of time. It has been a workhorse for thousands of users, and its reliability is well-established. Common maintenance tasks are well-documented and simple. These include periodically cleaning the carbon rods that form the X-axis, replacing the small filament cutter blade in the toolhead, and performing nozzle swaps. These are all considered standard wear-and-tear items in 3D printing.
Support and Parts
Both companies have global distribution and support networks. Bambu Lab's support is handled through a ticket system on their website, and they have a comprehensive online store for spare parts, ensuring you get official components.
Creality's massive scale means that spare parts for the K1C are widely available not just from Creality directly but from a vast network of third-party resellers. This can sometimes mean faster availability and more competitive pricing on common parts like nozzles and build plates. Customer support experiences with both companies can vary, but both have extensive community forums and online groups where users can find solutions to common problems.
Making Your Choice
We've examined the hardware, software, and performance. Now it's time to synthesize this information to help you find your perfect match.
You Might Prefer the Bambu Lab P1S If...
...your absolute top priority is a seamless, plug-and-play experience with the least amount of friction from unboxing to finished print.
...you are excited by the prospect of creating complex multi-color and multi-material models and want the most integrated and user-friendly system available.
...you value a polished, unified hardware and software system and have no interest in modifying firmware or tinkering with the machine's core settings.
You Might Prefer the Creality K1C If...
...you plan to frequently print with abrasive, engineering-grade filaments like carbon fiber-reinforced PLA, PETG, or Nylon and want that capability out of the box.
...you are an advanced user who values the freedom to customize, root, and modify your printer's Klipper-based firmware to unlock its full potential.
...you want features like AI-powered failure detection and a clog-resistant extruder design included as standard, without the need for upgrades.
A New Balance of Power
So, can the K1C beat the P1S? The answer is clear: it doesn't need to. The Creality K1C is a formidable and successful evolution, a machine that has fully redeemed the K1 name and created a true, legitimate competitor to the P1S.
The K1C hasn't dethroned the P1S across the board. Instead, it has successfully carved out its own areas of clear superiority, namely in its stock capabilities for handling abrasive materials and its underlying open-source flexibility for advanced users. The P1S, in turn, maintains its dominance with the unparalleled polish of its system and its game-changing integrated multi-material system.
In 2025, the consumer 3D printing market is healthier and more competitive than ever. The fierce rivalry between these two companies has resulted in two excellent, but distinctly different, high-performance options. The "best" printer is no longer a single machine, but the one whose specific strengths align perfectly with your personal 3D printing goals. Thanks to this competition, you are now better equipped than ever to make that choice.