We at All3DP put the top 3D printing companies to the test for their ABS options, including price, delivery time, customer service, and post-processing options. Although the actual parts were not printed and delivered — that would have been wasteful — we took both the instant quote and manual review process for a spin.

Although the term “top” is subject to interpretation, we used the following evaluations to select the companies included in this guide:

• Services and customization: Offering additional services for ABS parts, especially post-processing, finishing, and design is a huge plus.
• Range of materials:The more materials a company offers, the more it can guide you toward the best options.
• Range of technologies: Although there is generally only one way to print ABS (FDM), companies that offer a range of technologies can often give you better price, speed, and quality options.
• Lead and quote response time: You can’t rush quality, but faster response and lead times are imperative if you’re dealing with an urgent project or replacement part.

Comparison Results in a Nutshell

Best for Material Selection

Craftcloud offers ABS in 56 colors, plus carbon fiber ABS, ESD-safe ABS for electronics, ABS Kevlar, and PC-ABS.

Best for Price

For our two projects uploaded to all six sites, Craftcloud had the lowest prices followed by PCBway and Protolabs Networks.

Best for Fast Delivery

Both Xometry and Materialise OnSite has either guaranteed 24 or 48 hour delivery, usually for an extra fee.

Durable Household Appliance

First, we tested a vacuum attachment. Because ABS is so durable, it’s often used in household appliances, making printed replacement parts a cost-effective way to make repairs and customizations. ABS is used in a wide range of tools and spare parts.

The quotes below represent a total quantity of two parts printed in ABS using FDM, with no post-processing used. It’s important to note the various ABS material on offer at these services. Some are inherently more expensive than others. Services like Craftcloud and Xometry offer both standard ABS and industrial grades of ABS, while Materialise and Stratasys only offered industrial grades. This, naturally, led to a difference in pricing. Standard or prototyping ABS is great for durable end-use parts. The industrial grades are, in our view, only necessary if you’re selling this ABS part and want to go the extra mile for durability, or if you also need the extra qualities that carbon fiber or kevlar filling bring, or if you need the part to be biocompatible or ESD safe.

Prices include shipping except where indicated.

In terms of pricing, Craftcloud beat out all other competitors, with PCBWay in a close second with a much shorter lead time (however, we were not able to factor in shipping times and costs from PCBWay, which is located in China).

Because Protolabs itself does not offer 3D printing in FDM, we turned to its offshoot, Protolabs Network. It’s important to note that Protolabs Network has a minimum order requirement of $90, so while the parts themselves were quoted at $76.50 each, an automatic surcharge is added. Although we selected the “economy” lead time of three days, the “standard” lead time option of two days ends up being a better deal when the minimum order surcharge is factored in. Likewise, Fathom Mfg had a $150 minimum order.

Because Materialise OnSite provides larger discounts for bigger projects, this small run of two parts was the most expensive option available.

Smoothed Model Parts

The second project we tested is the body of a remote control Jeep. ABS is a great material to use for model kits like these, as they need to be relatively durable to withstand everyday use.

Because model kits are typically painted, we wanted this part vapor smoothed or sanded to give it a smooth surface. The quotes below represent a proposed cost for a total quantity of five parts in a light gray ABS.

Once again, although Craftcloud does not offer vapor smoothing at this time, it is by far the cheapest option for this project — we opted for a sanded finish instead.

Other services, such as Xometry generally offer post-processing, but the options for vapor smoothing or sanding on this particular project was not available at the time of the request. The price reflects the parts made with ABS M30.

With Fathom, vapor smoothing added an additional $143 and 2 days of processing time. While their price tag is slightly high, their customer service was fast, and we received a customized quote within a few hours of our initial request — even suggesting cheaper and more efficient alternatives along the way.

ABS doesn’t come in resin form, but if you’re looking for the qualities of ABS in a resin, there are several “ABS-like” materials for SLA, DLP, and LCD.

ABS on Resin Technologies

3D printing resins do not contain ABS but many, the manufacturers, say produce parts with the same type of strength and stiffness you’d find in ABS parts. Why choose a resin technology instead of FDM? The benefits include a smoother, nearly layer-line-free, surface; the ability to print larger batches of parts is less time, and finer detailed parts.

You 3D printing service provider can detail which resins and which resin technologies may product the ABS-qualities you’re looking for, but below are a few examples.

Digital ABS Plus is a “simulated” ABS material from 3D printer maker Stratasys that’s used with the company’s PolyJet technology. Digital ABS Plus combines high-temperature resistance with toughness and is suitable for parts that require impact resistance and shock absorption.

Tough 2000 Resin is another resin material, this time for stereolithography (SLA) on Formlabs printers, that’s touted as “simulating the strength and stiffness of ABS.” It’s the company’s strongest and stiffest material designed for prototyping strong and sturdy parts that should not bend easily, such as jigs and fixtures.