3D Hubs has released their 3D Printing Trends report for the second quarter of 2017, using the data from their global maker community. 

During every fiscal quarter, the 3D printing service 3D Hubs releases a 3D Printing Trends report. This comprehensive industry overview offers consumers with the latest information on the most popular desktop 3D printers.

The platform uses data collected from their international community of over 7,000 3D printing services in more than 150 countries. This provides 3D Hubs has thorough insight into the direction that the 3D printing market is heading in.

The latest 3D Printing Trends report takes a look at the second quarter of 2017. While some of the familiar faces still round out the top of the following lists, a number of newcomers to the market are becoming increasingly popular. We’ll also take a look at global distribution trends, regional favorites, and more.

Highest Rated Desktop 3D Printers

Compared to last quarter, the highest rated 3D printers list has remained largely unchanged. The top four machines are still the Original Prusa i3 MK2, BCN3D Sigma, Form 2, and the PowerSpec 3D Pro.

The most noticeable change came from the Cel Robox, which jumped up from ten all the way to the five slot. Both the Prusa i3 MK2 and Form 2 saw slight increases in rank, and have been reviewed by 3D Hubs users over 1000 times each.

Trending Desktop 3D Printers

But when it comes to the latest trending printers, the list is packed with printers that have just touched down onto the market. The Ultimaker 3 Extended and the Ultimaker 3 placed at #1 and #3, respectively. The former saw unprecedented quarter-to-quarter growth, making it the most added printer at 400%.

In between the two Ultimaker models is the ANET 3D – A8, which saw a 330.8% QoQ growth. Those three printers are followed by the Wanhao Duplicator i3 PLUS. The Monoprice MP Select Mini (#5) and the Prusa i3 MK2 (#6) also showed slight overall growth, but lost ranking due to the onslaught of new printers.

Top Print Cities

The biggest shakeup on the Trends report comes in the top print cities. For the first time, 3D Hubs is only tracking online printers based in their location, tightening up their list quite a bit. New York remains on top of the food chain, while London jumped to #2, replacing Los Angeles, which slipped to #5. Paris and Amsterdam moved up to #3 and #4, respectively.

Desktop 3D Printer Model Distribution

As for 3D printer model distribution, the market has remained steady for the most part. The most widely distributed four printers on the 3D Hubs network is the Ultimaker 2, Makerbot Replicator 2, Zortrax M200, and Flashforge Creator Pro.

The only noticeable jump was the Form 2 over it’s predecessor the Form 1+, which was recently discontinued by Formlabs.

The change in top manufacturer distribution is a bit more volatile than model distribution. Ultimaker has continued to gain ground as the leader over Makerbot, increasing their gap to 1.8%. The Form 2 has helped Formlabs climb up from #6 to #5.

Popular Desktop 3D Printers by Region

Lastly, 3D Hubs also offers insight into the regional market. This shows which printers are the most popular in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. In Europe and Asia, the Ultimaker 2 reigns supreme. In North America and South America, however, the Makerbot Replicator 2 is the leader.

Source: 3D Hubs