AnkerMake is a relatively new manufacturer in the consumer 3D printing space. While brands such as Creality and Prusa have been around for over 10 years now, AnkerMake came to life in 2022 with the release of their M5, which was funded via a Kickstarter campaign. The M5 was followed in August 2023 by the M5C, a slightly smaller and more accessible version.
These are two relatively new printers that, like many modern models, aim to bring speed printing to the masses. While just a single letter separates their names, the printers themselves are quite different from one another.
In this article, we’ll look into the similarities and differences between the M5 and M5C so that you can decide which one may be right for you.
THE SPECS AT A GLANCE
| M5 | M5C | |
| Build Volume | 235 x 235 x 250 mm | 220 x 220 x 250 mm |
| Build Plate | PEI Soft Magnetic Steel | PEI Soft Magnetic Steel |
| Bed Leveling | Automatic (7×7 points) | Automatic (7×7 points) |
| Max. Bed Temperature | 100 °C | 100 °C |
| Extrusion | “Ultra Direct” | “Ultra Direct” |
| Max. Nozzle Temperature | 260 °C | 300 °C |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, PLA-CF, PETG-CF | PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, PA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PA-CF |
| Mainboard | M5 Motherboard | M5C Motherboard |
| UI | 4.3″ color LCD touchscreen | One-click button |
| Software | Cura, PrusaSlicer, Simplify3D, AnkerMake Studio | Cura, PrusaSlicer, Simplify3D, AnkerMake Studio |
| Price | ~$700 | ~$400 |
| Read More | AnkerMake M5 Review | AnkerMake Releases M5C |
Design
Visually, both printers sport a very similar design. They both have a Cartesian XY-head motion system and are bed slinger printers, which means that the bed moves along the Y-axis while the toolhead moves along the X-axis. They also both sport an all-metal construction made from an aluminum alloy, with an arguably “futuristic” look. Both printers are very sturdy with a dense metal base and strong supports for the gantry.
Build Volume
While they may look very similar, the M5 is a bit bigger and has a larger build volume to show for it. The M5C has a somewhat typical build volume of 220 x 220 x 250 mm, and the M5 bumps this up to 235 x 235 x 250 mm. Depending on what you’re printing, the M5 might be more useful if it saves you from splitting models so that they fit on the bed, which may be a more common occurrence with the M5C. That said, if you’re usually not printing big models, the M5C has a smaller footprint and can be a more comfortable option.
Build Plate
As for the base of that build space, both printers have a PEI soft magnetic steel plate. This is similar to a typical textured PEI build surface, and comes with the expected traits of one: it leaves a slight texture on the bottom surfaces of prints. Textured PEI materials work very well with materials such as PETG, with some light glue stick action possibly being required for large-footprint PLA, ABS, or ASA prints. This AnkerMake-only material works quite well all around, with only some minor adhesion issues being reported by users from time to time.
Extrusion
Both printers are hiding a direct extrusion setup inside the toolhead and marketed as “ultra-direct”, this setup reduces the distance between the extruder and nozzle, leading to fewer errors and increasing control of the printing process at higher speeds.
That’s about where the similarities end. The M5 has a PTFE-based hot end and the M5C has an all-metal hot end. This means that the M5’s hot end tops out at only 260 °C and can hit flow rates of up to 24 mm3/s, but the M5C’s can go all the way up to 300 °C and hit up to 35 mm3/s.
This can allow for more (high-temperature) filament possibilities on the M5C, such as nylon, polycarbonate blends, and carbon fiber composite filaments. However, it doesn’t have much of an effect on speed, as both printers sport the same speed statistics.
Under the Hood
Both printers, as with many these days, utilize a custom mainboard curated just for the model.
Mainboard
The M5’s mainboard is more powerful than that of the M5C, and as such comes with a few more processing-intensive features, such as a camera and the use of AI. The M5’s camera supports live video streaming to other devices (such as the AnkerMake app), automatic print time-lapses, and AI print monitoring, where the printer can detect issues such as deadhead prints and notify the user or stop the print automatically. The AI monitoring has been reported to have a few problems though, but AnkerMake seems to be steadily fixing these through updates.
Firmware
The M5 and M5C both use a custom version of the tried-and-true Marlin that AnkerMake has modified to support the high speeds these machines are capable of. AnkerMake states that both machines are capable of the same maximum speed of 500mm/s and 5000mm/s² accelerations (in Fast Mode, that is). The machines support the typical features that enable high-speed printing, namely input shaping and linear advance.
Quality of Life Features
Quality of life features are some of the most vital to a printer’s everyday use. These can make or break how easy and time-consuming it is to get prints done. Let’s see how the M5 and M5C stack up against each other.
Bed Leveling
Both the M5 and M5C have the same auto-leveling setup, with no option to level the bed manually. They probe 49 points in a 7×7 grid. This is done only during the first-time printer setup, and AnkerMake recommends triggering it again manually after firmware updates, hardware changes, or when experiencing bed adhesion issues. The user does have to tune the Z offset as is common with many printers, but this only has to be done once during the setup.
UI
The UI of each printer is arguably the most visually distinct difference between the two. While the M5 utilizes a full-color touchscreen, the M5C only has a singular button.
The M5’s touchscreen is mounted on the X-axis gantry and can be used to control most of the printer’s functions, and while the M5C’s button can be customized to perform different actions, it’s still just that: a button.
Despite this, both printers are fully supported by AnkerMake’s smartphone app, which is useful for the M5 and no doubt required for the M5C. The app supports controlling all of the printer’s functions just as an on-printer interface would; anything from Z offset adjustment to moving the toolhead to loading and unloading filament is supported by the app. Despite this, it should be noted that a display for the M5C can be purchased.
Software
Both printers can utilize AnkerMake’s AnkerMake Studio to slice models; the program is based on the ever-popular PrusaSlicer. The quality, user experience, and default profiles are all reported to have been mostly decent.
But if you still don’t want to use AnkerMake’s slicer, no worries there. The printers have good compatibility and default profiles in other popular slicers such as Cura and PrusaSlicer (although it should be noted that the M5C is not supported in Cura yet, so you’ll have to add the profile manually).
Additional Features
As previously mentioned, the M5 has more processing power than the M5C. Therefore, the M5 comes with features such as AI print monitoring, automatic time-lapses, and live video streaming over the internet, while the M5C has none of these.
The AI-enabled print monitoring can prevent print failures, which can be all too common in the 3D printing space. The printer is constantly watching the print and comparing it to what it should look like (from the slicing process), and if anything seems wrong, it’ll send you a notification via the AnkerMake app; it can even be configured to pause the print for further scrutiny.
It should be noted that, in our review, semi-transparent filaments gave way to error messages when there weren’t actual printing issues, so you might want to keep an eye out for your overall setup (including lighting).
The AnkerMake app is useful for more than these notifications, though. It can be used to control almost all printer functions for both the M5 and M5C. This means movement, extrusion, starting and stopping prints, and more, even if you’re not on the printer’s network.
Returning to features that are specific to the M5, time-lapses are a neat option for anyone who wants to share videos of their prints with friends or on social media, with almost no effort required from the user. They’re also fun to look at! That said, there’s a 1-GB limit of “free” storage for the recordings, which will hopefully increase in the future.
Finally, video streaming can be useful in circumstances where you can’t always be right next to your printer. For example, if you’ve started a print spanning many hours but will be away from your printer, you can check on its progress via the app and watch your printer work in real time! It can also be used to confirm or reject any suspicions by the AI monitoring system regarding print failures.
Price
The M5, with its larger build volume and more connected nature, comes at a higher price point than the M5C, typically about $300 more than its successor. As such, if the price point is the deciding point, you might not find it difficult to opt out of some of the “smart” and connectivity features of the printer.
But how do the M5 and M5C compare to other offerings in the space? The M5 is remarkably similar to the Bambu Lab A1, with the same reported maximum speed, slightly larger build volume, and similar connectivity, but a distinct lack of AI-related features. The M5 is typically around $100 cheaper than the A1, but this can vary due to AnkerMake’s frequent sales. And, while at the time of writing the A1 has been recalled, Bambu Lab is working on a fix.
The Creality Ender 3 V3 is also very similar. It has a slightly smaller build volume and slightly higher speed, and similarly to the Bambu Lab A1 and M5(C), comes out of the box with high-quality prints. AI isn’t included but can be purchased as an add-on (in the form of a camera). The printer typically goes for just the same if not slightly less than the M5.
As for the M5C, it stacks up well against the Ender 3 V3 KE, regularly coming in at a very similar price point and with a strikingly similar specs sheet. The Ender gains an edge by being able to be upgraded with an AI camera and having an interface by default, but the M5C does have a sturdier build.
Verdict
In summary, there’s no winner! Both printers are very capable and very quick.
The best printer is based on what you need. The M5 may be preferable for users seeking more connectivity and smart features, such as live video and time-lapses, a touchscreen interface, and AI print awareness. On the other hand, the M5C may be more suited to users on a budget who don’t mind using their smartphone or computer for most printer tasks, and who may need to print with a more diverse range of filaments.
That said, the difference in build plate size needs to be taken into consideration, especially if you’re regularly printing larger parts and you want to avoid having to split the models and then assemble or glue them.
