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3D Printing Filaments
Filament showdown

PLA vs PLA+: which filament should you use?

Per-kg price, temperatures, food contact and a worked cost example for the same part printed in PLA and PLA+. Plus a verdict on the five dimensions that matter when picking between them.

Specs side by side

PLA

Typical price
~$22.00/kg
Print temperature
190–220 °C
Bed temperature
50–60 °C
Enclosed chamber
Optional
Food-safe
With certified hotend
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆

PLA+

Typical price
~$28.00/kg
Print temperature
200–230 °C
Bed temperature
55–65 °C
Enclosed chamber
Optional
Food-safe
With certified hotend
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆

Same part, different filament

50 g part, 6 h print time on a Bambu Lab A1 (the reference printer at 130 W) with 8% failure rate. Only the filament price changes between columns.

PLA

  • Filament$1.10
  • Energy$0.14
  • Unit Cost$1.50
  • Final Consumer Price$6.53

PLA+

  • Filament$1.40
  • Energy$0.14
  • Unit Cost$1.83
  • Final Consumer Price$7.94

Verdict by dimension

  • Cheaper per kg

    PLA

    PLA averages $22.00/kg vs $28.00 for PLA+ — every gram you print costs less.

  • Easier to print

    Tie

    Both filaments land within the noise threshold for this dimension.

  • Lower print temperature

    PLA

    PLA prints at 190–220 °C vs 200–230 °C for PLA+ — less wear on the hotend and easier on basic printers.

  • Open-frame friendly

    Tie

    Both filaments land within the noise threshold for this dimension.

  • Food contact

    Tie

    Both filaments land within the noise threshold for this dimension.

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