What 3D printing costs in Canada, by process

3D printing is priced by material volume, print time, process and a minimum. The FDM to metal cost ladder, real CAD figures, and when machining or molding wins.

Quick answer (CAD, as of November 2026): A 3D printing service prices a part by how much material it uses (its volume), how long it takes to print, the process, any finishing, and a per-order minimum. The process sets the floor: FDM (plastic filament) is cheapest, resin (SLA) costs more, nylon powder (SLS and MJF) more again, and metal (DMLS) is the most expensive by a wide margin. Canadian commercial shops rarely publish per-part prices, but their minimums give the shape: one Calgary service lists a $10 minimum for FDM, $20 for resin and $50 for SLS (CAD). Printing has no tooling, so it beats machining and molding at low volume, but it has little economy of scale, so molding usually wins past about 100 parts.

How a 3D printing service prices a part

Five things, in order of weight: the material volume (how many cubic centimetres of plastic or metal the part and its supports use), the print time (taller and denser prints occupy the machine longer), the process and machine, any post-processing (support removal, sanding, dyeing, polishing), and a per-order minimum. Infill matters because it changes volume: a part printed at 20 percent infill uses far less material than a solid one. There is no tooling cost, which is what makes printing cheap for one part and for prototypes.

The process cost ladder

The single biggest lever is which process you choose, and they stack in a clear order:

Metal and nylon-powder printing cost more because the powder is expensive, the machines cost far more to buy and run (an SLS printer starts around $10,000 and industrial metal systems run far higher), some metals need inert-gas handling, and the parts need heavy post-processing. For scale, one offshore platform puts metal parts at roughly $50 to $500 each with bureau minimums often $500 or more (USD).

What the material costs

At the hobby end, plastic filament is cheap: a Canadian vendor lists standard PLA and ABS at about CA$28 to $42 per kilogram, so the material in a small part is often under a dollar. Service bureaus charge by the gram at rates that fold in the machine and labour: a Canadian university maker-space, for example, lists PLA at $0.06 and carbon-fibre filament at $0.13 per gram (CAD), though a subsidized maker-space rate is lower than a commercial one. Resin and nylon powder cost several times more per kilogram than filament, and metal powder many times more again, which is what drives the ladder above.

Minimums, and why quantity helps less than you think

Commercial services carry a per-order minimum, and it sets the floor for small jobs. One Calgary service lists a $10 minimum for FDM, $20 for resin and $50 for SLS (CAD); another Canadian shop advertises no minimum order at all. Unlike molding, printing has almost no economy of scale: there is no tooling to amortize, but each part takes the same machine time as the last, so the per-part price falls only modestly with quantity. That is the opposite of injection molding, where volume is everything.

When printing is the wrong tool

Printing wins at low volume because it has no tooling. But past roughly 100 identical parts, injection molding usually becomes cheaper per part once its tool is paid off, and for a simple metal geometry CNC machining is often cheaper and stronger than metal printing. Use printing for prototypes, for complex geometry that is hard to machine, and for low-volume functional parts; switch methods when the volume or the part says so.

Buying from a US or offshore platform? The landed cost

Many of the big instant-quote platforms (Xometry, and offshore services) quote in USD or euros. A Canadian buyer adds the exchange rate, cross-border shipping, any duty and brokerage, and GST or HST on import. A Canadian service quotes in CAD with less of that friction and a shorter shipping leg. If you do order across the border, count the landed cost, not the sticker; the border math is in reshoring to Canada.

How to cut your 3D printing cost

Lower the infill and hollow out solid volume where strength allows, since cutting volume is the most direct saving. Reduce supports by orienting the part well. Pick the cheapest process that meets the requirement: FDM over resin, resin over SLS, plastic over metal, unless the part needs otherwise. Batch parts into one order to clear the minimum once. And switch to machining or molding when the volume crosses over.

What to send for a quote

A STEP or STL model, the material and process if you know them, the finish, and the quantity. Send it once and request quotes from Canadian 3D printing services, and we match you to shops running the process your part needs.

FAQ

How is 3D printing priced?

By material volume, print time, process, finishing and a per-order minimum. Volume is the main lever, which is why infill and hollowing matter. There is no tooling cost, so one part is cheap compared with molding.

How much does 3D printing cost per gram?

At a Canadian maker-space, plastic runs roughly $0.06 to $0.20 per gram (CAD) depending on material, with resin and nylon higher; raw hobby filament is about CA$28 to $42 per kilogram. Commercial bureau rates are higher than subsidized maker-space rates.

Which is cheaper, FDM, resin or SLS?

FDM (filament) is cheapest, then resin (SLA), then nylon powder (SLS and MJF), then metal. The process is the biggest single cost lever.

How much does metal 3D printing cost?

The most of any process. One offshore platform puts metal parts at roughly $50 to $500 each with minimums often $500 or more (USD), driven by expensive powder, costly machines and heavy post-processing. For a simple metal part, CNC machining is often cheaper.

Is 3D printing cheaper than machining or molding?

At low volume, yes, because it has no tooling. Past roughly 100 parts, molding usually wins; for simple metal geometry, machining is often cheaper. Match the method to the volume.

Is there a minimum order?

Usually a small one. A Calgary service lists $10 for FDM, $20 for resin and $50 for SLS (CAD); some shops advertise no minimum. Batch parts to clear it once.

How do I reduce 3D printing cost?

Lower infill and hollow solid volume, orient to cut supports, pick the cheapest process that works, and batch parts into one order.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Canadian figures (Spool3D minimums, a University of Waterloo maker-space per-gram list, eufyMake filament prices) are in CAD and were read on each source the day this was written; the metal per-part range is an offshore platform's in USD, labelled as such, and subsidized maker-space rates are noted as lower than commercial. Related reading: injection molding cost and what CNC machining costs.