Availability first: the KE is not currently buyable from Creality US
The Ender-3 V3 SE is listed at $179 against a $199 reference price, with an Add to Cart button [1]. In the Ender 3 series collection it is the only V3-generation model shown as available apart from the V3 Mega [3].
The KE does not appear in that collection. The one KE listing we found, a "Live Exclusive" page, shows the printer at $259 against $299, marked Sold Out with a Notify Me option [2]. Several KE accessories, such as an ADXL345 vibration sensor and an extrusion kit, were still listed, while others, such as a hot bed kit, were marked sold out [2]. You cannot assume a restock date. On these listings the gap is $80, a figure that only matters if the KE comes back at that price.
Official specifications side by side
Both rows come from Creality's own parameter tables [4][5]. Treat top speed as a ceiling rather than a typical print speed.
| Item | Ender-3 V3 KE | Ender-3 V3 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Listed US price | $259, sold out [2] | $179, available [1] |
| Build volume | 220 × 220 × 240 mm [4] | 220 × 220 × 250 mm [5] |
| Max print speed; acceleration | 500 mm/s; ≤8,000 mm/s² [4] | 250 mm/s; ≤2,500 mm/s² [5] |
| Max nozzle temperature | 300 °C [4] | 260 °C [5] |
| Nozzle; heated bed | Brass; 100 °C [4] | Brass; 100 °C [5] |
| Listed filaments | PLA, TPU95A, ASA, PETG, ABS [4] | PLA, TPU95A, PETG [5] |
| Screen | 4.3-inch [4] | 3.2-inch [5] |
| File transfer; storage | USB / Wi-Fi; 8 GB eMMC [4] | SD card [5] |
| Leveling | Heated-bed strain gauge [4] | CR Touch [5] |
| Printer size; weight | 433 × 366 × 490 mm; 7.8 kg [4] | 420 × 366 × 490 mm; 7.3 kg [5] |
What the KE upgrade buys in practice
The most practical difference is the hotend. At 300 °C instead of 260 °C, Creality adds ASA and ABS to the KE's filament list [4][5]. The second is workflow. The KE can receive files over Wi-Fi and store them on 8 GB of internal memory, while the SE's parameter table lists SD-card transfer only. If you hate walking a card to the printer, that alone may justify the difference.
The third is speed. On paper the KE moves twice as fast and accelerates over three times harder. Real print time depends on the model, the material and your quality settings, and many PLA parts are limited by cooling rather than motion. Compare slicer estimates for your own files rather than headline speeds.
What stays the same
Both use an i3 gantry with essentially the same 220 mm bed, a brass nozzle and a 100 °C bed [4][5]. Neither lists carbon-fibre filaments, and a brass nozzle is not the right part for abrasive material. The KE reaches ABS and ASA temperatures, but its parameter table lists an open frame [4], which leaves larger ABS and ASA parts exposed to drafts and warping; our open-versus-enclosed guide covers that trade-off.
Both machines take up nearly the same desk space: the KE is 13 mm wider and 0.5 kg heavier on paper. Desk space is not a deciding factor.
Who should pick which, and what to do now
Fictional example: a student printing PLA organisers and PETG brackets, happy to use an SD card, gains almost nothing from the KE. The SE at $179 covers every material on that list.
Second example: a reader who wants small ASA parts for outdoor use and prefers to send jobs from a laptop is the KE buyer. Because the KE is sold out, that reader has three honest options. They can wait for a restock with no date promised, buy the SE and accept PLA and PETG only, or move up to an enclosed printer.
Creality's Ender series collection also lists an Ender-3 V3 Neo at $239 [6]. We have not reviewed its specifications here, so check them against the table above before treating it as a KE substitute. For ASA and ABS specifically, an enclosed printer such as the K1C, listed at $499, is the better fit [7].
- Write down the filaments you will actually use in the first six months.
- If ABS or ASA is on the list, consider an enclosure, not just a hotter hotend.
- Decide whether Wi-Fi job sending matters to you or is a nice-to-have.
- Check that any third-party KE listing is new stock with a warranty you can use.
- Re-check the KE listing before buying the SE, in case it returns at a smaller gap.
Questions before you decide
Is the Ender-3 V3 KE discontinued?
Creality’s pages we read do not say so. On 30 October 2026 the KE was missing from the US Ender 3 series collection and its only listing we found was sold out, while KE accessories were still on sale.
Can the Ender-3 V3 SE print ABS or ASA?
Creality does not list them for the SE. Its parameter table gives a 260 °C maximum nozzle temperature and lists PLA, TPU95A and PETG.
Is the KE twice as fast in real prints?
Its rated top speed is double the SE’s (500 vs 250 mm/s), but real print time depends on the model, the material and your quality settings. Compare slicer estimates for your own files.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Creality store: Ender-3 V3 SE listing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality store: Ender-3 V3 KE (Live Exclusive) listing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality store: Ender 3 series collection Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality: Ender-3 V3 KE support page and parameters Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality: Ender-3 V3 SE support page and parameters Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality store: Ender series collection Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Creality store: K1 series collection Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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