ABS vs ASA
ASA behaves like ABS but holds up under UV, which makes it the usual pick for parts that live outdoors; both hold their shape to around 100°C, and both need an enclosed printer and ventilation. On price, ABS is the cheaper today: an established 1 kg spool costs a median of £17.71 per kg, against £20.39 for ASA. We track 284 ABS and 186 ASA listings. The cheapest single listings are £6.12 per kg (ABS) and £11.15 per kg (ASA).
| ABS | ASA | |
|---|---|---|
| Listings tracked | 284 | 186 |
| Cheapest per kg today | £6.12 | £11.15 |
| Median per kg today 1 kg spools, 100+ reviews |
£17.71 | £20.39 |
| Ease of printing | Hard: warps badly without an enclosure | Hard: prints like ABS, warping slightly less |
| Heat resistance | High: holds its shape to around 100°C | High: around 100°C, and UV-stable |
| Enclosure needed | Yes, plus ventilation | Yes, plus ventilation |
| Typical uses | Enclosures, car interior parts and prints you want to vapour-smooth | Parts that live outdoors: garden fittings, signs and car trim |
| Main drawback | Warps, gives off fumes, and yellows in the sun | Same enclosure and ventilation requirements as ABS |
Prices are per kilogram of filament, with multi-spool bundles counted at their full weight, and are read from Amazon UK several times a day. The median is the middle listing among established 1 kg spools (new, with 100 or more reviews): half cost less per kg, half cost more. Little-known listings are left out of it because they are priced far higher and rarely bought; the listing counts and the cheapest figures cover everything we track.
Which should you buy: ABS or ASA?
Buy ASA for anything that lives outside: it does not yellow and go chalky after a summer in the sun. Buy ABS for indoor parts and car interiors, when you want to vapour-smooth the print, or when it is the cheaper of the two per kilo. The printer requirements are identical, so the choice comes down to sunlight and price.
The five cheapest ABS listings today
| Product | Material | Weight | Rating | Price | Per kg | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Amazon Basics ABS 3D Printer Filament, 1.75 mm, Dark Gray, 1 kg Spool |
ABS | 1 kg | 4.0 out of 5 (642 Amazon ratings) | £6.12 | £6.12 | Warehouse · 55% under new |
 eSUN ABS+ 3D Printing Filament 2.5KG, Low Warping ABS Plus, Cold White |
ABS | 2.5 kg | 4.3 out of 5 (50 Amazon ratings) | £17.09 | £6.84 | 47% below |
 eSUN ABS+ 3D Printing Filament 1.75mm 2.5KG, Low Warping ABS Plus, Grey |
ABS | 2.5 kg | 4.3 out of 5 (50 Amazon ratings) | £18.99 | £7.60 | 9% below |
 SUNLU 4KG ABS Filament 1.75mm, Heat Resistant 3D Printer Filament |
ABS | 4 kg | 4.3 out of 5 (111 Amazon ratings) | £31.37 | £7.84 | Warehouse · 12% under new |
 eSUN ABS+ 3D Printing Filament 1.75mm 2.5KG, Low Warping ABS Plus, Black |
ABS | 2.5 kg | 4.3 out of 5 (50 Amazon ratings) | £19.99 | £8.00 | 41% below |
All 284 ABS listings, ranked by £/kg
The five cheapest ASA listings today
| Product | Material | Weight | Rating | Price | Per kg | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 IEMAI ASA Filament 1.75mm 2KG, Silver Gray/Beige ASA 3D Printer Filament, Heat |
ASA | 2 kg | 4.4 out of 5 (179 Amazon ratings) | £22.30 | £11.15 | Warehouse · 3% under new |
 iSANMATE 12 Pack ASA Filament 1.75mm, Premium Anti-UV Weather Resistant 3D Pri |
ASA | 12 kg | 5.0 out of 5 (2 Amazon ratings) | £139.99 | £11.67 | 6% below |
 iSANMATE ASA Filament 1.75mm Black 1KG, UV & Weather Resistant 3D Printer Fila |
ASA | 1 kg | 4.4 out of 5 (541 Amazon ratings) | £12.04 | £12.04 | 33% below |
 TINMORRY ASA Filament 1.75mm, High UV & Heat Resistant 3D Printer Filament, Du |
ASA | 1 kg | 4.5 out of 5 (206 Amazon ratings) | £13.85 | £13.85 | Like New · 13% under new |
 IEMAI ASA Filament 1.75mm 5KG, Black/White/Brown/Green/Blue, ASA 3D Printer Fi |
ASA | 5 kg | 5.0 out of 5 (10 Amazon ratings) | £70.20 | £14.04 | 6% below |
All 186 ASA listings, ranked by £/kg
Questions people ask
Is ABS or ASA filament cheaper per kilogram in the UK?
ABS filament is cheaper per kilogram than ASA on Amazon UK in November 2026. Among established 1 kg spools (100 or more reviews) tracked by 3D Printer Deals, the median ABS spool costs 17.71 pounds per kilogram across 83 listings, against 20.39 pounds for ASA across 41. The cheapest single listings are 6.12 pounds per kilogram for ABS and 11.15 pounds for ASA.
Is ABS easier to print than ASA?
ABS and ASA are about equally easy to print. ABS is hard to print: it warps badly without an enclosed printer. ASA prints like ABS, warping slightly less, and still needs an enclosed printer.
Which copes better with heat, ABS or ASA filament?
ABS and ASA cope with about the same heat. ABS holds its shape to around 100°C. ASA holds its shape to around 100°C and is UV-stable.
Do you need an enclosed 3D printer for ABS or ASA?
Yes, both ABS and ASA are best printed in an enclosed 3D printer. ABS needs an enclosed printer and ventilation. ASA needs an enclosed printer and ventilation.
Guides
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Enclosed vs open-frame 3D printers: do you need an enclosure?
An enclosure matters enormously for ABS and ASA and barely at all for PLA. What a printer box really does for warping, fumes, noise and safety, and when an open frame is the better choice.
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Strongest 3D printer filament: types compared
Polycarbonate and nylon are the strongest common 3D printer filaments, but strong means four different things. Which filament type to pick for stiffness, impact, heat and layer bonding.