Every filament is a set of trade-offs — there is no material that wins on everything. This page turns those trade-offs into pictures: a heatmap of all the key properties, plus ranked charts for the four questions people ask most. Scores are relative guidance (0–100) drawn from typical material behaviour, not lab measurements.
The short version: PLA wins on ease and detail, PETG is the balanced all-rounder, ABS/ASA add heat resistance, TPU owns flexibility, and nylon and polycarbonate top the charts for strength and durability — at the cost of being the hardest to print.
Property heatmap
Weak Strong — higher numbers (greener) are better on that property.
Ranked by the properties people ask about
Strongest filaments
Most heat-resistant
Most flexible
Easiest to print
💡 Trying to choose? The material chooser turns these properties into a recommendation for your part, or compare any two side by side in the comparisons.
Full property table
| Filament | Strength | Heat | Flexibility | Durability | Ease | Detail | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 55 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 95 | 90 | Beginner |
| PLA+ | 65 | 25 | 20 | 55 | 90 | 85 | Beginner |
| PETG | 70 | 55 | 40 | 75 | 70 | 70 | Intermediate |
| ABS | 70 | 75 | 35 | 80 | 40 | 65 | Advanced |
| ASA | 72 | 78 | 35 | 85 | 40 | 65 | Advanced |
| TPU | 50 | 45 | 100 | 90 | 55 | 50 | Intermediate |
| Nylon (PA) | 85 | 70 | 60 | 95 | 30 | 55 | Advanced |
| Polycarbonate | 95 | 95 | 45 | 95 | 25 | 60 | Advanced |
| PLA-CF | 75 | 35 | 5 | 50 | 65 | 60 | Intermediate |
| PETG-CF | 82 | 60 | 15 | 70 | 55 | 55 | Advanced |
Reviewed 2026-08-18. Property scores are relative guidance, not laboratory measurements — use them to compare, not as absolute values.