Press releases
CONTEXT: Sustained increase in entry-level 3D printer shipments causes 'collapse' in material extrusion segment
The entry-level 3D printing market continues to excel while the high-end of the industry is experiencing a slowdown, according to the latest CONTEXT report.
CONTEXT's attributes the downward trends of the higher-price categories to the stalling of downstream capital spending and industry consolidation.
The company's latest additive manufacturing market insights report measured a 21% increase in revenues for the entry-level market (<$2,500) during Q2 of 2025, but also tracked revenue decreases of 29%, 11% and 14% for the professional ($2,500–$20,000), mid-range ($20,000–$100,000) and industrial ($100,000+) classes of machines. These findings are similar to those of CONTEXT's Q1 2025 report, released in the summer.
“The trend of disparate market performance continued into the second quarter,” said Chris Connery, VP of Global Analysis at CONTEXT. “Weak demand from tariff-paralysis and high interest rates made for difficult market conditions in the Industrial and Midrange segments. In contrast, the Entry-level space continued to thrive, with key players even making moves to go
High interest rates, industry consolidation and the bankruptcies of the likes of Desktop Metal are all cited as potential reasons for the disappointing performance of revenue at the high-end of the market. Taking Desktop, Nano Dimension and Markforged as examples, CONTEXT reports that their collective shipments 'fell precipitously' from a year ago.
HP, however, is one company said to have seen impressive shipment growth in Q2 - 'largely driven by its unique upgrade strategy - while Stratasys also saw 'nice growth.' In metal powder bed fusion, Eplus3D took the top spot for units shipped, with the company also achieving year-on-year growth. Velo3D, too, saw year-on-year growth, while EOS and Nikon SLM Solutions remain leaders in the market 'despite seeing marginal unit shipment declines' compared with the same period last year.
In the mid-range category, CONTEXT reports that the downturn was most pronounced for Western vendors. 3D Systems, according to CONTEXT, continues to get smaller each period, but Chinese vendors like UnionTech are experiencing shipment growth, owed to domestic demand. CONTEXT singles out Flashforge as the standout performer on a trailing-twelve-month basis, but they also saw a smaller dip in shipments in Q2 2025.
In the professional price class, CONTEXT reports a 'collapse' of the material extrusion market, with 'shipments cratering.' The company says this segment has been significantly impacted by the rise of capable, lower-priced Entry-level machines. In contrast, vat photopolymerization shipments in this category held steady, 'as vendors like Formlabs continued the successful refresh of key product lines.'
The demand for Bambu Lab printers has contributed significantly in strong year-on-year shipment growth in the entry-level class of 3D printers. Bambu saw its shipments rise again. Creality, which announced plans to go public, saw a 'shipment decline as it realigns its reporting for its IPO', but Snapmaker saw record-breaking crowdfunding success for its new multi-colour FDM printer, 'demonstrating robust consumer enthusiasm' according to CONTEXT.
Looking forward, CONTEXT anticipates that persistent headwinds from high interest rates, tariffs and inflation are expected to continue suppressing capital expenditures for high-end systems for the remainder of 2025. CONTEXT described the US Federal Reserve's cutting of interest rates in September 2025 as a 'welcome move for the industry' but it says it will take several such cuts before capital spending is 'fully restimulated.'
“While many OEMs continue to report strong end-market engagement and pent-up demand, the recovery for the Industrial segment now looks to be pushed out,” said Connery. “We don’t project a significant rebound to begin until 2026, when lower interest rates are expected to finally unlock renewed investment in capital equipment. Regional on-shoring initiatives and the need to overcome supply chain disruptions still present major opportunities for agile additive manufacturing once business conditions improve.”
