Cheap rainbow filament or beginner printer? The smarter buy is obvious

Display

There is no display comparison in the usual sense here, because Product A is filament and Product B is a printer. Product B wins by default on this category because it includes an LCD screen for printer control, while Product A has no display at all. For a beginner, having an onboard screen on the Tina2 makes setup, levelling, and print control much easier. Winner: Product B.

Performance

Product A is rated for high-speed printing up to 600mm/s, which is impressive on paper and makes it a strong choice for fast-capable machines like the Ender 3 V3 Plus. It also claims dimensional accuracy of ±0.03 mm, which is excellent for filament consistency and helps reduce under-extrusion or inconsistent layer lines. Product B is an entry-level printer designed for beginners, with auto-levelling and resume printing, but it is not a speed monster and is aimed more at simple, reliable printing than raw throughput. If you already have a fast printer, Product A unlocks that speed potential; if you need the machine itself, Product B is the one doing the actual printing. Winner: Product A for material performance, Product B for overall capability as a complete system.

Build quality and design

Product A’s build quality is all about the filament itself: Creality’s Hyper Rainbow PLA is designed for consistent diameter, smooth feeding, and a long-gradient colour change, which is great for decorative prints. The 1kg spool format is standard and practical, and the long rainbow transitions are ideal for larger models where you want visible colour shifts. Product B, meanwhile, is a compact open-frame printer with a removable magnetic build plate, which is a solid beginner-friendly design choice because it makes part removal easier. The Tina2 also includes auto-levelling, which is a major quality-of-life upgrade for newcomers. On pure product design, the printer wins because it is a complete, engineered tool rather than a consumable. Winner: Product B.

Battery life

Neither product has a battery, so this category does not really apply. If we translate the idea into reliability over time, Product A wins on simplicity: filament has no electronics, no motors, and no firmware to fail. Product B has more moving parts and more complexity, but it also offers resume printing, which can save a failed job after a power cut. In practical maker terms, the filament is the more fail-safe purchase, but the printer has the more useful recovery feature. Winner: Product A for simplicity, Product B for functional recovery.

Price and value for money

This is the clearest category in the whole comparison. Product A costs £22.09, while Product B costs £167.14, a difference of £145.05. If you already own a 3D printer, the Creality filament is outstanding value because it is a premium rainbow PLA spool at a very accessible price, and the 4.6/5 rating from 1,326 reviews suggests strong buyer confidence. Product B is much more expensive, but it is also a complete printer, so the value depends entirely on whether you need hardware or just consumables. For pure value, Product A wins because it is cheaper, highly rated, and immediately usable in an existing setup. Winner: Product A.

Game library/features

This category is not really applicable in the gaming sense, but if we treat it as features and compatibility, Product B has the richer feature set. The Tina2 offers auto levelling, resume printing, an LCD screen, a removable magnetic build plate, and open-source compatibility, plus support for PLA, PLA Pro, and TPU. Product A’s feature set is narrower: it is a specialised rainbow PLA filament with a long gradient and high-speed formulation, which is excellent but only if your printer and project suit it. If you want versatility and beginner-friendly features, the printer wins; if you want a specific visual effect and high-speed-ready filament, the filament wins on purpose-built utility. Winner: Product B.

Overall user experience

Product A delivers a very straightforward maker experience: load the filament, slice your model, and enjoy a long-gradient rainbow finish with strong dimensional consistency. It is low hassle, low cost, and ideal for people who already have a capable printer and want better-looking decorative prints. Product B is the more transformative purchase because it gets a beginner from zero to first print, and features like auto-levelling and resume printing reduce frustration dramatically. That said, the Tina2 is still a budget beginner printer, so experienced users may outgrow it quickly. Overall, Product A is the better buy for most people who are already in the hobby, while Product B is the better buy only if you need an actual printer to start with. Summary: choose the filament if you already print; choose the Tina2 only if you need a first machine.