Creality’s New Wi-Fi Cloud Box Is an Affordable Alternative to OctoPrint, But Is It Worth Using?

Creality is a 3D printer manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China that produces entry-level machines. While most of their models are designed to be as cheap as possible, they are decent enough to have created a respectable user base. In the past, all of their products have been generic versions of fairly standard 3D printer designs. But they have recently been attempting to expand their catalog with more unique products. They just released their Wi-Fi Cloud Box that is supposed to be a more affordable alternative to OctoPrint, and YouTuber Michael of Teaching Tech put the box through the paces to see if it is worth purchasing.

OctoPrint is very popular open source software for remotely controlling and monitoring your 3D printer. It is intended to be run on a single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi, and, when paired with a webcam or official Raspberry Pi camera module, it gives you the ability to view a live feed of your printer from a smartphone or computer. You can also load STL files, slice them, and start new print jobs remotely. Creality’s new Wi-Fi Cloud Box does pretty much the exact same thing, but at a lower price point. It is currently on sale for $19.95, which is less than half of what you would spend on an OctoPrint setup once you factor in the cost of the Raspberry Pi and its required accessories. The Creality Wi-Fi Cloud Box also comes in a sleek enclosure that looks nice sitting next to your 3D printer.

That all sounds great on paper, but the question is whether or not the Creality Wi-Fi Cloud Box is worth using instead of OctoPrint. Unfortunately, Michael’s conclusion is that it isn’t. As Creality states in their advertising copy, the Wi-Fi Cloud Box is designed to be “easy to use.” But that is actually what is holding the device back. Michael had a lot of trouble connecting the box to some 3D printers (including Creality models) and found the customizability lacking once he did. The baked-in slicing software, which seems to be built on Cura, only has a handful of options available. That means that you won’t be able to fine-tune your prints, which could result in poor quality. Michael also found himself frustrated by the required companion app, which lacked a lot of functionality that you get when using OctoPrint. At the end of the day, it seems that you’re better off spending a little bit more money to purchase a Raspberry Pi so that you can use the tried-and-true OctoPrint software.