System Costs
RP systems cost from $19,000 to $800,000 when purchased new. The least expensive are three dimensional printing and fused deposition modeling systems; the most expensive are specialized stereolithography machines. In addition, there are appreciable costs associated with training, housing and maintenance. For example, it can cost more than $20,000 to replace a laser in a stereolithography system. These high capital costs and complex operating procedures for some technologies provided a strong impetus for the establishment of the RP service bureau industry. A service bureau is a good choice for trying a technology out, and also if your use is occasional. The table in the tutorial section gives an overview of pricing and system specs.

Another choice, is to purchase a used system for considerable savings. In some cases, however, system manufacturers have limited the market by making the operating software license non-transferrable. Best to check with the manufacturer first. Several companies specialize in selling and leasing previously-owned RP systems.

Part Costs
The table shows a nearly seven to one difference between the most and the least expensive technologies. While this shows the results of a recent study done for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the authors indicate that the numbers should be comparable to industry scales.

You can get an idea of commercial costs from figures published on Accelerated Technologies, Inc. web site. The company is one of the largest US RP service bureaus. They provide a continuously updated range for the cost of the middle 80% of complete jobs done by both selective laser sintering and stereolithography processes. The range is quite broad, running from around $50 to well over $1,000, but the company also provides a number of specific examples in its "Technology" pages, including photos of the parts.