The difference between ABS and nylon in a nutshell
ABS is a rigid, hard plastic that handles heat well, is easy to sand, paint, and glue, and is inexpensive. Nylon is tougher and much more wear-resistant: it flexes instead of breaking and keeps running smoothly where other materials wear down. Choose ABS for housings, prototypes, and parts that need to look sleek. Choose nylon for moving and heavily loaded parts, such as gears, hinges, and clips.
Nylon vs. ABS filament: comparing the properties
Want the full background on each material? Read our article on ABS filament and the one on nylon filament.
Strength: rigid and hard vs. tough and wear-resistant
"Which one is stronger?" is the question everyone asks. The honest answer: it depends on what you mean by strong.
ABS is rigid. An ABS bracket or housing holds its shape and feels solid. If ABS takes a hard hit or you bend it too far, it will break or crack. This usually happens between two print layers, as that is the weakest point in any FDM print.
Nylon reacts differently. It gives a little, springs back, and only breaks much later. This makes nylon ideal for parts that are subjected to repeated stress. Think of a clip you snap into place a hundred times, or a hinge that moves every day. Where ABS develops hairline cracks over time, nylon just keeps working.
The biggest advantage of nylon is its wear resistance. The surface is smooth and has low friction. Gears, plain bearings, and guides made of nylon wear out much slower than the same parts made of ABS. There is a reason manufacturers use nylon in machines and cars.
Heat resistance: here's a pitfall
Many comparisons claim that nylon is more heat-resistant than ABS because nylon has a higher melting point. On paper, that's true. But the melting point doesn't tell you much about how your print will actually behave.
What counts is the temperature at which a part becomes soft and deforms under load. Standard, unreinforced nylon can start to soften at 60 to 80 °C when under stress. ABS often holds up longer under the same conditions, up to about 85 to 95 °C. For a holder on your car's dashboard in the summer, ABS is a safer choice than standard nylon.
That changes once you look at fiber-reinforced nylon. By adding carbon or glass fibers to the nylon, the part remains dimensionally stable well above 100 °C. In that regard, fiber-reinforced nylon easily beats ABS. Curious which materials are the most heat-resistant? Read about which filament is the most heat-resistant .
Moisture: the big downside of nylon
Nylon is hygroscopic. This means it absorbs moisture from the air, and quite a lot of it. An open spool of nylon will be noticeably damp after just one day in a normal room.
During printing, that moisture causes problems. The water boils in the nozzle, resulting in bubbles, a rough surface, and weak layers. Nylon must therefore be dried right before printing and kept dry during the print. In the Prusa material guide you can read how to best dry and store nylon. Want to see what moisture damage looks like? Then read how to recognize damp filament.
Even after printing, nylon continues to absorb moisture. A freshly printed part is somewhat stiffer and more brittle. After a few days in the open air, it becomes tougher and a fraction larger. For most applications, this is actually beneficial. For parts that need to fit within a tenth of a millimeter, keep this in mind. ABS is barely affected by this.
Printability: which material is less of a hassle?
Neither is a beginner material. The difference lies in how much can go wrong.
Printing ABS: keeping the heat in
ABS shrinks significantly as it cools. If the bottom cools faster than the top, the corners will pull upward. This is called warping. An enclosed printer with a warm interior largely prevents this. With large, flat parts, you still need to be careful; see also our article on preventing warping. During printing, odors and fumes are released, so good ventilation is a must.
Printing nylon: dry and warm
Regular nylon has the same tendency to warp as ABS, and often even worse. On top of that, there is the moisture problem. So, you need a dry box, an enclosed printer, and a print bed that nylon adheres to well. Fiber-reinforced nylon is remarkably easier: the fibers limit shrinkage, so it hardly warps at all. However, those fibers wear down a standard brass nozzle quickly, so you will need a hardened nozzle for that.
Finishing: sanding, painting, and gluing
ABS wins this by a landslide. You can sand it smooth, it takes primer and paint well, and you can bond it firmly with standard plastic glue. You can even make ABS glossy smooth with acetone vapor. If you are going to finish a print, read how to paint a 3D print.
Nylon is difficult to work with. Sanding creates fuzzy fibers, paint adheres poorly, and most glues don't hold for long. If you need to join two nylon parts, design a screw or snap-fit connection instead of using glue. You can find more about gluing per material in our article on gluing 3D prints together.
What is fiber-reinforced nylon, and when should you choose it?
Fiber-reinforced nylon is nylon infused with short strands of carbon or glass fiber. You can spot it by abbreviations like PA-CF or PA-GF, followed by the fiber percentage. For example, CF15 stands for 15% carbon fiber.
Those fibers change the material's character. The part becomes much stiffer, stays dimensionally stable at high temperatures, and barely warps. The surface gets a sleek, matte look that hides the print layers well. The trade-off is that it doesn't flex as much as standard nylon. You’re essentially swapping some toughness for rigidity.
This makes fiber-reinforced nylon the best choice for parts that need to be stiff, strong, and heat-resistant. Think of brackets in an engine bay, machine mounting components, or heavy-duty tool holders.
Choosing between ABS and nylon: how to decide
Still not sure? Run through these questions.
Choose ABS if…
Your part needs to be primarily stiff and dimensionally stable, like a housing, a cover, or a prototype. It’s also the way to go if you want to sand, paint, or glue it, or if it will be exposed to heat but not much mechanical stress. And if budget is a factor, ABS is simply the cheaper option.
Choose nylon if…
Your part moves, rubs against other surfaces, or is subjected to constant stress: think gears, hinges, clips, plain bearings, and parts that need to absorb vibrations. Nylon also holds up well against oil and gasoline. If the part needs to handle both stress and heat, go for fiber-reinforced nylon.
When does it not matter?
For a simple indoor holder that won't be exposed to heat or heavy loads, either will do. In that case, ABS is the logical choice because it’s cheaper and easier to print. Or you could check if PETG is sufficient; see our comparison of ABS vs PETG.
What if your print is going to be used outdoors?
Then neither is ideal. ABS yellows and becomes brittle in the sun. Nylon holds up a bit better, but it absorbs moisture in rain and humid air, which changes its dimensions and stiffness. For outdoor use, ASA is often the better choice: it’s similar to ABS but handles UV radiation much better. Read the comparison nylon vs ASA or check out the 3 best materials for outdoor use.
Material chosen, what’s next?
Picking the right material is only half the battle. Especially with nylon, the design determines whether a part actually does its job. A clip needs the right amount of clearance, a gear needs the correct tooth thickness, and a hinge needs enough room to move. If you design such a part to exact dimensions, it will likely bind or fail to fit.
Already have a file? Then calculate the price with the 3D print price calculator what your print costs in ABS versus nylon, so you can see the price difference side-by-side. Do you just have an idea or a broken part? Then have it designed by a CAD modeler who takes the material into account right from the start.
Frequently asked questions about ABS vs. nylon
Is nylon stronger than ABS?
Nylon is tougher and more wear-resistant than ABS: it’s less likely to break under impact or repeated stress. ABS is stiffer, however, so it flexes less. For moving parts, nylon is the stronger choice; for rigid parts, go with ABS.
Which material handles heat best?
Under load, ABS is generally more heat-resistant than standard nylon. Fiber-reinforced nylon is the most heat-resistant of the three and remains dimensionally stable well above 100 °C.
Is nylon harder to print than ABS?
Yes, standard nylon is trickier. It warps at least as much as ABS and also needs to be stored and printed in a dry environment. Fiber-reinforced nylon warps much less, but it requires a hardened nozzle.
Which filament is cheaper, ABS or nylon?
ABS is cheaper. A kilo of nylon filament can easily cost twice as much, and fiber-reinforced versions are even pricier. Print times can also be longer for nylon due to slower printing speeds.
Can you paint or glue nylon?
You can, but the results are mediocre. Paint doesn't adhere well to nylon, and most glues will eventually fail. For nylon parts, it's better to use screw or snap-fit connections. ABS, on the other hand, is easy to paint and glue.
Is ABS or nylon better for outdoor use?
Neither is ideal. ABS yellows and becomes brittle due to UV light, and nylon absorbs moisture. For parts that will be used outdoors, ASA is usually the better choice.