PLA vs PLA+: What Actually Changes (With Manufacturer Data)
PLA+ Is a Brand Label, Not a Single Material
"PLA+" sounds like a stricter, stronger upgrade over standard PLA. Manufacturer data sheets do not support that as a universal claim. On Anycubic's own TDS documents, PLA Basic and PLA+ share the same nozzle, bed, speed, fan, and drying windows [1][2]. What does change on that brand is the mechanical typical-value set: PLA+ lists a little less tensile strength and a little more elongation and Izod impact than PLA Basic [1][2].
Other brands do not copy that pattern. eSUN's PLA+ print window is not the same as Anycubic's [3], and eSUN's tough PLA (ePLA-ST) is a separate product with its own settings [4]. This guide stays on those four library entries and cites each number to its source. It does not treat Anycubic's PLA+ row as "all PLA+."
Print Settings: Anycubic Lists the Same Windows
Anycubic PLA Basic and Anycubic PLA+ publish identical processing ranges on their TDS V3.0 documents [1][2]. eSUN's two related products do not match that pair — or each other — so the table below keeps brand and product on every row.
| Product | Library | Nozzle | Bed | Speed | Fan | Drying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anycubic PLA Basic | /library/122 | 190–230°C [1] | 55–65°C [1] | 50–200 mm/s [1] | 100% [1] | 45–50°C, 6–8 h [1] |
| Anycubic PLA+ | /library/123 | 190–230°C [2] | 55–65°C [2] | 50–200 mm/s [2] | 100% [2] | 45–50°C, 6–8 h [2] |
| eSUN PLA+ | /library/36 | 210–230°C [3] | 45–60°C [3] | <300 mm/s [3] | 100% [3] | 50°C, 8–12 h [3] |
| eSUN ePLA-ST | /library/42 | 200–230°C [4] | 45–60°C [4] | <200 mm/s [4] | 100% [4] | Not listed [4] |
The honest reading of Anycubic's pair: if you already print PLA Basic in the 190–230°C / 55–65°C window, the same brand's PLA+ does not ask you to change those temperatures [1][2]. eSUN PLA+ starts at 210°C and lists a faster speed ceiling (<300 mm/s) than ePLA-ST (<200 mm/s) [3][4]. eSUN also publishes a drying instruction for PLA+ (50°C, 8–12 h) and does not list one for ePLA-ST on the cited product page [3][4].
Mechanical Typical Values: Anycubic PLA+ Trades Tensile for Toughness
Anycubic's TDS V3.0 typical values (X-Y) are the only mechanical set in this comparison that covers both a standard PLA and a PLA+ from the same brand. They are typical values, not a promise that every spool matches the midpoint.
| Property (Anycubic TDS V3.0, X-Y) | PLA Basic [1] | PLA+ [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 48±5 MPa | 45±5 MPa |
| Elongation | 8±1% | 12±1% |
| Izod impact | 22±1 kJ/m² | 28±1 kJ/m² |
| Vicat | 55°C | 52°C |
| HDT (0.45 MPa) | 54°C | 50°C |
On this brand, PLA+ is not "stronger PLA." Tensile typical value drops from 48±5 MPa to 45±5 MPa, while elongation rises from 8±1% to 12±1% and Izod from 22±1 kJ/m² to 28±1 kJ/m² [1][2]. Heat-softening numbers also move slightly down: Vicat 55°C to 52°C, HDT 54°C to 50°C [1][2]. That is a toughness-oriented trade on one manufacturer's data sheet — not a rule for every PLA+ on the market.
eSUN's cited pages for PLA+ and ePLA-ST list print settings, not a matching tensile / Izod / HDT table, so this guide does not invent those numbers [3][4].
What This Means for Printed Parts
Use the Anycubic pair when you want a same-brand comparison and you are willing to stay inside that brand's published windows [1][2]. Use the eSUN rows when you need that brand's print settings — not as a stand-in for Anycubic's mechanical table [3][4].
- Static load at room temperature: Anycubic PLA Basic lists the higher tensile typical value (48±5 MPa vs 45±5 MPa) [1][2]. That is the number to cite if the question is tensile strength on this TDS pair.
- Drop, flex, or sudden load: Anycubic PLA+ lists the higher elongation (12±1% vs 8±1%) and Izod (28±1 kJ/m² vs 22±1 kJ/m²) [1][2].
- Warm environments: Anycubic PLA Basic lists the higher Vicat (55°C vs 52°C) and HDT (54°C vs 50°C) [1][2]. Neither figure is a license to leave a part in a hot car; they are the values Anycubic published for those two products.
- Speed: Anycubic caps both products at 50–200 mm/s [1][2]. eSUN PLA+ lists <300 mm/s; ePLA-ST lists <200 mm/s [3][4].
- Drying: Anycubic uses 45–50°C for 6–8 h on both [1][2]. eSUN PLA+ lists 50°C for 8–12 h [3].
Comparison Table (All Four Library Entries)
Every cell is a manufacturer-published figure or an explicit "not listed." Empty cells are not guesses.
| Anycubic PLA Basic [1] | Anycubic PLA+ [2] | eSUN PLA+ [3] | eSUN ePLA-ST [4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Library | /library/122 | /library/123 | /library/36 | /library/42 |
| Nozzle | 190–230°C | 190–230°C | 210–230°C | 200–230°C |
| Bed | 55–65°C | 55–65°C | 45–60°C | 45–60°C |
| Speed | 50–200 mm/s | 50–200 mm/s | <300 mm/s | <200 mm/s |
| Fan | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Drying | 45–50°C, 6–8 h | 45–50°C, 6–8 h | 50°C, 8–12 h | Not listed |
| Tensile (X-Y) | 48±5 MPa | 45±5 MPa | Not listed on cited page | Not listed on cited page |
| Elongation | 8±1% | 12±1% | Not listed on cited page | Not listed on cited page |
| Izod | 22±1 kJ/m² | 28±1 kJ/m² | Not listed on cited page | Not listed on cited page |
| Vicat | 55°C | 52°C | Not listed on cited page | Not listed on cited page |
| HDT (0.45 MPa) | 54°C | 50°C | Not listed on cited page | Not listed on cited page |
Which should you buy?
Buy from the data sheet you actually have, not from the plus sign on the box.
- Choose Anycubic PLA Basic (/library/122) when you want that brand's higher tensile typical value (48±5 MPa) and slightly higher Vicat / HDT (55°C / 54°C), and you are printing in the shared 190–230°C / 55–65°C window [1].
- Choose Anycubic PLA+ (/library/123) when you want that brand's higher elongation (12±1%) and Izod (28±1 kJ/m²) and you accept the lower tensile typical value (45±5 MPa) and lower HDT (50°C) — still in the same print window [2].
- Choose eSUN PLA+ (/library/36) when you need eSUN's 210–230°C nozzle range, <300 mm/s speed note, and 50°C / 8–12 h drying instruction [3]. Do not copy Anycubic's tensile or Izod figures onto this spool.
- Choose eSUN ePLA-ST (/library/42) when you want eSUN's tough-PLA product with 200–230°C nozzle, 45–60°C bed, and <200 mm/s [4]. The cited page does not publish a drying line or a tensile table.
If a seller tells you "PLA+ is always stronger," point at Anycubic's own pair: same temperatures, lower tensile typical value, higher elongation and Izod [1][2]. That is what actually changes on that TDS — and only on that TDS.
Sources
- [1]Anycubic, "TDS PLA V3.0" — PLA Basic nozzle 190–230°C, bed 55–65°C, speed 50–200 mm/s, fan 100%, drying 45–50°C for 6–8 h; typical X-Y tensile 48±5 MPa, elongation 8±1%, Izod 22±1 kJ/m², Vicat 55°C, HDT (0.45 MPa) 54°C. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0698/1235/5357/files/ANYCUBIC_TDS_PLA_V3.0.pdf?v=1757585748
- [2]Anycubic, "TDS PLA+ V3.0" — PLA+ nozzle 190–230°C, bed 55–65°C, speed 50–200 mm/s, fan 100%, drying 45–50°C for 6–8 h; typical X-Y tensile 45±5 MPa, elongation 12±1%, Izod 28±1 kJ/m², Vicat 52°C, HDT 50°C. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0698/1235/5357/files/ANYCUBIC_TDS_PLA__V3.0.pdf?v=1757589534
- [3]eSUN, "PLA+ / PLA Pro product page" — nozzle 210–230°C, bed 45–60°C, speed <300 mm/s, fan 100%, drying 50°C for 8–12 h. https://www.esun3d.com/pla-pro-product/
- [4]eSUN, "ePLA-ST product page" — nozzle 200–230°C, bed 45–60°C, speed <200 mm/s, fan 100%. Drying is not listed on the cited page. https://www.esun3d.com/epla-st-product/