# ABS vs ASA: what's the difference?

PolyLite ASA's sheet, checked 21 October 2026, puts the heat-deflection temperature at 103 °C (217 °F) under a 0.45 MPa load and 100 °C (212 °F) under a 1.8 MPa load. PolyLite ABS on the same ISO 75 test is 100 °C (212 °F) and 98 °C (208 °F). Vicat is 105 °C (221 °F) and 104 °C (219 °F), with the load blank. Tensile, impact, and UV hours are not on these rows.

PolyLite ASA's sheet, checked 21 October 2026, puts the heat-deflection temperature at 103 °C (217 °F) under a 0.45 MPa load and 100 °C (212 °F) under a 1.8 MPa load. PolyLite ABS on the same ISO 75 test is 100 °C (212 °F) and 98 °C (208 °F). Vicat is 105 °C (221 °F) and 104 °C (219 °F), with the load blank. Tensile, impact, and UV hours are not on these rows.

On these two PolyLite sheets the heat difference is a few degrees, and the beds are not the same. UV hours are not in the rows. [ABS printing](/answers/abs_print) [ASA printing](/answers/asa_print) [fumes](/answers/abs_fumes) [PETG versus ABS and ASA](/answers/petg_vs_abs) [PETG outdoors](/answers/petg_outdoor).
## Same brand, both loads

[PolyLite ABS](/brand/polymaker/polylite-abs) lists 230–260 °C (446–500 °F), a bed of 90–110 °C (194–230 °F), and drying at 70 °C (158 °F) for 6 h. Heat-deflection temperature, checked 21 October 2026, is 100 °C (212 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 98 °C (208 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. Vicat is 104 °C (219 °F), ISO 306, load blank. Glass transition is 101 °C (214 °F). Enclosure required is blank. [PolyLite ASA](/brand/polymaker/polylite-asa) lists the same nozzle, a bed of 75–95 °C (167–203 °F), and drying at 70 °C (158 °F) for 7 h. Heat-deflection is 103 °C (217 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 100 °C (212 °F) at 1.8 MPa. Vicat is 105 °C (221 °F), load blank. Glass transition is 98 °C (208 °F). Enclosure required is true.

Glass transition runs the other way from heat deflection: ABS is 101 °C (214 °F) and ASA is 98 °C (208 °F). Tensile strength, impact, and UV hours are absent, so they are not compared. [Bambu Lab ABS](/brand/bambu-lab/abs) lists 230–260 °C (446–500 °F), a bed of 90–110 °C (194–230 °F), and drying at 80 °C (176 °F) for 8 h, with no heat-deflection row in the dataset. The order is ABS, ASA, then a second ABS print setting. It is not a UV ranking and not a price ranking.
## What the community says

[a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1txmk2j/): One says ASA resists a bit better and that both print like PLA, and names Polymaker ASA for colors.

[a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1txmk2j/): UV, odor, and "prints like PLA" stay comments.

[a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/17uf9ui/) calls both fairly toxic and ABS more so, and wants ventilation or a filter.

Updated 2026-10-26. Sources accessed 2026-10-26. Use case: ABS.

## Ranked filaments

| Rank | Filament | Nozzle | Bed | Price per kg |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Polymaker Polylite ABS | 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) | 90–110 °C (194–230 °F) | — |
| 2 | Polymaker Polylite ASA | 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) | 75–95 °C (167–203 °F) | — |
| 3 | Bambu Lab ABS | 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) | 90–110 °C (194–230 °F) | — |

## Sources

- [Polymaker PolyLite ABS technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_ABS_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf) (datasheet)
- [Polymaker PolyLite ASA technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_ASA_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf) (datasheet)
- [Bambu Lab ABS technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0645/5876/0155/files/Bambu_ABS_Technical_Data_Sheet_V3.pdf) (datasheet)
- [a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1txmk2j/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/17uf9ui/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1lj71vo/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1rzo1qq/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1kntepp/) (reddit)

HTML: https://filamentfacts.com/answers/abs_vs_asa