# 3D Printing > 3D Printer Parts, Filament & Materials >  Differences between ABS and PLA? Which is best?

## jeffmorris

Differences between ABS and PLA? Which is best? I have PowerSpec Ultra 3D printer. I would like to make robot parts and model cars.

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## Sebastian Finke

ABS is a polymer whereas PLA is a polyester. Which is better? Depends on the application. Either will do for your needs although ABS will be more shock resistant.

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## EagleSeven

PLA has less warping than ABS

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## jeffmorris

What about PETG? I'm not sure if it will work on my printer.

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## Sebastian Finke

The old warping argument... ABS will warp if you don't treat it right. Just printed a diameter 138mm x 2mm disc with 19mm high wall along the outer perimeter... not a shred of warping or cracking.

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## jeffmorris

There is a label on the spool for ABS filament that says: Print Temp: 220-260C. That is for the extruders. It doesn't say anything about temperature of build platforms. I think that the default temps for ABS in PowerPrint are 220C and 105C. Are they OK or do I have to change them?

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## Sebastian Finke

Lower the bed temp to 100. 95 or even 90 work too. Takes a bit of experimentation to nail it. Mine is at 100.

105 is the glass point of ABS so you really want to stay under that.

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## EagleSeven

> What about PETG? I'm not sure if it will work on my printer.


Both PETG and HIPS will work and both warp less than ABS .

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## Bobby Lin

I agree with everything stated above. If you want more details about the difference between the two, you can read this one.

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## curious aardvark

The main problem is that there is no such thing as 'pla'. There are several hundred hundred different materials - all with different specifications and properties that are called 'pla'. 

So while abs - is pretty much just abs - there are variations that warp less, have higher temperature usages etc - but compared to pla - damn few of them. 

So while the pla you got 5-10 years ago was fairly limited - today you can get a pla based filament with just about any properties you like. 
There are pla filaments that outperform abs in all properties. there are bendy pla's. hi-temp plas, conductive, carbon fibre reinforced. 

So one thing to instantly dismiss when comparing abs and pla is the myth that pla is brittle, shatters or in any way weaker than abs. It's not, if you buy the right pla :-)

The main differences are fairly simple.
pros:
1) abs is cheap and has good mechanical properties.
2) you can use acetone to make it smooth and pretty.

cons: 
1) unless printed in a fully heated enclosure - warps like a bastard.
2) you pretty much end up breathing in a lot of acetone fumes.
3) makes your workshop smell like burning plastic
4) can be tricky to make stick to print surfaces.

pla.
Pros:
1) very easy to print with, warping varies from none to a tiny amount.
2) will stick to just about any print surface
3) so many types around that there will be one that does what you want it to
4) good general prupose pla is cheap. 
50 no real smell when printing.

cons: 
1) specialist pla filaments can be pricey, although flexible pla is cheaper than tpu (polyurethane based) flexible filaments and much much easier to use

The point is that abs is a long standing plastic that was developed for injection moulding. Whereas todays pla filaments have been specifically developed just for 3d printing.

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## Sebastian Finke

I would add a few things to this list:




> The main differences are fairly simple.
> pros:
> 1) abs is cheap and has good mechanical properties.
> 2) you can use acetone to make it smooth and pretty.
> *3) it can be cold-welded*
> 
> cons: 
> 1) unless printed in a fully heated enclosure - warps like a bastard.
> 2) you pretty much end up breathing in a lot of acetone fumes. *Only at temperatures exceeding 400C!*
> ...







> The point is that abs is a long standing plastic that was developed for injection moulding. Whereas todays pla filaments have been specifically developed just for 3d printing.


This is absolutely untrue. PLA has been around since the 1930's (if I recall correctly it was developed by DuPont in 1932) and is used extensively in injection moulding particularly in the food packaging industry (yoghurt tubs, etc) and also disposable cutlery and plates (like camping gear).

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## ServiceXp

> The main problem is that there is no such thing as 'pla'. There are several hundred hundred different materials - all with different specifications and properties that are called 'pla'. 
> 
> So while abs - is pretty much just abs - there are variations that warp less, have higher temperature usages etc - but compared to pla - damn few of them. 
> 
> So while the pla you got 5-10 years ago was fairly limited - today you can get a pla based filament with just about any properties you like. 
> There are pla filaments that outperform abs in all properties. there are bendy pla's. hi-temp plas, conductive, carbon fibre reinforced. 
> 
> So one thing to instantly dismiss when comparing abs and pla is the myth that pla is brittle, shatters or in any way weaker than abs. It's not, if you buy the right pla :-)
> 
> ...


I Print almost exclusively with ABS, and while it's slightly more tricky to work with than simple plain Jane PLA, it's not nearly as difficult as some of the specialty PLA's (from what I've been reading).  From my experience with ABS, I would almost go as far as saying all your ABS cons are grasping at straws, with maybe #1 being the exception. While it's not impossible to keep small ABS objects from warping without an enclosure, it does make it easier.

All that said, I do suspect there are many PLA filaments out now with much better characteristics than ABS, but man some of those filaments are crazy expensive, and ABS is cheap for strength.

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## Nargg

4) can be tricky to make stick to print surfaces. *Absolutely not true*

Not sure what fairy dust you use to make this not true.  It's unfortunately very true for most folks that try ABS 3D printing.

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## ServiceXp

Must be the same 'fairy dust' I'm using, because it's a non-issue for me as well. No problems with ABS here..

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## EagleSeven

!!! Wow, where can I get some Aqua-net Spray with 'fairy dust' in it ???  :Wink: 

My large ABS prints all look like rockers for rocking-chairs !  :Frown:

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## Sebastian Finke

> !!! Wow, where can I get some Aqua-net Spray with 'fairy dust' in it ??? 
> 
> My large ABS prints all look like rockers for rocking-chairs !


That's 'cos you're doing it wrong  :Wink:

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## EagleSeven

> That's 'cos you're doing it wrong


That's what you guys keep saying but I've not heard any Good suggestions about how to fix the 'Extreme Warping',
except for 'Fairy Dust' !  :Wink: 
I've tried All the suggested nozzle and bed temps and speed changes, and it does Not help !
I'm certainly not going to use some radical Glue to hold it down !  :Wink: 

If Aqua-net can not hold it down, then it will not be used in our printer !  :Wink:

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## Sebastian Finke

You haven't heard any good suggestions? I have been repeating this since I joined: enclose your print chamber and preheat it before printing.

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## curious aardvark

> it's not nearly as difficult as some of the specialty PLA's (from what I've been reading).


don't know where you're doing your reading - but I've tried most of the weird and wonderful filaments out there and they ALL stick to gluestick, none of them warp and they all print just as easily as decent pla. 

Most of them don't need heated buildplate - none of them need a heated enclosure. And because you don't need rafts and prints rarely fail - even the expensive ones are actually pretty cost effective. As long as you design and print properly :-)

I did do a fair bit of printing with abs, before, I finally tried pla and realised everything I'd heard, was just so much nonsense.

Don't have heated enclosure, always used a raft. Apart from the odd crack and ocasional issues getting the raft off after a long print - it printed okay. 
But just okay - you needed to adjust for shrinkage, and that was annoying - don't need to do that with pla. 
Hell I even printed a secret heart box with abs. 

But the smell when it's printing is unpleasant, acetone is not good for you and my pla prints - so far - have been stronger, less brittle, stiffer and just all round better parts. 

I don't print figurines or pretty models. Most of my prints are original designs, either relacing a broken widget or making something original for a specific purpose. So having something look shiny and smooth - is not any part of my desing brief :-)

That said - un processed pla prints look much better than un processed abs prints. Abs looks kinda dull and rough. pla tends to be  a bit shinier and smoother looking.

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## EagleSeven

> You haven't heard any good suggestions? I have been repeating this since I joined: enclose your print chamber and preheat it before printing.


Oh, okay, if Enclosure is really needed to use ABS ,
I certainly will Not be trying ABS again, since we like an Open style printer
and enclosure is not needed for other filament types that we use.

 Thanks for Info !

Note: I was Hoping for *GOOD* suggestion !  :Wink:

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## ServiceXp

Aardvark,
  Most of my prints are also functional parts, so in most cases surface perfection is not needed.  So what PLA based material, (you have or are using) that is superior to ABS do you recommend? Please be specific as I want to purchase and try. 

I'm open to trying replacement materials for ABS, but since I have never had any problems printing with ABS that were not my own mistakes, I just haven't had the need to try the PLA alternatives.

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## Sebastian Finke

Note that all industrial/pro printers have enclosed chambers and by doing so you can tap into the properties of ABS if required.

Again, a simple thing as enclosing and heating the print chamber will sort out all ABS issues. Does this make ABS better? These two very different with very different properties. You should use/do whatever is required for the job.

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## curious aardvark

You know, thinking about it I started with abs. Took a while to get a decent print - think it was a round a week before I had the first 100% succesful print. 
And while it was a PITA at the time, it definitely taught  me a helluva lot mkore about my printer and 3d printing than I'd have learned if I'd started with pla and everything has just worked from day one :-) 

So I'll give abs another use - great for teaching you - albeit frustrating at the time - how to properly use your printer :-) 

@servicexp 
I prefer to use reprappertech pla. Never had any issues with it and parts I've made that broke with abs don't break with it. 
Also anything by polymaker is excellent stuff. 
Try to print as hot as you can - as this will give you much better layer bonding.  I pretty much now default to 210 for most pla. Slightly lower for black and try to avoid printing in white as much as possible. 
I find the colourant in white makes it brittle - had the same with abs in that it cracked a lot more than other colours. 

Best filament I've used is reprappertech 'wood'. It's a semi transparent brown/bronzy colour. And just a fabulous filament all round. Unless I need a specific colour I'll use that for pretty much everything.

Flexible wise - polymaker polyflex is hands down my favourite. Not as stretchy as ninjaflex - but prints just like normal pla - just a wee bit hotter. 
Fantastic stuff.  And a lot cheaper than ninjaflex as well :-) 

My biggest issue with abs was the shrinkage. I like my cad models to print the size I program them to be - rather than smaller. :-) 
And not having to go near acetone is also a big bonus and the lack of burning plastic smell in the workshop. 

A lot of difference can be made in the orientation of a print. I made some little square 'u' shaped clips. Initialy printed them with the bas down and the arms pointing up. 
Pla ones broke very easily where they jolined the base - not alayer bonding issue - that was simply the weakest mechanical point. 
Ended up using pet at the same orientation and they worked much better. 

Then had a brainwave and printed them laying down, this completely removed the mechanical weakness as the entire outline was one piece. 
The pla ones are now more flexible, stiffer and stronger than the pet ones.  And they look better as well and print quicker  :-) 

So it's not only what plastic you use - but how you use it as well and how you design and print your designs.

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## Sebastian Finke

Hope to be able to try out some these others brands soon. All we get here is Makerbot, eSun and Wanhoa filaments.

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## EagleSeven

Here's a good video about difference in ABS and PLA: 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...45AC56262E4F06

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## oklok

The easiest way to see which one is the best is to buy one of each to test it out. After print, try break it, the result will be direct!

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## ServiceXp

> You know, thinking about it I started with abs. Took a while to get a decent print - think it was a round a week before I had the first 100% succesful print. 
> And while it was a PITA at the time, it definitely taught  me a helluva lot mkore about my printer and 3d printing than I'd have learned if I'd started with pla and everything has just worked from day one :-) 
> 
> So I'll give abs another use - great for teaching you - albeit frustrating at the time - how to properly use your printer :-) 
> 
> @servicexp 
> I prefer to use reprappertech pla. Never had any issues with it and parts I've made that broke with abs don't break with it. 
> Also anything by polymaker is excellent stuff. 
> Try to print as hot as you can - as this will give you much better layer bonding.  I pretty much now default to 210 for most pla. Slightly lower for black and try to avoid printing in white as much as possible. 
> ...


Thanks for the information, I should have asked were are you located? I don't see any US option for reprappertech?  I see some on Amazon for Polymaker PolyMax and PolyPlus along with some flex versions. So I may start there, maybe with the PolyMax... I've been learning about the effects of print orientation, and model design have on the stability of the part. It's been quite remarkable to see just how important that one change (print orientation) can be.

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## jeffmorris

I can't decide which filament is best. Trying to read reviews of filaments in Amazon confused me. For example, most people say that "Brand A" is good but some people say that "Brand A" is junk.

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## 3dex ltd

Yes it is amazing how changing the smallest of parameters can have a huge affect on the print.

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## curious aardvark

@ jeff
lol yeah. I got two rolls of esun pla with my klic-n-print machine. Hands down the worst filaments I've ever tried. 
And yet esun has  a good name - so who knows. 

What you need to bear in mind is that environmental conditions also play a fairly significant part. My workshop is pretty much always around 45-55% humidity. Temps vary between 14c in winter (today for example) and a max of 27 in the summer. 
I find that this seems to be ideal conditions for most pla and leaving it out of airtight packaging doesn't seem to effect it at all either. 
With white filament The bit of filament in the tube can become brittle. But I reckon that's more to do with the white colourant than the pla itself. 

So everyone's working environment is different - that's one set of variables

How you have your machine setup can be a lot different. The slicer you use can be different, the way you design will be different, and the speed, infill and shellls/layers you use will also most likely be different. 

If you mix all those variables together - it's no wonder that the same filament can perform differently for different people.

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## Sebastian Finke

> @ jeff
> lol yeah. I got two rolls of esun pla with my klic-n-print machine. Hands down the worst filaments I've ever tried. 
> And yet esun has  a good name - so who knows. 
> 
> What you need to bear in mind is that environmental conditions also play a fairly significant part. My workshop is pretty much always around 45-55% humidity. Temps vary between 14c in winter (today for example) and a max of 27 in the summer. 
> I find that this seems to be ideal conditions for most pla and leaving it out of airtight packaging doesn't seem to effect it at all either. 
> With white filament The bit of filament in the tube can become brittle. But I reckon that's more to do with the white colourant than the pla itself. 
> 
> So everyone's working environment is different - that's one set of variables
> ...


This is so true. Where you live can definitely affect your prints. It shoukd definitely be factored in.

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## 3dex ltd

> @ jeff
> lol yeah. I got two rolls of esun pla with my klic-n-print machine. Hands down the worst filaments I've ever tried. 
> And yet esun has  a good name - so who knows. 
> 
> What you need to bear in mind is that environmental conditions also play a fairly significant part. My workshop is pretty much always around 45-55% humidity. Temps vary between 14c in winter (today for example) and a max of 27 in the summer. 
> I find that this seems to be ideal conditions for most pla and leaving it out of airtight packaging doesn't seem to effect it at all either. 
> With white filament The bit of filament in the tube can become brittle. But I reckon that's more to do with the white colourant than the pla itself. 
> 
> So everyone's working environment is different - that's one set of variables
> ...


Funny you should say that as a lot of people swear by the eSun filament. However, I've tried it too and from my experience it seems some colours (blue and red) are fantastic whilst others (green and white) are hopeless.

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## Sebastian Finke

> Funny you should say that as a lot of people swear by the eSun filament. However, I've tried it too and from my experience it seems some colours (blue and red) are fantastic whilst others (green and white) are hopeless.


On my side natural and black give the best quality. Tried eSun PLA too (black), not too shabby but had major adhesion problems.

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## 3dex ltd

Yes I had adhesion problems when I used the black but this was curable with some low tack glue on my print bed. I had a few issues with the white as well.

Luckily don't have any such issues now that I use our own filament (3dex filament)

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## pinshape

Some people have talked about warping and how you need an enclosure for ABS. But if you don't have one as part of your printer, a regular cardboard box will do. Here's an image of the one in our office: 
https://forums.pinshape.com/uploads/...cfa5459b04.jpg

It definitely looks a little silly, but that was before we had found a big enough cardboard box. It worked  :Smile:  

We did have a guest blog a few months back for a guide on PLA vs ABS here. There's a handy summary chart at the bottom on the main characteristics that you may want to consider!

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## Sebastian Finke

If it works. it works.  :Smile:

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## 3dex ltd

Yes nothing is silly if it works and serves a purpose. is the box merely to retain heat?

Luckily, I've not had any issues with warping when printing ABS

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## curious aardvark

what printer are you using ?

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## oklok

I found this article for you, ABS VS PLA -----all explained nuff said! You like it? Visit my sign, =)==)==)

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## jeffmorris

I bought two small spools of Makerbot PLA filament at Staples store. I thought that PLA is brittle but I think that Inland ABS filament is brittle. I drilled larger holes through objects made from PLA and they don't break. Objects made from ABS sometimes break if I put screws through them. Are there cheaper but good PLA filament?

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## curious aardvark

yeah it's a mistake most people seem to make. 
pla is NOT brittle. if you hit it with a hammer it tends to dent not shatter. 

What it is, is stiffer than abs. IE: it won't flex as much. But brittle - nah. 

You have to bear in mind that in the last 3 years, the market has gone from basic umodified pla to hundreds of different formulations of modified pla - pretty much all of them tougher and better than the original filament.

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## EagleSeven

*** pla ***

*** pla ***

                             *** pla ***

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## makerparts

I would try PETG Instead of ABS. PETG does not Shrink, and warps much less then ABS, Doesnt smell, is just as strong. and its Food safe and isnt toxic

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## Sebastian Finke

> I would try PETG Instead of ABS. PETG does not Shrink, and warps much less then ABS, Doesnt smell, is just as strong. and its Food safe and isnt toxic


PET is not automatically food safe. It needs to be of a food safe _grade_. Moreover, the 3D printing process does not make food safe products. Be warned.

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## curious aardvark

If you use this filament - then yes you CAN make food safe objects.

http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/0...t-kills-germs/

Also like everything else if you clean your stuff properly, it's not an issue. These days I mostly use 3d printed stuffer nozzles for making sausage. And nobody has died :-)
Reason being the standard nozzles are too big to fit inside a tube of collagen casing without unravelling it. The ones i made work brilliantly. 

The other thing to bear in mind is that most modern washing up detergent is also antibacterial. Scrub in hot antibacterial water and it's absolutely fine.

But - as always - if you don't clean your stuff properly and die of food poisoning, it's not my fault and sebastien told you so ;-)

Actually the other stuff you can use is any filament that has copper in it. Copper is one of the best natural; antibacterial and antiviral substances on the planet. 
And while not marketed as such, the reprapper pla with copper probably kills more bugs than the purement stuff and it also comes in bendy. But it ain't official - so as always if you die, it's not my fault.

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## Sebastian Finke

> But - as always - if you don't clean your stuff properly and die of food poisoning, it's not my fault and sebastien told you so ;-)


You have been warned!!  :Wink:

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## Sebastian Finke

And happy 3000th post CA!

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## curious aardvark

lol they don't call me the procrastination king for nothing :-) 
If it wasn't for the internet I'd have time to do all the stuff I'm supposed to be doing :-)  

Still this forum is technically work related, so that's okay then lol

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## FilamentGuy

The problem is that it's almost impossible to answer the PLA/ABS question just by looking at the material characteristics as it is so dependent on the application and even the specific object you're printing.

The decision guide in this infographic covers several key points that usually should be involved when deciding between ABS and PLA:

*Ventilation* - I wouldn't recommend putting your nose into the printer with any material, but being exposed to ABS fumes is likely a lot worse.

*Heated Bed* - This is an easy one: Without one, PLA should be your choice.

*Exposure to Heat or Mechanical Stress* - ABS would be the preferred choice as PLA melts at lower temperatures (it might start to deform when left in your car in the summer) and ABS can endure more bend before breaking.

Of course even ABS has upper limits and you might want to consider other materials like _Polycarbonate_ for extreme applications.

On the other hand there are newer materials that share many PLA features (biodegradable, no heat bed required) but are more similar to ABS in their mechanical properties (e.g. BioFila Linen) and temperature stability (e.g. Advanced PLA, ExcelFil EVO).

*Printer Enclosure* - Not a must-have for using ABS, but especially objects with large footprints are susceptible to warping when they cool to fast. A fully enclosed printer ensures a slow and even cooling process.
*
Post Processing* - Often an afterthought, but ABS has a slight advantage here as it is a little easier to sand and you have the option of working with acetone (which I personally wouldn't mess with unless you REALLY need to).

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## curious aardvark

I used abs for about 6 months - in fact some the the stuffer tubes are made of the stuff. 
For the last 2 years I've just used pla - for everything. 
And I don't feel I've lost out in anyway.

A lot is down to how you design the object and the rest is down to how you slice it. 
Unless you want a living hinge in  a fairly stiff filament - in which case you probably want polycarbonate, pet or nylon - I can't think of anything where pla isn't at least as good as abs.

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## Ama-fessional Molder

> ABS is a polymer whereas PLA is a polyester. Which is better? Depends on the application. Either will do for your needs although ABS will be more shock resistant.


Polyester is a polymer as well. All plastics are polymers. It's just one subcategory.

And continuing on the late to the party trend:



> but compared to pla - damn few of them.


There are currently 6,106 results for 'ABS' in the materials database I use, many are base resins with different fillers (glass, minerals, lubricants, etc) and multiple manufacturers are listed which may have the exact same chemical makeup, so I could very conservatively estimate close to a thousand unique additive formulations. 

Afterall, the additives define most of your processing parameters.

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## Barret

This is an old topic,you could view the link:http://www.filalab.com/how-to-choose...-vs-abs-or-pc/.
Meanwhile,There are other filament for options,such as PETG,high Temp PLA filament.

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