PLA or PETG for commercial printing: which to run for paid work

Short answer

For commercial print work, PLA is the default because it is cheap, prints easy, and fails little, so it carries the bulk of paid jobs. PETG is the choice when the part needs toughness, some heat resistance, or a water-tight finish, but it runs hotter, dries more often, and costs a bit more per kilo. Run PLA for volume and PETG for the jobs that need its strength.

PLA for volume

PLA prints easy at a low temperature, takes high cooling, and runs fast, so a commercial line turns out parts with few fails. That low-fail rate is what makes money on paid work, since a failed overnight run costs more than the filament. PLA is also the cheapest mainstream filament per kilo, which matters when the job is bid by the part.

The catch is toughness and heat. PLA is brittle compared to PETG and softens at a low temperature, around 55 to 60 C, so it is not the choice for a part that takes impact or sits in a warm car.

PETG for toughness

PETG is tougher, more impact-resistant, and holds up to more heat than PLA, so it suits functional parts, brackets, and anything that gets handled or stressed. Per the Polymaker PETG datasheet, PETG runs a hotter nozzle, near 240 to 260 C, and a warmer bed. The trade is that PETG is hygroscopic, so it pops and strings when wet and needs drying more often than PLA.

How to choose per job

Run PLA when the part is a prototype, a display model, or a low-stress item, since it prints clean and cheap. Run PETG when the part takes impact, sits in warmth, or needs a water-tight finish, and dry it first. Keep both on hand in 1.75 mm so any machine can run either.

For the materials in depth, the PLA hub and the PETG hub cover each filament.