My daughter wants a 3d printer, I read the beginners guide here And it seems creality is good and well supported.  Is the basic $157 model or the 250 dollar pro model better are are they basically the same for a beginner?  I don’t want to get her something she can’t use or must be modified to work well........I know nothing about this but ready to learn

Get whichever one has auto bed leveling if your certain she will actually use it for more than a handful of times.

I am fairly certain she will, she is very artistic and always making stuff

I'd be shocked if there's anything decent in his price range with auto-levelling.  

There is, however, a ton of options.  You should (or have her) think and prioritize on the following:

1. General support - Creality, like you mentioned, is popular and good in this aspect.  But it's not the only one, just make sure you buy name brand.

2.  Print detail - Some printers don't print well outside of the most common material, PLA.  But printing other material might be something she needs, such as ABS or carbon-infused PETG.  A lot of this hinges on max head temp and bed temps, do some research on this.

3.  Print size - while you'll probably always start small, I promise that your/her needs will increase in size and complexity at an astonishing rate as you get more comfortable and daring.

4.  Expect the desire to upgrade in a few years.  This shit is addicting!


Finally, a recommendation:

Get her into OnShape.  It's a free web-based CAD program that allows you to build anything you want, then export it into a .STL format.  It's great for those creative types, or if you break something and want to print a replacement!

My first 3d printer was a Qidi X-Smart and it was awesome for its price. I think it's incredibly easy and user friendly, which will get her started on the right foot.  It should also last her awhile.  I just now moved to an Artillery Sidewinder X1 after 4 years of bliss with the Qidi, and only because I want to print bigger things.


At the end of the day, you do get what you pay for, but there's plenty of "best 3d printer under $xxx" articles out there to give you an informed decision.

Enjoy!

get the 3 pro and add the bl touch kit

Go with the Ender 3 Pro.  Should be able to snag one for $200 or less.

I wouldn't worry too much about the ABL right off the bat.  Manual leveling isn't that difficult to learn.  I'll freely admit I was intimidated at first (been printing just under a year) but it's not some crazy voodoo that some people make it out to be.

Auto bed leveling is not a requirement at all.

I've had my printer for 5+ years.  Been using a slip of printer paper to level it and its fine.  Mine's a $1k printer and the manual bed leveling is not holding it back from greatness.
Mine does have 3 manual leveling screws.  Those are less headache to adjust than the models with 4 leveling points.  If you have a choice, 3 is greater than 4 in this case.

And its not really a big issue.  I level mine and it doesn't go out of whack for 6 months or longer.  As long as you dont drop the thing and you aren't rough with it trying to pry off stuck prints, there should be no need to constantly adjust it.


I'm not familiar with the models you're looking at, but there are some generic printer suggestions.
Bigger print volume is better.  Its like buying a TV or a laptop.  The size you get is pretty much set in stone and you can't change your mind to make it bigger (on most printers).
Heated bed, metal hot ends, and enclosure are all desirable features.  If you don't get these, you'll pretty much be limited to printing little trinkets out of PLA.  If you want to print real usable items out of ABS and nylon, you can't get too far without those features.
A fan directly beside the extruder blowing directly on the plastic as it is printed can make a world of difference when printing PLA.  You will be able to do steeper overhangs and further unsupported bridges than without that fan.  The fan is no help at all on ABS and tends to make the prints warp.
How the print files get from the computer to the printer.  Some have wifi, some are SD, some print directly over USB.  Wifi, or a flash-air sd card are very convenient.  Moving the SD card back and forth will eventually ruin the card and cause it to split.  Printing over USB is cool until your computer goes to sleep or bluescreens/kernel panics and your printer hangs and ruins the print and hopefully doesn't burn down your house.