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The 4 Best Websites for Free 3D Printing Files

By Amir M. Bohlooli

Explore these 3D printing websites to find the best 3D models to download for free.

Having access to a 3D printer is a rather exciting privilege. Whether you've only just got your hands on one or a 3D printing veteran, free 3D printing models are always welcome. Designing a 3D model from scratch requires time and skill that you might not have.

There are lots of websites and libraries where you can download free 3D models, but not every 3D model is 3D printable. Below, you will find the four best websites for downloading free 3D printer files.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5234703/comments

Thingiverse is the ultimate 3D printing library. This website is entirely dedicated to 3D printers, and most 3D models are uploaded as STL files that can be easily 3D printed. Each model comes with a 3D preview, pictures of the printed product, and print settings.

Thingiverse allows users to post photos of their makes, and creators can remix other 3D files and create new designs. You can look through the different user-published makes to find the best print settings for a file, or to get some inspiration.

One major point which makes Thingiverse the most popular 3D printing library among makers is that it is entirely free. Every file that you see on Thingiverse, you can download and use for free. On the other hand, if you're a creator, you cannot monetize your models on Thingiverse.

Though you don't need to pay any money to use the free 3D models on these websites, it doesn't mean that they're not copyright protected. Do your research before using these files in commercial projects!

MyMiniFactory is a 3D printing community and library where you can find thousands of free and paid 3D models for download. MyMiniFactory has a strong emphasis on role-playing games, such as D&D. Most of the models you'll find here are structures and characters designed for tabletop games.

If you're into printing tabletop figures, then you must have noticed by now that they look drastically better when printed in more than one color. Learn to bring more life to your prints by creating duotone prints.

MyMiniFactory has many community elements. Makers can write their stories in Community Stories, and they can partake in designing and printing competitions to win prizes. The site also hosts an ambitious project called Scan The World, whose goal is to offer art and heritage sculptures in the form of 3D printable files for free. So far, this project has cataloged 17,000 objects which you can download for free.

Cults is another 3D repository and community where you can download 3D models and print them. The site contains both free and paid models, and if you're a maker you can monetize your 3D model on Cults.

If you take a quick look at Cults, you'll realize that it's more oriented towards aesthetic and decorative models, rather than functional ones. Cults has a wide array of jewelry, art, and fashion models. If you're looking to make your own 3D printed jewelry, it's a good place to browse and download models.

Cults also hosts 3D printing contests where you can design a model according to the given guidelines to win a prize.

TurboSquid is a massive marketplace for 3D models. While some of these models are designed to be 3D printed, most are not. However, that doesn't mean that you can't print them with a little tweak.

TurboSquid contains paid and free professional 3D models. You can find some extremely detailed and realistic models available on the site, such as vehicle models, people, and animals.

You can find 3D printable models by searching for STL models. There are roughly 80,000 STL models available on TurboSquid, which was acquired by Shutterstock in 2021.

From Bytes to the Real World

3D printing is an awesome technology that lets you bring 3D creations out of your computer and into the real world. With a 3D printer, you can print any STL model, and you can get these STL models from the websites mentioned in this article.

Though you have to pay to download some models on these websites, there's still a good variety and quantity of free 3D models available. Now all you need to do is to find the model you like most, and get to printing!

2022's Top 10 Sites For Free 3D Printing STL Files

by 3devo on Mar 17, 2022 11:34:00 AM

Have you decided to take the jump and buy a 3D printer? Or maybe you’ve been considering, and are looking for more details as to how it can benefit you?

Well, there comes a time where you have all the knowledge and resources for your 3D-printing activities, but no time when it comes to designing or redesigning your STL models. Luckily, you can download free STL files from a variety of great sites. Most are free while others offer their work for a price. Some even have the option to order the model to be printed and then get it sent straight to you!

The best part about these STL file downloads would be the sheer variety available as 3D-printing has gone mainstream. Below is a list featuring some great sites that we use to find free STL models. Enjoy!

 

Our Top 10 Free STL File Sites

10. Sketchfab

Set up in 2012 to build up a community-based 3D model online repository, this French-based site has grown to offer both free and paid downloads. It was among the first to offer models created with any of the major 3D creation tools, further supporting VR and AR on compatible hardware. This site is easy to navigate using the search feature and to better navigate through the sheer volume of STL files available, they have been grouped into convenient categories. Be warned that you may end up spending more time at this Sketchfab site than you may have planned to as there are just too many choices offered.

 

9. GrabCAD

GrabCAD is not your typical place to just download free STL files for 3D printing. It has many CAD models, many of which are also available in STL format. You can download 3D models in other formats and also try to convert them into STL files for 3D printing, but you may experience trouble with more complex ones. The Resource area is great, giving you access to tutorials, case studies, and even helpful e-books. It also features the useful GrabCAD Workbench tool. It’s a very popular site with many interesting models and resources available so do check the website out soon.

 

8. SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse

Once owned by Google, SketchUP 3D Warehouse is the go-to place for all your 3D model needs. Laying claim to being one of the largest 3D model online depositories, with over 4 million free downloads available, this site is easy to navigate using the search feature. To better navigate through the sheer volume of STL files available, they have been grouped into convenient categories. The site has also just released a handy feature that gives users the option to have the SketchUp models they upload automatically converted to STL. Be warned that you may end up spending more time at SketchUp’s site than you may have planned to as there are just too many choices offered.

 

 

 

7. Thingiverse

Operated by the popular Makerbot, one of the leaders in 3D printers, Thingiverse provides access to a huge variety of 3D models as well as a knowledgeable community. You can find many 3D models that you can download for free in STL format, and new models are added daily. The only drawback, though, is not all the models are available as STL files format, therefore not fully optimized for 3D printing (some editing may be needed). This doesn’t happen often, though, and the site is definitely worth a visit.

 

6. My Mini Factory

Don’t be put off by this pages clean UI and high prices on the homepage. The site is managed by iMakr, so you don’t have to worry about the lack of quality models that the site has to offer. All the objects are curated, meaning that “every object uploaded on MyMiniFactory has been test-printed on desktop 3D printers.” Simply type “free” in the search box and you’ll get instant access to some rather impressive designs. Still going strong since its 2013 launch, MyMiniFactory aims to be the YouTube of 3D files.

 

5. 3DFindIT.com

3DfindIT.com is the next dimension visual search engine that crawls billions of 3D CAD & BIM models from hundreds of manufacturer catalogs for architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering. The platform allows users to search for digital engineering data provided by manufacturers worldwide. 3DfindIT.com reduces search times and increases efficiency in engineering and construction with intuitive search functions:

  • Parametric Text Search
  • 3D Shape Search
  • 2D Sketch Search
  • 2D Photo Search
  • Color Search
  • Feature/Topology Search
  • Search by Category

The download and use of this CAD data is free of charge.  Many catalogs offer 150+ different neutraland native formats such as Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Inventor, SOLIDWORKS, and more!

 

4. Free3D

Being one of the smaller repositories, Free3D by TurboSquid has both free and paid models. It offers models created by various 3D software but the downloads aren’t in STL format and need to be converted before usage. Multiple language options make for easier navigation and searches. As one of the newer community-focused sites, while also aiming to grow into a marketplace, Free3D has some great potential.

3. Pinshape

While this is technically a marketplace, Pinshape is a thriving community which make available quirkier models that range from Star Wars-inspired miniatures to jewelry. The free models are displayed along with clearly-marked paid pieces, so you can easily distinguish them or you can simply spend hours browsing and admiring the creativity which went into all these pieces.

2. NIH 3D Print Exchange

This United States government agency for biomedical and public health research offers scientifically accurate or medically applicable models for download. The STL file collections include face shields and low-cost prosthetics, plus models of various human organs for education and research purposes. Especially interesting are the DNA molecules and virus models, so you can get a closer look at these microscopic objects.

1. NASA

While this site may have the least number of 3D models available, it more than makes up in quality as STL files made available for free lets you fabricate landmark objects in the history of space exploration – like the Apollo 11 landing site, the Curiosity Rover or the Hubble Space Telescope. What makes this site really cool is that you also get to download models of spacesuits and rockets which had been deployed by America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

 

Endless Possibilities with STL Files

We really appreciate that there are sites like these where you don’t have to spend large amounts of money to try out your much-loved hobby. Even though not all of these STL files are designed for 3D printers, some editing can make them suitable for your printer.

If you are unsure on the correct method of doing this conversion, we recommend you first do some research on some 3D-printing blogs before you start. It will save you a lot of time as well as money in the end.

REC Wiki » Top Ten Sites for 3D Printing 3D Models

If you already have a 3D printer and 3D printing plastic, the only thing left to do is find digital models. Do-it-yourself 3D modeling is interesting, but mastering this skill will take a lot of time. In the meantime, we suggest looking for something interesting on the sites in our selection.

1. Thingiverse

The largest and most famous platform, Thingiverse is a project of the American company MakerBot, which has made a huge contribution to the development of amateur 3D printers. In recent years, MakerBot has been operating under the wing of Stratasys Corporation and focuses more on the professional segment of the additive market, but this has not affected the work of Thingiverse in any way. The name of the platform is a play on words meaning "The Universe of Things" (Thing + Universe). The site remains the largest repository of exclusively free 3D models with a focus on 3D printing and continues to grow. Thingiverse currently offers over one and a half million 3D models.

Thingiverse website: www.thingiverse.com/

2. Instructables

Instructables is more than just an online warehouse of 3D models. This platform is primarily aimed at do-it-yourselfers, and therefore Instructables hosts not just 3D models, but complex projects - often using electronics, mostly hobby, but often quite serious. Scientists also use the site, posting useful open-source projects like smartphone-based 3D printed microscopes. The main feature of the site is that the projects are accompanied by detailed, step-by-step instructions - hence the name. Of course, additive technologies play an important role in many of the published projects, and the projects themselves are offered free of charge.

Instructables website: www.instructables.com

3. Cults

Popular site based in France. The platform works in a mixed way, offering both free and paid models. The paid section to a large extent influenced the rich assortment, since any user can make money on their creations. The site takes a commission, but approximately 80% of the cost of each 3D model sold goes into the authors' pocket. If you're not ready to pay for digital models, check out Cults anyway and browse the freebies - there are plenty of them. And don't let the name confuse you, it doesn't smell of any cultists there. Cults is just St. Luc is the opposite, while Saint Luke is considered the patron saint of artists.

Website: cults3d.com

4. MyMiniFactory

A London-based platform that also offers a mix of free and paid 3D models. Many of the paid works are posted by professional designers, and the administration often holds competitions among authors. The peculiarity of MyMiniFactory is that this site guarantees quality: the published 3D models are first tested for compatibility with 3D printers, then a trial 3D printing is carried out, and only then the model is placed in the public domain.

Jonathan Beck

One of the most famous MyMiniFactory-related endeavors is the Scan the World project. The author of this initiative was the British enthusiast Jonathan Beck, who in 2014 committed a major “robbery” of the London Museum. True, Jonathan took out not real exhibits, but about ten thousand photographs, on the basis of which he then recreated the appearance of the exhibits in digital form using photogrammetry. Since then, Beck has had many associates armed with cameras and 3D scanners and regularly adding 3D models of art and historical artifacts from around the world, including from some Russian museums. All models in the Scan the World collection are offered free of charge.

MyMiniFactory website: www.myminifactory.com

5. Prusa Printers

Strictly speaking, this is not a repository of 3D models as such, but the home site of Prusa Research, an enterprise of the Czech engineer Josef Prusa, whose name is familiar to all enthusiasts additive technologies. True, on this site, Josef and his team offer not only 3D printers and consumables of their own production, but also 3D models, and for free. Since this company deals only with additive technologies, all models in the catalog are optimized for 3D printing. The main share of published models falls on the users of the site, and Prusha's team regularly stimulates the authors with various competitions. An interesting feature of this site is that it allows you to publish not only 3D models, but also ready-made machine code. On the one hand, this is good, because users can immediately send a model for 3D printing without fiddling with a slicer. On the other hand, there is always a chance of incompatibility or outright sabotage, so be careful, and if in doubt, just download the STL files and prepare the code yourself.

Prusa Printers website: www.prusa3d.com

6. Pinshape

Another collection of 3D models, this time of Canadian origin. The first version of the site did not last long, only a couple of years, but immediately after the closure, the well-known American manufacturer of stereolithographic 3D printers Formlabs bought the resource. The platform continues to work to this day and contains tens of thousands of projects. Like most similar platforms, Pinshape offers both paid and free 3D models, and anyone can submit work.

Pinshape website: pinshape.com

7. YouMagine

Another project under the corporate umbrella. This site was founded by one of the co-founders of the Dutch company Ultimaker, which in turn is well known for a whole series of successful FDM 3D printers. Although this is not the largest resource (only about twenty thousand projects), it has two pluses. Firstly, only free 3D models are offered here. Secondly, the site is structured in such a way that it is easier for designers to improve their own and other people's work, collaborate and receive feedback. As a result, you can find a lot of serious projects here, such as OpenBionics 3D printed prostheses, but there is also enough entertainment content.

YouMagine website: www.youmagine.com

8. CGTrader

This Lithuanian site initially had nothing to do with 3D printing, being a platform for the exchange of graphic models for computer games, virtual reality and the like. However, with the growing popularity of additive technologies, a specialized section appeared on CGTrader for publishing 3D models with polygonal meshes optimized for 3D printing. There are not so many models for 3D printing, only about thirteen thousand, in addition, this resource is focused on paid content, although there are also free offers. On the other hand, this site is popular among professional designers, so you can find very interesting and high-quality work here.

CGTrader website: www.cgtrader.com

9. Sketchfab

Sketchfab, a Franco-American marketplace, is similar to CGTrader in that it publishes models for computer games, virtual reality, and 3D printing, as well as in terms of an abundance of professional work. With 3D printable models, things are a little more complicated: although there are many free models on the site, those optimized for 3D printing are in the paid section. On the other hand, nothing prevents you from downloading free options and using third-party mesh repair programs for 3D printing, such as Meshmixer or Netfabb.

Sketchfab website: sketchfab.com

10. 3Dtoday

Russian website and main portal for Russian speaking 3D printing enthusiasts. 3Dtoday is designed as an all-in-one platform with user blogs, catalogs and a marketplace, as well as a collection of 3D models categorized into different categories. Most of the 3D models are offered free of charge, however, there is also a paid section, replenished by portal users.

3Dtoday website: 3dtoday.ru

33 best sites with free 3D printable models

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