3D printer design sites
The 4 Best Websites for Free 3D Printing Files
By Amir M. Bohlooli
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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/commentsThingiverse 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!
Cults・Download free 3D printer models・STL, OBJ, 3MF, CAD
Featured
By Pipe_Cox
Foo lions are considered a symbol of protection against evil spirits (demons), bad energies and bad people. For this reason they used to decorate palaces, buildings and houses with figures of these creatures that always come in pairs formed by a male holding an orb and a female holding a cub. An articulated model easy to print without supports.
Download 3D model
01
Fry Futurama 🚀 Not Sure If
Free
02Truck with trailer - print in place
€2. 04 -50% €1.02
Cheese Boxed Mouse
€4.06
04Chainsaw Man Helmet - Denji Cosplay
€39
05Velociraptor Bust
€3.91
06Gato fantasma / spooky cat
€5.08 -30% €3.56
Tissue box house
€2.50
08Candy Corn Characters
€4.02
09Toilet paper storage "snail"
€3.20
10Text Flip: Boo - Ghost
Free
11Moving T-800 Terminator Skull
€15
12Spooky Flexi Gecko Skeleton (magnet version included)
Free
13Stone Coffin
€4. 06
14HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN FAMILLY
€2.09 -40% €1.26
Dracula Coffin
€3.55
16Dragon Vase - med (Vase No. 9)
Free
17Horror Mask
€5.99 -10% €5.39
PappaTime
€2.20
19Balance Butler
€2.55
20Halloween Anglerfish (Presupported)
€3.50 -50% €1. 75
01
Alteyr Emberwatch
€10.18
02Bearded Dragon Articulated Toy, Print-In-Place Body, Snap-Fit Head, Cute Flexi
€3.03
03House with floor 13 - Flames of war Bolt Action Empire baroque Age of Sigmar Modern Warhammer
€2.50
04Cosplay Paws
€5.09
05Speedloader for SIG Sauer P365/XL & P226 9mm Magazine
€2.04
06iPhone 14 PRO MAX case
€0.73
07Mate Bombonera.
€5.49
083D Printable Slipknot JIM ROOT mask
€1.97
01
Shark Hanger
€2. 55
02Articulated Spider King Halloween
Free
03eimaipelousioskaidenkouvalawpsila
Free
04Umbreon Low Poly Pokemon
€0.73
05TonUINO Box Compact Enclosure
Free
06Lambda-ish Boomerang
Free
07Support telephone "Print in place
€1
08My Little Xeno pony xenomorph aliens
€5.09
09Horns
€3.05
10Singlecopter (MICRO "T-hawk")
Free
11Jawa 21 Pionyr
Free
12STAR WARS VINTAGE R2-D2 GHOST COSTUME HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, CUSTOM UNPRODUCED KENNER, HASBRO ACTION FIGURE, 3.
75", 1/18, 5POAFree
13Door viewer Primal God
€2.85
14Battlemaul Expedition 59 Wizard Hero
Free
15Ford Bronco like RC Car 1:32
€13.03
16Bed Tabel
€2.96 -50% €1.48
Design functional printables course
Free
18Iceland
Free
19Pumpkin Jawa
€1.99
20DSLR Camera Mount for Meade ETX 70AT Telescope
€15.25
01
Anycubic Flexi Print-in-Place Alien
Free
02Rebecca Cyberpunk edgerunners
Free
03BEARD SKULL COLLECTION - Nº1
Free
04Flexi Toothless Dragon
Free
05flexi turtle
Free
06PRINT-IN-PLACE SPRING LOADED BOX
Free
07Cute Mini Octopus
Free
08Spooky Flexi Gecko Skeleton (magnet version included)
Free
🔁 Updated
Seletti Monkey Lamp Rope HIGH QUALITY
€3. 05
M41A Pulse Rifle
€7.96
FDM Sci-fi wall collection
Free
Orion (Updated)
Free
Cardholder-wallet (universal package)
Cardholder-wallet (universal package)
FIDGET RING RING Print in place
Halloween
Tactical hacker logo with stand
Free
Air Mail Mavericks - Open source tabletop adventure game
Free
Napkin holder
€0.93
Urdeshi Armaments Grenade Launchers
Free
AKM Gastube Rail Airsoft
€4
shattered glass god optimus prime
Free
Snake Hide - Fake Log
Free
Mt St Helens
Free
See all 3D models
Cults, the 3D printing platform
Welcome to Cults, the world’s leading independent website for 3D printer files. Discover and download the best 3D models for all your 3D printing & DYI projects.
Cults is a digital marketplace for 3D printing and design. Use our 3D model library to discover everything you can do with a 3D printer (FDM, SLA, DLP, SLS) event with CNC machining and laser cutting. You don’t know how to make a 3D file but you want to 3D print objects? Cults is for you! Browse our different categories and download the best 3D printer models for free, open-source or paid mode. The formats you can download are in STL, OBJ, 3MF, CAD, STEP, SCAD or DXF, DWG, SVG format, they are all 3D printable guaranteed or CNC compatible.
We are connecting 3D print files makers with people who want to use their 3D printer. Our 3D model repository acts as a real source of inspiration since the best designers share their best STL files daily to offer you their latest inventions!
On Cults you can also find a 3D printer nearby, get voucher codes to buy cheap 3D printers or filaments at best prices and also a whole series of 3D printing contests. Cults is a joyful community that brings together all 3D printing fans to dialogue and create together.
Commission system
You are a designer and you want to sell your 3D models optimized for 3D printing? Thanks to Cults you can earn money with your files STL, OBJ, CAD, 3MF, etc.! For each download, you will receive 80% of the net selling price (excluding VAT) via PayPal. Cults keeps 20% of commission which is used to finance bank fees (about 5%) and then all the costs related to the technical maintenance of the platform: hosting, bandwidth, accounting, email communications, translations, etc. There is no subscription system or fixed fee to pay. You sell, you win!
If you are still hesitating to share your models on Cults, feel free to read this article Why publish my designs on Cults? List of advantages and benefits to get an idea.
- Designers 80%
- Cults 15%
- Banking fees 5%
Upload a 3D model
3D printer models
Looking for 3D printer models? The Internet is filled with sites that offer them for free. We have collected the TOP 10 catalogs that you can use to search and download free models in STL format. We hope you can find what you are looking for.
- Yeggi
- Yobi 3D
- STLfinder
→ myminifactory.com
My Mini Factory is a 3D model depository operated by iMakr, an online store that sells 3D printers and accessories. It also has one of the biggest 3D printer shops in Central London. The site contains 3D models designed by professionals, and all models stored on it are checked for quality. You can also make a request for the desired model, which their designers will create and put in the public domain. Billing itself as a 3D printing social network, MyMiniFactory is a thriving community of makers who love to showcase their creations. Users vote for the best models, which allows popular creations to rise to the top of the list and gain popularity. The site presents models that are stored on its social network, as well as outside it, for example, on the Thingiverse and YouMagine sites.
→ thingiverse.com
The most popular and famous site among 3D printer users, Thingiverse is owned by MakerBot Industries, the creator of the popular Replicator 3D printer series. The site allows users to store and share 3D model files that are used with 3D printers. It's a very popular site and has a large community of people hosting various categories of files on it. So if you're looking for "cool" printable stuff, Thingiverse is worth a visit. It is a portal designed to provide its users with ways to share their designs and to help print 3D creations. The site has a system that tries to find out what you like. The more you interact with the site, downloading and evaluating various developments, the better its recommendations will be.
→ 3dshook.com
Another online community for 3D printing hobbyists showcasing interesting 3D printer accessories, electronics and most importantly 3D models. The site contains many very interesting models of cars and buildings, as well as various add-ons and spare parts for your 3D printer. A huge catalog of paid and free models for a 3D printer. There are original unique products. Convenient search, navigation, rubricator. 3DShook has over 40 categories and adds over 100 new models to its collection every month. On 3DShook you can always find something for your home, animals, kids or something special for yourself.
→ youmagine.com
YouMagine catalog for Cube series consumer 3D printers manufactured by 3D Systems. The site mainly offers various ways to buy 3D printer supplies and files, but it also has a number of cool free items available, mostly in the Kids section. Some of these elements can be customized by children using an online application. The company offers 3D modeling and publishing tools on its website for both hobbyists and professionals. The site offers a content warehouse where the community hosts and shares models. Registration is required to download files.
→ 123dapp.com
Autodesk 123D is a suite of computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D modeling tools aimed specifically at hobbyists. Along with the toolkit, Autodesk also has a website where users can record their designs and share them with other users. Many of these models can be downloaded and printed using Autodesk as a utility to interface with the MakerBot 3D printer. The goal of the Autodesk website is to "help engineers build products faster." The site offers tools to help them collaborate on their files. For the casual 3D printing enthusiast, the best part of the site is the large library of free files created by a community of over a million engineers. Registration on the site is required, but the number of files that are then available is worth it.
→ cgtrader.com
Being primarily a place to buy and sell a variety of 3D models (not necessarily just those designed for 3D printers), CGTrader does offer a selection of free models that can be used on 3D printers. The site has a system that tries to find out what you like. The more you interact with the site, downloading and evaluating various developments, the body will have better recommendations.
→ cults3d.com
A French community and marketplace where developers can share or sell their creations. The site has a collection of high quality models that you can download. Users can follow the work of the designers they like and get instant updates when a new creation is posted on the site. The site's name, Cults, is a backwards spelling of St. Luc, the patron saint of artists. The site also supports English. This is a relatively new community, so the number of its users is not very large yet.
→ instructables.com
The Instructables website is a community where users can share their DIY projects. This also includes products obtained using 3D printers. The site also provides explanations and instructions describing how to build 3D elements, and some designers take the time to answer questions from site members. Instructables allows users to store and organize their 3D printing projects. This is done to help them work together in the future. You can think of this site as a GitHub 3D printing site where users can share their files, discuss projects, and participate in them. The site also offers the ability to make a request, so if you can't find what you're looking for, you can ask the site's community about it.
→ pinshape.com
Pinshape, a marketplace for 3D models, is similar in style (layout, look, and ability to capture likes) to the well-known site Pinterest. You can buy models from designers, or download them for printing yourself if they are offered for free. Pinshape allows users to host and share 3D model files on it. Basically, this site acts as an online store where you can buy 3D printed parts, or order your own 3D model to be printed. But if you look closely enough, you can find people who sell their products and also offer the files you need so you can print them yourself.
→ 3dfilemarket.com
A new and growing repository of 3D File Market models. All models are tested for suitability for 3D printing. You can download as many models as you like without registration, although you must provide your email address to access the 3D model files. This is a very simple site aimed at being a repository of model files for 3D printers, and nothing more. The basic design of the site allows users to put files on it for public access, and download files that they would like to use. The site contains many small, simple 3D models ready to be printed, as well as a good selection of everyday items and even spare parts for 3D printers.
Search engines for 3D models in various formats, including STL for a 3D printer. Use queries in English, these search services collect information about models from all over the Internet.
→ yeggi.com
Yeggi is a search engine that will browse major 3D printing sites to find files compatible with 3D printers. You can also browse some popular searches to get an idea of what the community is currently interested in.
→ yobi3d.com
When in doubt, use yobi3D to search for files that match the desired 3D printer. This tool is useful if you want to search for one thing across all sites at once. A very convenient format filter, fast search, high-quality previews and stl models prepared for 3D printing for printing.
→ stlfinder.com
This is another STLfinder that surfs the web looking for 3D printing. To select files compatible with 3D printers, he goes through many 3D modeling sites.
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 pocket of the authors. 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 mixture 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, and 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.