Gpl 3d printer

6 Best Open Source 3D Printers 2022 (With Links To Designs)

Open source previously meant users had permission to use and modify software code, and improve it however they wished. Today, the open source philosophy and community has grown immensely to include physical products, and open source software powers billions of devices worldwide.

Open source 3D printers helped launch the affordable 3D printer range we have now, starting from the RepRap movement more than a decade ago. Therefore, we ranked our favorite open source 3D printers, with links to the 3D printer source files, and where to buy them.

What is open source?

Open source encourages collaboration and the sharing of improvements with the community, leading to faster innovation and better technology for everyone. Without any IP holding people back from experimenting and improving open source 3D printer designs, fantastic new developments can occur.

• A number of open source software feature in our best free 3D software guide.
• Open source 3D printer software also feature in our best 3D printer software guide.

How can open source improve 3D printers?

An example of this is the development of the Olsson Block. Anders Olsson, in trying to get his Ultimaker 3D printer to print boron carbide, accidentally created a block that made switching a 3D printer’s nozzle far quicker. Now, Olsson Blocks are used by thousands of 3D printers to reduce nozzle switching time.

Best Open Source 3D Printers for all price ranges

At the start of the consumer printing revolution, courtesy of RepRap 3D printers, open source 3D printers were the norm. Passionate makers across the world modified existing open source 3D printer designs or created their own for others to improve. They were effective yet cheap, costing just a few hundred dollars back when an equivalent 3D printer would cost thousands.

Open Source vs Closed Source 3D Printers

Makerbot, Printrbot, Lulzbot (by Aleph Objects), Ultimaker, BCN3D and several other 3D printer companies were formed championing the open source 3D printer movement. However, some have since struggled.

Printrbot closed down in July 2018 citing low sales, while Lulzbot laid off the majority of their staff in October 2019, facing closure before they were rescued and bought out. Makerbot, perhaps the most successful 3D printer company to emerge from the DIY 3D printer revolution, famously turned their back on the open source philosophy, and now their 3D printers are closed source and IP-protected. The company was acquired for $400M by Stratasys.Makerbot printers are now closed source and IP-protected.

However, some open source 3D printer companies continue to show strong growth and prove that open source is not only well-loved, but also a profitable strategy. BCN3D continue to produce high-quality printers including the Sigma D25 and Epsilon, while Ultimaker have grown to become one of the most respected 3D printer companies in the world.

We have a full list of open source 3D printers at the end of this article. First however, we have our recommendations of the best open source 3D printers with links for purchasing. We also include links to the open source 3D printer designs on GitHub.

3DSourced is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Best Desktop Open Source 3D Printers

Monoprice Mini Delta — Introductory open source printer

• Price: $169 — Available on Amazon here
• Maximum print volume: 110 x 110 x 120 mm
• Accuracy: up to 50 microns

The Monoprice Mini Delta is known for being one of the best budget 3D printers around, with great precision (up to 50 microns), speed (up to 150 mm/s) — and it’s open source!

An open source delta 3D printer, this differing type of 3D printer allows for faster print speed, as with less weight on the print head, faster speeds and quicker acceleration can occur without overshooting. Higher print speeds can therefore be maintained without any loss of accuracy.

• We also have a ranking of the fastest 3D printers.

Unlike many delta printers, the Monoprice Mini Delta comes fully assembled, so you can get printing in less than an hour from opening the box. The heated bed means you can print ABS and other trickier 3D printer filaments, and you can print via WiFi as well as by USB or SD card. The sturdy metal frame improves part print quality by anchoring the printer down so external factors like vibrations don’t impact quality, and overall it’s a fantastic open source 3D printer for a low price.

Anet A8 – Low cost open source 3D printer

• Price: $180 — Available on Amazon here
• Size: 220 x 220 x 240 mm
• Minimum layer thickness: 100 microns

A low-cost open source 3D printer, the Anet A8 is a 3D printer kit that you will have to build yourself. It will take a few hours (up to six, actually), but once it’s up and running, not only will you be able to print magnificent 3D models, but you’ll also feel accomplished and appreciate it more having built it yourself.

Since it requires some tech know-how, this may not be the ideal 3D printer for beginners. But for those with enough experience to handle any issues and who can modify their open source 3D printer based on what they want to print, it’s fantastic for such a low price.

Once it’s up and running, it’s a fairly large 3D printer, able to print 220 x 220 x 240 mm parts without issue. It can print standard PLA and ABS, as well as wood-filled filaments and others including Nylon.

Overall, it’s reasonably reliable, accurate, and does everything you could possibly expect for such an affordable 3D printer. And with the open source firmware, you can unleash your creativity and change anything you want to improve.

Creality CR-10 / V3 — Great Open Source 3D Printer Kit

• Price: $369 for standard CR-10 / $459 for CR-10 V3 — Available on Amazon here / Available on Creality Store here
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm
• Minimum layer thickness: 100 microns

The Creality CR-10 has been one of the best-selling and highest-rated 3D printers under $500 of the last few years, with many iterations and updates continuing to build on the original CR-10’s success.

The original CR-10 is now fully open source, with Creality 3D having released all the files on their GitHub for anyone to view. Though this CR-10 is being phased out in favor of the newer CR-10 V2 models, many 3D printer parts will be identical across models, and the CR-10 V2 files are also available.

The open printing area means there is no protection from unpleasant fumes, and this open source 3D printer can also be fairly noisy, so you may want to keep it in a separate room from the one where you work or relax in. The quality and reliability of the Creality CR-10 however shines through and is the main reason for its popularity, and overall it’s a great open source printer.

Prusa i3 — best open source 3D printer under $1,000

• Price: $749 as a kit — Available on Prusa store here / $999 fully assembled — Available on Prusa store here
• Build volume: 250 x 210 x 200 mm
• Precision: 50 microns

Whereas some desktop 3D printer brands have turned their backs on open source, Prusa is still committed to the open source 3D printer philosophy, and you can access everything you need on their GitHub.

Known as one of the best 3D printer kits ever made, Prusa 3D printers have won boatloads of awards. Solid printing speed, accuracy, great reliability and compatibility with a variety of filaments (especially with the Multi-Material 2.0 upgrade) make it competitive with printers costing far more.

• The Prusa can be upgraded to print 5 colors simultaneously. You can read more in our color 3D printer ranking.

Designed to save you hassle and time, the Prusa i3 printers will save your current progress in the event of a power outage so you can resume where you left off, it will pause in the event of filament running out so the print doesn’t fail, and can even detect when the filament is clogging. Overall, it’s a fantastic open source 3D printer and we highly recommend it.

Professional Open Source 3D Printers

BCN3D Sigma D25

• Price: $3,995 — Available on Dynamism Store here / Available on Matterhackers here / 3DPrima Europe here
• Build volume: 420 x 300 x 200 mm

Barcelona, Spain-based BCN3D remain committed to open source 3D printing since their inception in 2012. All their printers have open source 3D printer files for firmware, process, software, and more published on the BCN3D GitHub.

BCN3D printers are known for their reliability, and the Sigma D25, their newest printer, is no different. Featuring their signature IDEX dual extruder system which can print in two special modes, Mirror and Duplication, each extruder can function separately, as either a multi color 3D printer, or for printing with a soluble filament for supports that can be easily removed.

Whereas the Sigmax R19 has a completely closed, enclosed build chamber, the Sigma D25 is semi-open. It’s easy to use, reliable, durable with its high-quality stainless steel frame, and prints very consistently and accurately at up to 50-micron layer heights on E3D hot ends. D25 models now have access to WiFi 3D printing, and can automatically install new firmware updates to keep your printer up to date.

Any keen makers or small businesses looking to print fun projects or accurate plastic prototypes, that is also open source, may find the Sigma D25 the perfect 3D printer for you.

Ultimaker 3 / S3

• Price: $4,080 — Available on Dynamism Store here / Available on Matterhackers here
• Build volume: 215 x 215 x 210 mm

12 months after the Ultimaker 3’s release, the Dutch company released the hardware source files for both the Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker 3 Extended here. This was no surprise; Ultimaker had previously released the files to other printers including the Ultimaker 2 Go, leading to innovation breakthroughs such as the Olsson Block. Ultimaker also develops Cura, the popular and open source 3D slicer.

Known as one of the best 3D printers of its generation, the Ultimaker 3 is incredibly accurate and widely adopted for rapid prototyping precise plastic parts. It comes fully assembled and almost ready to print; you can get it all started within just a few minutes.

It works with Ultimaker’s open source 3D printer software, Cura, and features a built-in camera for monitoring your print’s progress remotely. It’s not the fastest, but prints with flawless accuracy for an FDM 3D printer, and the dual extruder also adds to its offering.

Ultimaker has not yet (as of August 2021) released any source files for the Ultimaker S5 or S3, but some of the parts are near identical to the Ultimaker 3.

• BCN3D Epsilon
• Lulzbot Mini
• Taz Pro
• BigFDM
• Creatable 3D
• Hydra Research Nautilus

Other articles you may be interested in:

• How to get a free 3D printer
• Open source CAD software

Top 18 of the best open-source CAD software in 2022

3D modeling software are useful for many different applications and could be a great asset for your business. It is a real advantage to develop your project, and it can be used for architectural projects, in the medical field, or even in the fashion sector. Everything is possible. In this blog post we are going to see how a 3D modeling program could help you in your daily work and what an open-source software exactly is. Then, we will see what are the best available open-source CAD software in order to help you find the right CAD tool for your company.

Why should you use CAD software?

3D modeling software could be useful for your company for diverse applications. It can be used by engineers or designers, and even by amateurs. It is becoming a convenient and essential tool to work on designs, prototypes, or to produce 3D printed parts. You can use it to 3D model your parts in order to 3D print them, or just for the visualization of your projects.

Do you need to improve your design process or want to elaborate industrial designs?

These kinds of programs are particularly convenient if you are looking for a new prototyping process. Indeed, prototyping is becoming quite simple while using 3D modeling software and additive manufacturing. You can do many iterations at a lower cost, and you just have to modify your CAD model if you need to change something.

3D modeling software could also be a good solution to get a better visualization of your project or to improve your product design. From technical drawings to advanced 3D models for mechanical engineering, everything is possible if you choose the right CAD tool.  We know that there is necessarily a software on the market that will fit your needs, and it may be an open-source software!

What is an open-source CAD software?

Open-Source software has a free public code that can be downloaded and modified by developers. It can be great if you want to add features to specific software in order to improve it and adapt it to the use of your business. All the community can participate in the software development, anyone can write an extension to make the software better. It clearly has a collaborative aspect.

There are various open-source CAD software programs available, that you can download for free. You can use them to create and modify your 3D models and develop your professional projects. Are you interested in starting 3D modeling with open-source CAD software? Let’s see what the best programs are for your business.

The best open-source CAD programs - General open-source software

Here is a selection of the best open-source 3D CAD software for 3D applications. You will mainly find software for advanced users, as these programs are addressed to professionals or programmers.

FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a parametric 3D modeling software. You don’t need previous experience with 3D modeling to use it, but you can totally achieve complex models with it, for engineering or architecture projects. Indeed, it has professional features adapted to work for mechanical engineering.  It can be used by anybody: home-users, designers, programmers, and even educators.

If you need to 3D print your part, check our tutorial to learn how to prepare your 3D model to 3D printing using FreeCAD.

Blender

Blender is a widely used open-source software. It is useful to create various 3D designs, from electronic projects to digital art. It can create impressive models, using polygonal modeling techniques. You can use Blender to create simulations and animations.

You need to be experienced with 3D modeling, but if you need a little help, Blender has a really large community, offering a lot of tutorials.

If you are planning to 3D print your model, check out our tutorial to prepare your design for 3D printing using Blender.

OpenSCAD

OpenSCAD is an open-source parametric software, that can be used to create 2D designs, and 3D models. It is a great tool to make 3D objects designed for additive manufacturing. While using OpenSCAD, you can’t modify directly with your mouse the CAD model that is in the viewer. This software uses its own language.

OpenSCAD is perfect if you need to create accurate models, but you have to keep in mind that it is really programmer-oriented.

Wings 3D

Wings 3D is a free open-source software. It offers a great variety of modeling tools, that could help you with all of your projects. It is a good software to create your CAD models and work on texture and materials. However, it is not the perfect tool if you need a CAD program for animation and rendering.

We have a tutorial that could help you to create your 3D model with Wings 3D.

OpenCascade Technology

OpenCascade Technology is a complete 3D modeling tool: from modeling to visualization, everything is possible. The geometric, topological and visualization algorithms of this program will allow you to create 3D models for any type of sectors, just for visualization, or for manufacturing processes.

SolveSpace

SolveSpace is a parametric 2D/3D modeling software. It is a good tool if you need an open-source CAD software to export your 3D files for 3D printing. It has all the basic features of a 3D software, and it is possible to make complex designs. You can work on the design of an object or process mechanical simulations with this program.

Art of illusion

Art of illusion is an animation oriented software. It is an open-source program, allowing to work on 3D modeling, texturing and material, but also able to make some rendering. Art of illusion is a high end animation program, powerful enough to be used professionally.

OpenJSCAD

OpenJSCAD is an open-source CAD program. It is quite similar to OpenSCAD, which we discussed previously in this blogpost, but the difference is that OpenJSCAD is a browser-based program. It is easier to use. Indeed, it is a good solution as you don’t need to install any software to create the 3D model that you want to 3D print.

Moreover, all the features are well explained on the website, you just have to follow the indications to create your own 3D designs.

JS Sketcher

JS Sketcher is a CAD program that you can access with your browser. This open-source parametric modeling software is written in javascript. For the moment, there are not too many features, so it is a simple software to use if you are just beginning with open-source programs, but you will still need a little bit of training at the beginning. This is a really promising software.

QCAD

QCAD is a free computer-aided design software. It is hosted on GitHub and is open to any contributions. This 2D CAD software offers a wide range of CAD tools. This CAD program can be extended through its complete ECMAScript (JavaScript) interface.

BRL CAD

This CAD tool software has been developed by Mike Muuss at the Army Research Laboratory and used by US military. They used it for academic, industrial, or even health applications. This solid modeling system has been around since 1984, it simply became an open-source project in 2004. 

It is now possible to use this program for engineering or graphic applications. 

LibreCAD

LibreCAD is a free open-source CAD with a large community of users, contributors, and developers. This 2D CAD software is really complete and useful for laser cutting projects, for example. The source code can be downloaded directly from GitHub.

Salome

The open-source CAD software Salome works with Microsoft as well as Linux. It offers a wide range of different tools like sculpting and shaping. The user can also benefit from many already existing shapes, fields, or meshes in 3D. Salome can be used by users from any level. 

LeoCAD

LeoCAD is a great open-source CAD software for all levels and offers a simplistic approach to the design process of a 3D model. This CAD software is available for macOS, Linux as well as Microsoft.

The best open-source CAD programs - Specific open-source applications

Makehuman

If you are looking for an open-source software for chara-design: you have to try Makehuman! It has an intuitive interface, and perfect software tools for beginners. It is allowing you to use parametric modeling to create your characters, and to work on body proportion, faces, eyes, etc. This software offers a lot of possibilities, but you will not be able to create realistic 3D models with this CAD program

http://www.makehuman.org/

OpenFX

OpenFX is a 3D modeling software, it has a powerful feature set. This open source software is majoritarly used for chara-design. OpenFX is a flexible program, offering you a lot of possibilities in terms of chara-design. For example, you can make good skeleton structures and skinning with this 3D software. You can even simulate actions with the character that you’ve created, to see how your design reacts.

MolView

MolView is a molecular modeling software. It is a free web-application, with a steep learning curve, so it is possible to use it even if you have no previous CAD experience. This open-source program allows to create various projects such as structural formulas, simulation of proteins, etc.  

You can watch the video below to get more information about this software:

OpenVSP

Open VSP (Vehicle Space Pad) is an open-source software for aircraft. It has been developed by NASA. This is a serious and intuitive tool that will allow you to create CAD models easily and create accurate designs and mechanical overview for all your aircraft projects.

If you are just getting started, here is a tutorial for you to discover the basic CAD software options of OpenVSP:

Which open-source software do you choose?

We hope that this top will help you to find the perfect open-source CAD software for your project. If you already have a 3D model, and want to try additive manufacturing, you can upload your 3D model right now on our online 3D printing service. You will access our 3D printers, allowing you to create amazing 3D printing projects.

If you want to read more about 3D modeling software and 3D printing, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter.

SibRap 3D printer from the manufacturer Azbuka 3D

Construction area, mm: 185x185x150

Material for printing: ABS plastic, PLA plastic, Nylon,

All characteristics

Description of the SibRap 3D printer

SibRap - RepRap 3D printer jointly developed by PrintAndPlay and Cubekt Lab. In the new 3D printer SibRap version 1.4, the frame is laser-cut from 18 mm thick plexiglass. This increased the rigidity of the entire structure. Also, the base of the printing table is made of a 3mm thick aluminum plate with laser-perforated holes for structural elements. All these and other changes have improved the quality of printing, and also greatly simplified the assembly of the printer.

About the SibRap printer

The SibRap printer is the only 3d printer in Russia, the drawings of which are created in open source programs and distributed under open licenses (GPL). The concept of open design (open hardware), in accordance with which the project was developed, implies the free participation of everyone in the development of the project. The contribution of any participant is welcome and will be supported by the community. Buyers of the printer receive not just a printer, but a platform open to modifications, which can subsequently be improved and supplemented with new features. The current version of the SibRap printer is 1.4.

How is the SibRap 3D printer different from other printers?

• The project is open, all drawings are available here http://wiki.livyminds.ru, everyone can contribute to the project.
• A consequence of the openness of the project is that there is a constant process of improvement and creation of new nodes for the 3D printer.
• The owner of the SibRap 3D printer has the opportunity to upgrade (similar to computers) his 3D printer of the previous version.
• All repair and upgrade parts are available in Novosibirsk.
• SibRap 3D printer, unlike many other, even more expensive printers, has a heated table, which allows you to print on it with the entire range of 3D printing materials on the world market. Without a heated bed, it would be impossible to print materials as common as ABS and as durable as nylon.
• Ability to print materials with a diameter of 1. 75 mm and 3 mm.
• Feeding material through a gearbox rather than directly, which increases print accuracy and minimizes the chance of overheating of the extruder motor, unlike many other printers.
• The SibRap printer uses linear bearings rather than bushings, unlike printers from some manufacturers. This allows you to print at high speeds with great precision.
• Also available is the SibRap 3D Printer DIY Kit, which will allow you to assemble a full-fledged 3D printer yourself for less!
• Printer warranty - 6 months.

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