Where to download 3D printable STL files?

There are manySTL file repositories, 3D model marketplaces, and3D design search enginesavailable online. Makers needs3D printable models (preferably in STL format, the about mutual format in 3D press) before starting to 3D print.

The odds of finding something inspiring on one of these websites are pretty high! Most of the 3D model repositories in our listing are completely or partially complimentary, and so no need to spend a lot of money to become amazing 3D models.

Nosotros created this list of thebest websites to download STL files for 3D printers to you make the most out of your 3D printer and unleash your creativity.

Full list of websites to download 3D printable files and 3D models

Website Price Category Number of 3D models 3D printable files
TraceParts Costless Repository 93,803,647 x
3DfindIT Free Search engine v,559,251 x
3D Warehouse Free Repository 4,000,000 x
GrabCAD Free Repository 3,640,000 x
Thangs Free Search engine 3,400,000 x
STL Finder Free/Paid Search engine ii,000,000 x
Yeggi Free/Paid Search engine 1,958,000 x
Zimple Costless/Paid Search engine one,863,000 x
Sketchfab Complimentary/Paid Repository one,500,000
Thingiverse Gratis Repository one,446,000 x
Thangs Free/Paid Search engine 3,400,000 x
CGTrader Free/Paid Marketplace 820,000 x
Cults. Complimentary/Paid Marketplace 300,000 x
PrintMeASheep Free/Paid Search engine 100,000 x
Free3D Complimentary/Paid Repository 74,700
My Mini Manufacturing plant Free/Paid Market place 60,000 ten
TurboSquid Costless/Paid Marketplace 35,725
CGStudio Free/Paid Marketplace 31,459 ten
Pinshape Gratis/Paid Marketplace xxx,000 x
Hum3D Free/Paid Marketplace 16,305 x
3Dupndown Free/Paid Marketplace sixteen,200 x
FlatPyramid Paid Market fifteen,500 ten
YouMagine Gratuitous Repository 15,000 10
3DExport Free/Paid Market place 12,853 x
PARTcloud.cyberspace Free Repository 12,240
XYZprinting 3D Gallery Free/Paid Marketplace ix,130 x
NIH 3D Impress Exchange Free Repository 7,160 x
3D Orchard Free Repository 7,000 x
Embodi3D Gratuitous/Paid Market 6,942 10
Threeding Free/Paid Marketplace v,425 x
Redpah Free/Paid Marketplace three,600 10
3DfindIT Costless Search engine 5,559,251 ten
PrusaPrinters Free Repository 2,269 x
3Dfilemarket Gratis/Paid Market place ane,149 x
Tridimensia Free/Paid Search engine one thousand x
Repables Gratis Repository 690 ten
STLHive Complimentary/Paid Market place 544 ten
Gambody Free/Paid Market 443 x
3DaGoGo Gratis/Paid Market place 435 10
Libre3D Free Repository 384 x
Polar Deject Free Repository 364 x
3Demon Free/Paid Marketplace 249 x
africanfossils.org Gratuitous Repository 180 x
CG Sci-Fi Free/Paid Marketplace 116
NASA Costless Repository 105 x
Rinkak Costless/Paid Marketplace 100 x
Pileprint Complimentary Repository 90 x
3DKitbash Paid Market 33 x
Zortrax Library Complimentary Repository x
3dsha.re Free/Paid Marketplace x
Fabbly Costless/Paid Marketplace 10
Instructables Free Repository 10
Shapetizer Free/Paid Market x
Tinkercad Gratis Repository x
3DVIA Gratuitous Repository
3D-pocket Paid Marketplace 10
Happy3D.fr Free Repository x
MakePrintable Free Repository x
Wazp Spark Paid Market place x

This table aims to list all of the websites offering paid and free STL files, 3D models, 3D designs, and 3D printable files. We decided to include the number of available 3D files (when possible) and to highlight which 3D model repositories have 3D printable files (directly ready for 3D printing).

How to use our listing of the best websites to download complimentary STL files or 3D printable models?

Here are some explanations on how to use our list of the best websites to download gratuitous 3D models for 3D printers.

Costless/paid

  • Free: the 3D file repository is entirely free.
  • Gratis/paid: the STL file market offers a mix of free and paid 3D designs.
  • Paid: the 3D models marketplace is an online store where users must pay to download a 3D file.
Piano body and strings
A small piano we 3D printed from a free STL file on Thingiverse ("Piano 2" by kazysd).

Category

We allocate the sites to download STL files in iii categories:

  • Repository: a repository is a database regrouping free 3D models just. Almost STL files websites are repositories.
  • Market: a marketplace is a website containing both paid and free STL files.
  • Search engine: 3D model search engines alphabetize thousands of 3D files from other websites to salvage time for users.

3D printable files

The sites with an "X" in the "3D printable files" column are either 100% 3D printable files or accept an option to filter on 3D printable designs merely.

Where can I discover gratuitous STL files for 3D printers?

Take a wait at some of the best sites to observe free STL files for 3D press.For 3D file repositories, size matters. The more 3D printing files, ordinarily the more interesting the database. Even so,user feel is also an of import factor: filters, 3D visualizer, agile community, etc.

Only a scattering of them match those criteria, and most sites accept the aforementioned 3D models announced on a regular basis.

Hither is a shortlist of the well-nigh pop and best free STL file websites with fresh content:

  • Thingiverse
  • Cults.
  • MyMiniFactory
  • Pinshape

In our table, these 3D model repositories have a trophy emoji. All of them are 100% dedicated to 3D printing. They offering a wide choice ofdownloadable 3D models that are set up to 3D printed and a good user experience.

(You can also 3D model your own objects with tools like SelfCAD!).

Overview of the all-time websites to download STL files and 3D designs for 3D press

We are focusing on our favorite 3D-printing-friendly websites. Hither is a list of 3D printable file repositories, marketplaces, and search engines that we remember are great for 3D printing.

Thingiverse was launched in 2008 past MakerBot and has grown to becomeone of today's biggest 3D printing communities in the earth. Users of all levels can upload, share, and download 3D printable models for gratuitous. Thingiverse also hosts 3D design challenges quite often.

Furthermore, this 3D file repository has a very agile community interacting in the many discussion groups of the platform. The conversation topics vary from specific 3D printer models, to Star Wars, RepRap, and more.

Cults is a French 3D printing marketplace that launched in 2014. This 3D printer file marketplace is available in English, French, and Spanish and offers bothfree and paid 3D models.

Users can collaborate with each other, enquire questions, and relieve their favorite 3D designs for a after 3D print. Cults likewise introduced an on-demand 3D design feature where users can request a custom 3D design, which a professional designer then creates for a fee.

Pinshape was launched in 2014 and offers costless and premium (paid) models for 3D printing. The site supports STL and OBJ formats and ZIP files containing STL or OBJ files.

Pinshape was acquired by resin 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs in 2016 after announcing they had run out of funds. Shut call, for the greater practiced of the 3D press customs!

They offer an interestingfile streaming pick, allowing users to edit, slice, and 3D print a 3D model directly from Pinshape without downloading the 3D model file.

YouMagine was created in 2013 by Ultimaker and has over 15,000 open up-source 3D designs. Users may upload, share, and download 3D models.

The 3D designs are free and 3D printable on any 3D printer. This STL file repository features various collections to aid users find inspiration and the correct 3D design.

MyMiniFactory

Past MyMiniFactory

MyMiniFactory was launched in 2013 and is an STL file repository entirely dedicated to 3D printable designs. With the assist of its community, MyMiniFactory tests every 3D model. Hence,the platform guarantees that whatsoever 3D design in its repository is 100% 3D printable.

The website isavailable in English, French, Italian, Castilian, High german, and Chinese. MyMiniFactory regularly hosts contests.

Yeggi is a popular search engine for 3D printable files tchapeau launched in 2013. They aggregate 3D models from many 3D communities and marketplaces to offer a large selection of files for 3D press. Yeggi's homepage highlights the most searched and clicked 3D models.

It is too possible to utilize some basic filters to narrow the search. On the Yeggi STL file search engine, users may create an business relationship to relieve their favorite 3D models and get notifications on new releases.

Shapetizer is a digital market for STL files and 3D printable models that launched in 2015. Designers from all over the world are uploading, sharing, and selling their 3D designs here.

Shapetizer does the manufacturing, shipping, and marketing, and gives function of the revenue to the 3D designer. Registered users can 3D print models for free, or non, depending on the 3D design.

To protect designers' intellectual property on 3D designs, some 3D models are only are available via a streaming pick and not for download.

Threeding is an online 3D press marketplace, founded in 2013,offer free and paid 3D printablemodels. You can upload, share or sell and download 3D models.

All the 3D designs are classified into categories to assist with the research process. In addition, there are filters to refine the search (price, file format, and texture). Threeding as well provides a 3D press service, and so users who don't have admission to a 3D printer may order their favorite 3D models.

Bonus: nerd corner!

  • NASA offers an STL file repository from which users can download 3D printable models to make infinite-related items such equally satellites, planets, or spaceships. A must for infinite geeks!
  • Africanfossils.org is a 3D file database where at that place are many free 3D models of African fossils, from animals to ancient tools.

I am a 3D designer, where can I sell my 3D models or STL files?

There are plenty of websites where you can sell your 3D printable file or 3D model.Whether for 3D design wizards or hobbyists with good 3D modeling skills, many 3D file marketplaces allow users to put their 3D models up for sale.

The principle is elementary: when a user downloads a 3D model, the designer receives earnings(minus the marketplace's commission).

Some 3D designers choose to share their 3D models for free, but in render ask for financial support on collaborative platforms such as Patreon.

For example, the designer Agustin Flowalistik offers his 3D designs for free on Cults., Thingiverse, YouMagine, and MyMiniFactory only accepts support on Patreon.

Agustin Flowalistik'southward profile on Twitter.

The all-time websites and marketplaces to sell 3D models

Here are a few of our favorite 3D print file marketplaces.

Cults.

Their committee is xx% of the selling price (excluding VAT), which includes banking company fees (about 5% of the committee).

Pinshape

Pinshape adds thirty% of the designer's price, so the committee is paid by the buyer and non the designer.

Threeding

The standard commission fee rate is 8.five% of the sale toll (minimum $0.45) including VAT. Withal, this committee may be lower for non-profit organizations such as museums, schools, foundations, private collectors, etc. The commission may be higher if Threeding helps set the models in a 3D-printing-friendly format.

Embodi3D

Embodi3D receives fifteen% of the sale cost, plus $0.30 per sale (transaction fee). This website is specialized in medical STL models.

What are the nearly common file formats for 3D printing?

STL

The STL format is the well-nigh mutual file format in 3D printing.STL stands for stereolithography and is originally a 3D Systems cosmos. Information technology is the main 3D file format used for FFF and FDM desktop 3D printers.

This format approximates the surfaces of a solid model with triangles: the more than triangles, the more accurate the 3D design.

OBJ

OBJ is an open file format that Wavefront's Advanced Visualizer uses for polygonal or costless-form objects. Many design software can export to OBJ and this format is also common in 3D printing.

VRML

VRML stands for "Virtual Reality Modeling Linguistic communication". VRML is a 3D digital file format that supports color. Therefore, full-colour 3D printers or dual extruder 3D printers may use this format.

AMF

AMF stands for Condiment Manufacturing File Format and is becoming more and more standard in 3D printing.AMF supports color. Virtually of all,it is possible to compress AMF files to most half the size of an STL file.

Chiliad-Code

K-Code is a numerical language used to instruct CNC (figurer numerical command) machines, including 3D printers. In the instance of 3D printers, the G-Code is the actual file that the 3D printer reads.

The Grand-Code file contains the instructions for the 3D printer to build the object layer past layer (starting point, the direction and the speed of the nozzle, etc.). It is possible to generate G-Code files from STL files or other formats using slicer software.

Slicing software converts3D drawings into horizontal layers with instructions for the 3D printer.

How to download an STL file?

Downloading STL files is a very piece of cake process. Hither are the steps:

  • Go to a 3D model repository/market place (see our list to a higher place)
  • Observe a 3D designusing the filters or the search bar (if in that location are a lot of "likes" on a 3D design it usually means information technology's good)
  • Click on the 3D model and read all the characteristics to make sure that'south the one
  • Click on download

How to open an STL file?

To open an STL file, there are two chief options:

  • STL viewer: there are many gratis ones online, without having to download whatever software.
  • 3D design software: afterward downloading the software, information technology is possible to open up an STL file and edit it.

In this article, we focus on STL file repositories, marketplaces, and search engines that are the most compatible with 3D printing. It is our selection (with the trophy emoji) of the best websites to download free STL files for 3D printing. However, there are many more to choose from in our comprehensive table.

At that place are thousands of fantabulous 3D printable models on the web! What are your favorite websites to download STL files?

free STL file website
Model by Print That Thing on Pinshape.

In this article, we focus on STL file repositories, marketplaces, and search engines that are the most compatible with 3D printing. It is our option (with the trophy emoji) of the best websites to download free STL files for 3D printing.

However, there are many more than to cull from in our comprehensive tabular array. There are thousands of excellent 3D printable models on the web! What are your favorite websites to download STL files? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!

FAQ

What file format is used for 3D printing?

The near common 3D press file format that a 3D printer uses is GCode. This file type is a set of instructions for the 3D printer (temperature, movements, etc.) generated past slicing software from a 3D file format (STL, OBJ, AMF, 3MF, and more than). STL is the most pop 3D file format.

What does STL file mean? What is the STL file format?

An STL file is a 3D model of a particular object in 3D design software. STL stands for Stereolithography, as it was the file developed for the earth's commencement 3D printers, which used stereolithography technology.

How do I make an STL file?

To make an STL file, users demand 3D modeling software such as AutoCAD, Tinkercad, Blender, etc. Once the 3D model is created, it'south possible to cull different export formats, including STL.

Are there any sites similar to Thingiverse?

There are over l sites similar to Thingiverse, such as Cults, Pinshape, and MyMiniFactory. Cheque out the full list of STL file sites here.