Best 3D Printing Software for Startups

Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, video editing and 2D animation pipeline. Cycles is Blender’s built-in powerful unbiased path-tracer engine that offers stunning ultra-realistic rendering. Blender’s comprehensive array of modeling tools make creating, transforming and editing your models a breeze. VFX professionals say: “Probably the best tracker in the market”. Blender includes production ready camera and object tracking. Allowing you to import raw footage, track the footage, mask areas and see the camera movements live in your 3D scene. Eliminating the need to switch between programs. Thanks to the high quality rigging and animation tools, Blender is being used for numerous short films, advertisements, TV series and feature films now.

Keep your 3D models stored neatly in the cloud so you can access them anywhere. Simply upload your own .stl files for cloud based slicing or upload pre-sliced .gcode files. Add and edit your designs with our online STL viewer and print wirelessly through a beautifully simple, intuitive interface. Slice with confidence with manufacturer suggested settings. Everything is accessible from your browser so there is no software to install or keep up to date. Using the AstroPrint mobile app, you can print by enabling WIFI 3D Printer so you can print from any device, remotely controling your 3D printer, and even get push notifications when your prints are finished. Neat! View real-time progress of your prints. Add a camera to stream live video, take snapshots, and timelapses. Whether you are with a 3D Print Farm Business, a major University with 100+ printers, or an Enterprise like Stanley Black and Decker, we have you covered.

MakePrintable is a cloud solution that analyses and repairs any 3D model for 3D printing. It's created by Mixed Dimensions. Our Vision at MakePrintable is streamlining the process between 3D content and 3D printing. Making it simpler for anyone to get into 3D printing, by ensuring print success from the get-go. Our platform is for 3D hobbyists, engineers, makers and 3D enthusiasts who use 3D printing in their workflow and don't want to spend their time repairing wall thickness or solidity issues. In-depth analysis of your 3D model's printability and a highlight of problematic areas inside of our viewer to help you understand your model's challenges before printing. Advanced wall thickness adjustment that is unmatched by the industry, easily adjust thin walls and let our fixer detect and thicken thin areas for you automatically.

Trusted by millions of users, Ultimaker Cura is the world’s most popular 3D printing software. Prepare prints with a few clicks, integrate with CAD software for an easier workflow, or dive into custom settings for in-depth control. At the heart of Ultimaker Cura is its powerful, open-source slicing engine, built through years of expert in-house development and user contributions. Intent profiles print specific applications at the click of a button. Recommended profiles tested for thousands of hours ensure reliable results. ‘Custom mode’ gives over 400 settings for granular control. Regular updates constantly improve features and printing experience​. If you own a 3D printer, software matters. Get the most from your printer with software designed to suit your workflow. Manufacturing doesn’t need to be complicated. We design our software so anyone can use it – both experienced or rookie 3D printer users.

The Slic3r project has been under active and massive development. Make sure you get 1.3.0 now or try the development builds! Slic3r is free software, developed by Alessandro Ranellucci with the help of several contributors and a wonderful community. Turn your 3D models into G-code. Visual preview of toolpaths. Advanced configuration management. Custom G-code with conditional logic. Print spool queue (print on multiple machines simultaneously) or send to OctoPrint. FDM/FFF and SLA/DLP. Modifiers (distinct settings on custom regions). Most features are exposed from command line, thus providing a handy tool for batch operations and custom integrations. A C++ library for building custom applications on top of the Slic3r internal algorithms. Handle 3D models (open, repair, transform, convert). Generate G-code in many flavors. Generate infill patterns. Send G-code over serial port. Estimate G-code printing time.

SelfCAD is a 3D modeling for users of all levels. There is an online as well as downloadable versions for Windows and Mac. Most of the CAD programs available are either expensive or don’t generally provide all the necessary 3D modeling and printing tools. Some take months or years to learn and are meant for specific industries. SelfCAD has bridged this gap as it’s affordable, easy to learn and it targets all the industries. It has a simplified user interface too making it a perfect tool for novice users. SelfCAD is fully-featured including modeling, Sculpting, rendering, simple animations, and 3d print slicer, but the aggregate amount of tools is much less than any compatible software package because of its brilliant UX. The in-built slicer of SelfCAD is handy as it helps prepare the designs for printing without having to switch to another program. SelfCAD is very affordable. There are interactive tutorials available that helps one learn 3D modeling with much ease.

Orca Slicer is a free, open source 3D printing slicer for FFF and FDM 3D printers, designed to turn 3D models into precise G-code with advanced calibration tools, intelligent print controls, and a user-friendly workflow. It gives makers a complete environment for preparing, tuning, previewing, and optimizing prints, with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Orca Slicer includes a comprehensive calibration suite for temperature towers, flow rate tuning, pressure advance, retraction tests, tolerance testing, maximum flow rate testing, and vertical fine artifact calibration, helping users fine-tune printers and filaments for better print quality. The slicer also offers precise wall and seam control, including outer wall spacing adjustments and scarf seams to improve accuracy and surface finish. It includes features for sandwich mode, polyholes, multi-plate workflows, printer setup, slicing settings, and detailed model preparation, giving users more control over how parts are printed.

PrintStream manages Bambu and other 3D printers, from one printer to a whole farm. Monitor jobs, temperatures, cameras, and alerts; control printers; manage a versioned print library; and dispatch jobs. Built-in plugins add 3D model editing, in-app slicing, filament calibration and tracking, maintenance reminders, firmware updates, notifications, and Home Assistant integration. Pro adds shared print queues, production orders, team members, and roles. Print history and workspace statistics track results and usage. Use a browser or installed Windows, Linux, and Android apps, with native notifications and MakerWorld/Printables downloads captured into your library. Choose hosted cloud or self-host on Windows, Linux, or Docker. Model and print files stay on your own hardware, including with cloud hosting. Free plans cover personal, non-commercial use; Pro and Lifetime licences cover business use. A free public 3MF editor needs no account.