Where to download 3D printable STL files?

There are manySTL file repositories, 3D model marketplaces, and3D blueprint search enginesavailable online. Makers needs3D printable models (preferably in STL format, the most common format in 3D printing) earlier starting to 3D impress.

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

We 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.

Total listing of websites to download 3D printable files and 3D models

Website Cost Category Number of 3D models 3D printable files
TraceParts Free Repository 93,803,647 x
3DfindIT Free Search engine 5,559,251 ten
3D Warehouse Free Repository four,000,000 x
GrabCAD Free Repository 3,640,000 x
Thangs Free Search engine 3,400,000 x
STL Finder Free/Paid Search engine 2,000,000 x
Yeggi Complimentary/Paid Search engine ane,958,000 x
Zimple Costless/Paid Search engine 1,863,000 x
Sketchfab Gratis/Paid Repository 1,500,000
Thingiverse Free Repository 1,446,000 ten
Thangs Free/Paid Search engine 3,400,000 x
CGTrader Free/Paid Market 820,000 ten
Cults. Gratuitous/Paid Market 300,000 x
PrintMeASheep Gratuitous/Paid Search engine 100,000 x
Free3D Complimentary/Paid Repository 74,700
My Mini Factory Free/Paid Marketplace sixty,000 10
TurboSquid Free/Paid Marketplace 35,725
CGStudio Complimentary/Paid Marketplace 31,459 10
Pinshape Free/Paid Market place xxx,000 x
Hum3D Free/Paid Marketplace sixteen,305 x
3Dupndown Free/Paid Marketplace 16,200 x
FlatPyramid Paid Marketplace 15,500 10
YouMagine Costless Repository xv,000 x
3DExport Costless/Paid Marketplace 12,853 10
PARTcloud.net Free Repository 12,240
XYZprinting 3D Gallery Complimentary/Paid Marketplace 9,130 x
NIH 3D Print Exchange Gratis Repository 7,160 x
3D Orchard Costless Repository 7,000 x
Embodi3D Gratis/Paid Marketplace 6,942 10
Threeding Gratuitous/Paid Marketplace 5,425 ten
Redpah Costless/Paid Market 3,600 x
3DfindIT Complimentary Search engine five,559,251 x
PrusaPrinters Costless Repository 2,269 x
3Dfilemarket Free/Paid Market 1,149 x
Tridimensia Free/Paid Search engine 1000 x
Repables Free Repository 690 x
STLHive Gratuitous/Paid Marketplace 544 10
Gambody Free/Paid Marketplace 443 x
3DaGoGo Free/Paid Marketplace 435 ten
Libre3D Free Repository 384 ten
Polar Cloud Free Repository 364 x
3Demon Gratis/Paid Marketplace 249 x
africanfossils.org Free Repository 180 x
CG Sci-Fi Free/Paid Market place 116
NASA Free Repository 105 x
Rinkak Free/Paid Market 100 x
Pileprint Free Repository 90 x
3DKitbash Paid Market place 33 ten
Zortrax Library Gratuitous Repository x
3dsha.re Gratis/Paid Marketplace 10
Fabbly Free/Paid Marketplace ten
Instructables Free Repository x
Shapetizer Free/Paid Marketplace x
Tinkercad Costless Repository ten
3DVIA Free Repository
3D-pocket Paid Marketplace x
Happy3D.fr Free Repository x
MakePrintable Free Repository ten
Wazp Spark Paid Marketplace 10

This table aims to list all of the websites offering paid and gratis 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 (straight ready for 3D press).

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

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

Free/paid

  • Free: the 3D file repository is entirely complimentary.
  • Gratuitous/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 minor pianoforte we 3D printed from a gratuitous STL file on Thingiverse ("Piano two" by kazysd).

Category

We classify the sites to download STL files in 3 categories:

  • Repository: a repository is a database regrouping free 3D models but. Most STL files websites are repositories.
  • Marketplace: a marketplace is a website containing both paid and free STL files.
  • Search engine: 3D model search engines index thousands of 3D files from other websites to salve time for users.

3D printable files

The sites with an "X" in the "3D printable files" cavalcade are either 100% 3D printable files or take an option to filter on 3D printable designs but.

Where can I find free STL files for 3D printers?

Take a wait at some of the all-time sites to observe complimentary STL files for 3D printing.For 3D file repositories, size matters. The more 3D printing files, usually the more interesting the database. Withal,user feel is as well an of import factor: filters, 3D visualizer, active community, etc.

But a handful of them match those criteria, and near sites have the aforementioned 3D models appear on a regular footing.

Here is a shortlist of the almost popular and all-time free STL file websites with fresh content:

  • Thingiverse
  • Cults.
  • MyMiniFactory
  • Pinshape

In our tabular array, these 3D model repositories have a bays emoji. All of them are 100% dedicated to 3D press. They offering a wide selection ofdownloadable 3D models that are ready to 3D printed and a good user experience.

(Yous can also 3D model your ain objects with tools like SelfCAD!).

Overview of the best websites to download STL files and 3D designs for 3D printing

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

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

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

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

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

Pinshape was launched in 2022 and offers free and premium (paid) models for 3D press. 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 2022 afterwards announcing they had run out of funds. Close phone call, for the greater good of the 3D press community!

They offer an interestingfile streaming pick, allowing users to edit, piece, 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-source 3D designs. Users may upload, share, and download 3D models.

The 3D designs are complimentary and 3D printable on any 3D printer. This STL file repository features diverse collections to help users observe inspiration and the right 3D blueprint.

MyMiniFactory

By MyMiniFactory

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

The website isbachelor in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Chinese. MyMiniFactory regularly hosts contests.

Yeggi is a pop search engine for 3D printable files that launched in 2013. They amass 3D models from many 3D communities and marketplaces to offer a big choice of files for 3D printing. Yeggi's homepage highlights the most searched and clicked 3D models.

It is too possible to use some bones 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 go notifications on new releases.

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

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

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

Threeding is an online 3D printing market place, founded in 2013,offer gratis and paid 3D printablemodels. You lot can upload, share or sell and download 3D models.

All the 3D designs are classified into categories to aid with the research procedure. In addition, at that place are filters to refine the search (toll, file format, and texture). Threeding too provides a 3D printing service, and then users who don't have access 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 space-related items such as satellites, planets, or spaceships. A must for space geeks!
  • Africanfossils.org is a 3D file database where there are many gratuitous 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?

In that location 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 upward for auction.

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

Some 3D designers choose to share their 3D models for complimentary, but in return ask for financial support on collaborative platforms such every bit Patreon.

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

Agustin Flowalistik's profile on Twitter.

The best websites and marketplaces to sell 3D models

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

Cults.

Their committee is xx% of the selling toll (excluding VAT), which includes bank fees (near 5% of the committee).

Pinshape

Pinshape adds 30% of the designer's toll, and so the commission is paid by the heir-apparent and not the designer.

Threeding

The standard committee fee rate is 8.5% of the sale price (minimum $0.45) including VAT. However, this commission may be lower for non-profit organizations such every bit museums, schools, foundations, private collectors, etc. The committee may be college if Threeding helps prepare the models in a 3D-printing-friendly format.

Embodi3D

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

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

STL

The STL format is the most common file format in 3D printing.STL stands for stereolithography and is originally a 3D Systems creation. It 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 triangles, the more accurate the 3D design.

OBJ

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

VRML

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

AMF

AMF stands for Additive Manufacturing File Format and is becoming more and more standard in 3D press.AMF supports color. About of all,information technology is possible to compress AMF files to well-nigh half the size of an STL file.

G-Lawmaking

G-Lawmaking is a numerical language used to instruct CNC (computer numerical control) machines, including 3D printers. In the case of 3D printers, the G-Code is the bodily file that the 3D printer reads.

The G-Code file contains the instructions for the 3D printer to build the object layer by layer (starting point, the direction and the speed of the nozzle, etc.). It is possible to generate G-Lawmaking 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 easy process. Hither are the steps:

  • Go to a 3D model repository/marketplace (run across our list above)
  • Detect a 3D designusing the filters or the search bar (if there are a lot of "likes" on a 3D blueprint it usually means it's good)
  • Click on the 3D model and read all the characteristics to make sure that's the one
  • Click on download

How to open an STL file?

To open an STL file, at that place are two main options:

  • STL viewer: there are many free ones online, without having to download any software.
  • 3D design software: after downloading the software, it is possible to open 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 press. It is our pick (with the trophy emoji) of the best websites to download free STL files for 3D printing. However, there are many more than to choose 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?

free STL file website
Model by Impress 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 choice (with the trophy emoji) of the best websites to download free STL files for 3D press.

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

FAQ

What file format is used for 3D printing?

The most mutual 3D printing file format that a 3D printer uses is GCode. This file type is a prepare of instructions for the 3D printer (temperature, movements, etc.) generated by slicing software from a 3D file format (STL, OBJ, AMF, 3MF, and more). STL is the nigh popular 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, every bit it was the file adult for the globe's first 3D printers, which used stereolithography technology.

How practise I make an STL file?

To brand an STL file, users need 3D modeling software such as AutoCAD, Tinkercad, Blender, etc. In one case the 3D model is created, it's possible to choose different export formats, including STL.

Are at that place any sites similar to Thingiverse?

At that place are over 50 sites like to Thingiverse, such every bit Cults, Pinshape, and MyMiniFactory. Check out the total listing of STL file sites here.