Best 3d Printer Design Software

Best 3d Printer Design Software

3d Design Software
Software For 3d Printers Free
Best Software For 3d Printing
Free 3d Printer Design Software
One of the most common questions among Designers and Engineers or those just getting started with 3D Printing is 'What is the best 3D design software?' Pinshape has thousands of designs created by other users, but much of 3D printing's potential is in the ability to create your own customized and functional designs. Tinkercad is an easy-to-use 3D CAD design tool. Quickly turn your idea into a CAD model for a 3D printer with Tinkercad, and upload directly to MyMiniFactory!
 9 Free 3D Design Programs to Get You Started with 3D Printing🎁 BONUS: 3D printing software Meshmixer, the ultimate toolbox for modifying STLs. Meshmixer is the best friend of all of us who are involved in 3D design for 3D printing. It is a very powerful mesh editing program, which allows us to edit, repair, correct and, in general, fix 3D models that would be totally impossible to print otherwise. Blender is actually a free 3D modeling software which was originally for 3D animation and rendering using polygonal modeling techniques. Despite its origins as a software for artists, it is considered quite accessible. One of the software's interesting features is the photorealistic rendering option.
Finding the right 3D modeling software for 3D printing is tough. That's why we want to give you a complete overview about the best and most popular free 3D modeling software in this blog post.
Classifying and benchmarking different 3D design program is a very complicated matter as everyone has different preferences and applications for 3D printing in mind. Our 3D modeling & 3D printing community here at i.materialise uses tons of different software to get the job done: from free online 3D design apps to high-end professional software.
There are several reasons why it's so difficult to find ‘the best' 3D modeling software:
There are tons of 3D modeling programs out there. It isn't a case of one software dominating the market, which can make choosing the right one quite complicated and confusing.
3D modeling software works in very different ways. One software might be quite intuitive for some people, but really complicated for others. There is no one-sizes-fits-all-approach.
Users typically have very strong opinions that the software they are using is the best one. So everyone seems to have a different opinion on which software is the most suitable for creating a 3D file.
Professional 3D modeling software often comes at a high price. Many people don't want to take the risk of purchasing high-end software without having tried free software first.
But we're going to take it step by step here. I will briefly describe the most popular free programs out there. I will also try to point out how you can progress to more sophisticated programs later.
I have tried to put them into different categories based on the style of 3D modeling that is predominant for each software. While you have to sculpt in some, you merge geometric elements in others.
Solid Modeling/Box Modeling:If you are just starting and have never created a 3D model before, TinkerCADis absolutely indispensable. It's an easy beginner-friendly app with a LEGO-approach. Basically you will combine different geometrical shapes together, in order to create new objects. TinkerCAD is great if you like geometrical designs and a geometrical way of thinking. It's very hard to create organic objects with the interface, however (like people, animals, etc.).
We have a tutorial about how to create your first 3D print in TinkerCad here. Take a look at it to get a better feel for this software.
This ‘saw wrench' was designed by Pekka Salokannel in Tinkercad.
If you reach the limits of TinkerCAD and you like the logic behind this app, you can continue to more sophisticated software like Fusion 360. Fusion 360 was also developed by Autodesk, the company behind TinkerCAD. This powerful program is now available for free for students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and startups. It combines the professional capabilities of a high-end CAD program with an user-friendly interface and workflow. That's why Fusion 360 is such a popular program among industrial designers.
Parametric Design/Procedural Modeling:Parametric 3D modeling software allows you to easily navigate and modify your 3D model by browsing back into the model history and changing its individual elements. Typically this software is at its most powerful if you want to focus on precision. However, you won't have much ‘free-style' design freedom.
FreeCAD is a free software that allows you to create precise geometric designs, such as technical parts, replacement parts, gadgets, cases, scale models etc. You can learn the basics in our beginner-friendly FreeCAD tutorial.
Typical workflow in FreeCAD: From a rough sketch to a precise 3D model.
If you would rather like to code your 3D model, OpenSCAD might be for you. This software uses programming language to create 3D objects. If you want to learn how to code your design, take a look at our OpenSCAD tutorial.
A screenshot of free 3D modeling software, OpenSCAD.
If you enjoy FreeCAD you might want to switch to the professional 3D modeling programs Autodesk 3DS Max or Autodesk Maya in the future.
Digital Sculpting:Digital sculpting is the way to go if you want to create organic designs: people, animals or creatures. This is where your mouse movements matter the most, and mechanical precision matters the least.
Meshmixeris a powerful, free software that lets you sculpt digitally and mash different 3D models together. Mold and refine surfaces in real-time like virtual clay! Once again, we have the right tutorial for you to get started.
The ‘Piguin' by Bert De Niel was created in Meshmixer and 3D printed in our multicolor material.
Sculptris provides an excellent gateway into the exciting world of 3D sculpting. Its features are easy to learn, even for someone with no experience in digital art. Yet the 3D sculpting software is robust enough to create base models that can then be refined in other, more sophisticated applications later.
If this kind of modeling is your cup of tea, you will probably want to switch to the professional premium software ZBrush later on or you can also try one of these 3D scultping programs.
Goat Skull by Jody Garrett was created in ZBrush, the professional version of free sculpting software Sculptris
Polygon Modeling/Contour Modeling:In Polygon Modeling, your 3D object is basically a mesh based on vertices, edges, and faces. This allows for precisely editing parts of your object. By changing the coordinates of one or several vertices, you can change the shape of the model. That makes this way of modeling very powerful but also more difficult to start with.
The most popular free software in this section is called Blender. However, it's also the most difficult program mentioned in this blog post. The power of design freedom comes with a steep learning curve. That's why we published video tutorials on how to get started as well as on how to turn your Blender model into a 3D print.
A premium software that is somewhat similar to Blender is Modo, which also comes in a free 30-day trial version.
Curve & Line Modeling:This is the process where models are based on drawing lines or curves in a 3D space. By joining these lines or curves together you will define the surface of your object. This manual way of designing allows designers to create precise objects.
SketchUpis a software that architects, interior designers, and scale modelers love. SketchUp is mainly based on lines – 3D models will be edgy as a result. The first steps are fairly easy, but making a printable model can be challenging sometimes. Take a look at our tutorials to learn how to create your first SketchUp 3D model and how to make it 3D printable.
Once you master this program, you might switch from SketchUp Make (free version) to the premium SketchUp Pro version.
Scale Modeler Guido Mandorf creates his tram models mostly in SketchUp.
For curve modeling Moment of Inspirationand Rhinoceros (Rhino 3D) are popular choices. Unlike SketchUp, you don't focus on lines but rather on curves. This allows for great round shapes in product designs. You can check out our video tutorial to get a better understanding of Rhino. While Rhino doesn't come for free, it offers a free 90-day trial. Enough time to test it.
Moment of Inspiration offers a 30-day trial. If you want to try a similar free software to start with, you might want to try free modeling program K-3D.
The Love Lamps by Sandro Lominashvili were designed in Rhino.
Now it's time for you to visit the websites of these 3D modeling programs, take a look around, and download the free or trial versions. If you're new to the world of 3D modeling, this interview about how to get started with 3D designing is probably of interest to you as well. You should also make sure to avoid these 5 common mistakes when turning a 3D model into a 3D print.
If you want to order a professional 3D print in 100+ materials and finishes, just upload it here and get your price immediately.

Are you looking for the best 3D Printing Software to use as a beginner? Well, I have a list of top software that will help you to design amazing 3D designs and print them using a suitable printing set.
What is 3D Printing Software?
3d printing software allows you to create 3d objects inside the base of software, render the model into 3d printing machine comprehensible data facilitating 3d printer to create the real model portion by portion. You can start building an anime character from scratch and introduce it to the real world with the help of a 3D printer.
3D printing is preferred over the traditional method of molding, for its simplicity to create small and complex designs and characters with a lot of ease. 3D printing also uses less material if compared with the traditional manufacturing process.
You can start with a mess. The mess can be cubical, cylindrical, or triangular. Then, you switch to edit mode and start manipulating it to find the shape of your imagination. You convert it to what you had visualized earlier. All you need after that is a 3D printer. 
There are hundreds or more 3D printing software available. Each of them is sufficient if you are an absolute beginner. But you would surely need monster things once you are comfortable with the basics.
We have made a list of the top 10 3D printing software for beginners. Have a look at this list.
Best 3D Printing Software For Beginners in 2021 [Updated]1. Autodesk Fusion 360Autodesk is suited for beginner to professional. It's a cloud-based tool that can handle the most complex projects. It has to dominate features available despite being a cloud-based application. You can perform freeform, solid, and mesh modeling in this program.
The program features a bunch of tools for modeling, sculpturing, simulations, assemblies, and 3D printing, etc. It provides the freedom to design, engineering, and manufacturing in one place. You can collaborate to bring ideas together for a complex project, a big deal.
It ensures the faster and efficient production of high-quality products. The platform is ideal for making complex mechanical parts, the reason why most mechanical engineers prefer it.
Features of Autodesk Fusion 360

Suited for beginners to professionals.
Supports solid modeling.
Easily collaborate with other designers.
Pricing for personal – Free
Pricing of a commercial license – $595/year
2. Ultimaker CuraUltimate Cura is open-source software for 3D modeling and printing. It flawlessly integrates with the printer. It provides a basic mode for those who are absolute beginners to let them understand the basics. That's important because gaining 3D modeling skills and experience can be tedious.
Give it a try if you prefer learning the very basics at first rather than clawing at the professional keys. Ultimate Cura also offers a custom mode to customize your final design. A great choice to go with if you have never used a 3D slicer before.
Features of Ultimate CuraOne of the best-suited 3D printing application for beginners.
One can easily install a plugin for solid modeling.
Quick learning curve and beginner-friendly
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source program)
2. TinkerCADTinkerCAD is a browser-based 3D modeling and printing tool. It's a beginner-friendly program with a very catching user-interface.
You can make use of shape and shape grouping to create some complex designs. You can create a wide range of other 3d designs and prototypes.
Despite being simplistic and less functional, it's a great software for professional modelers. It has more complicated tools built-in for godly purposes.
It finally converts your work into STL format which is a 3D printer readable format and saves it into the cloud. You can share it with anyone or print instantly with one click.
Features of TinkerCADSupports the STL file format for instant printing.
Quick learning curve and beginner-friendly
Offers a tutorial guide before starting.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free 
4. MeshLabSimilar to Ultimate Cura, it's also an open-source tool with a powerful slicing engine. It includes Slic3r which has powerful algorithms to open, repair and transform 3D models.
The software has top-notch tools for editing, rendering, and converting meshes. In MeshLab, slicing can be done with comfort and ease.
MeshLab can be used purposefully for editing the mesh. Reconstructing 3D models is also a facility provides. MeshLab can be user-friendly for beginners in case they want to do more in less time.
Features of MeshLabCapable to reconstruct 3D designs.
The software supports 3D color mapping and texturing.
It comes with a measurement tool that can easily calculate the distance between two points in a mess.

Suited for beginners to professionals.
Supports solid modeling.
Easily collaborate with other designers.
Pricing for personal – Free
Pricing of a commercial license – $595/year
2. Ultimaker CuraUltimate Cura is open-source software for 3D modeling and printing. It flawlessly integrates with the printer. It provides a basic mode for those who are absolute beginners to let them understand the basics. That's important because gaining 3D modeling skills and experience can be tedious.
Give it a try if you prefer learning the very basics at first rather than clawing at the professional keys. Ultimate Cura also offers a custom mode to customize your final design. A great choice to go with if you have never used a 3D slicer before.
Features of Ultimate CuraOne of the best-suited 3D printing application for beginners.
One can easily install a plugin for solid modeling.
Quick learning curve and beginner-friendly
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source program)
2. TinkerCADTinkerCAD is a browser-based 3D modeling and printing tool. It's a beginner-friendly program with a very catching user-interface.
You can make use of shape and shape grouping to create some complex designs. You can create a wide range of other 3d designs and prototypes.
Despite being simplistic and less functional, it's a great software for professional modelers. It has more complicated tools built-in for godly purposes.
It finally converts your work into STL format which is a 3D printer readable format and saves it into the cloud. You can share it with anyone or print instantly with one click.
Features of TinkerCADSupports the STL file format for instant printing.
Quick learning curve and beginner-friendly
Offers a tutorial guide before starting.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free 
4. MeshLabSimilar to Ultimate Cura, it's also an open-source tool with a powerful slicing engine. It includes Slic3r which has powerful algorithms to open, repair and transform 3D models.
The software has top-notch tools for editing, rendering, and converting meshes. In MeshLab, slicing can be done with comfort and ease.
MeshLab can be used purposefully for editing the mesh. Reconstructing 3D models is also a facility provides. MeshLab can be user-friendly for beginners in case they want to do more in less time.
Features of MeshLabCapable to reconstruct 3D designs.
The software supports 3D color mapping and texturing.
It comes with a measurement tool that can easily calculate the distance between two points in a mess.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
5. BlenderBlender is a widely used software for modeling purposes. It's an open-source application packed with many features such as animation, simulation, video editing, sculpting, texturing, and so on.
This is a single place solution for everything you want. You can start with a mesh, go to edit mode, and can make an entire movie out of that just with this tool. From animating your characters to working on some mesmerizing visual effects, blender can do it all.
The built-in sculpting tools are more like Mudbox. You can also create games with blender by simply integrating a game engine and making the use of your pre-build characters.
Blender can be extended with a lot of plugins available which makes it more feature-rich and powerful.
For an absolute beginner, I will suggest watching some tutorial videos before starting with it. Coming to 3D printing, it can handle anything connected to the '3D' word. It's a jack-of-all-trades software.
Do you want to know whether you should use Blender for 3D animation?Read this post and know more about it.
Features of BlenderEverything you need in one place for making animations and games.
It's an open-source platform and at the same time, widely popular, so it is developed by a large blender community, and cool features are added every day along with fixing bugs.
It can help you in game creation.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
Also Read: Is Blender Good for 2D Animation
6. FreeCADFreeCAD is also an open-source application that gives you the freedom to build what you want. The application can be an efficient tool for 3D printing. It lets you make real-life objects in no time. It features parametric modeling that allows you to modify your designs based on your model history.
The platform is suited for engineering and architecture drawings which are 2D and 3D. The designers can create a 3D model on the 2D base easily. For mechanical engineers, the platform features element analysis tools, BIM, Path workbench, geodata workbench, and robot simulation module which helps study robot movements.
Features of FreeCADParametric components for efficient editing.
Comes with tools like BIM and FEA tool for mechanical engineering.
Beginner-friendly
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
7. LibreCADAnother open-source tool for 3D modeling, designing, and printing. LibreCAD is a perfect option for a beginner, especially for mechanical engineering students.
The application includes interactive geometry editing and rendering. The software is programmed in C++, a powerful and efficient programming language.
There is also a command-line option available at the bottom of the page which ensures the change in current workflows. You can draw layers, templates and can do some advanced snapping.
Features of LibreCADA command-line option for streamlining the workflow.
Supports more than 30 languages and .dwg file format.
Beginner-friendly especially for engineering students.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
8. Rhinoceros 3DRhinoceros enables you to make precise models. It uses non-uniform rational basis spline (NURB) which is an advanced mathematical model particularly used in computer graphics for making a smooth curved surface.
You can model any shape of your imagination with a very accurate design and prototype, and manufacturing. Rhino files are compatible with Blender.
Rhino focuses on the visualization method of learning, a big advantage for a beginner. Also, if your system is also a beginner without special hardware such as a powerful graphics card, you can use it with ease.
Features of Rhinoceros 3DNo need for a high-end PC for running this software as a beginner.
Supports 3D digitizers.
Allow files in STL, OBJ, and AutoCAD format.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – $495
9. MeshmixerMeshmixer is another tool for optimized 3D designing and 3D printing. It's one of the most-used tools worldwide probably because it allows you to manipulate a triangular mess. It's has a clean and simple user- interface.
The main reason behind its popularity and at the same time the application is user-friendly. After blender, this software is best for softening the mesh to ensure a smooth finish to the model.
It also supports 3D modeling which is a considerable thing before choosing the right software. All in all, if you are an absolute beginner and need an incredibly straightforward application, you can proceed with this option.
3d Design SoftwareFeatures of MeshmixerSupports 3D modeling.
It autosaves to the recent model that you have created.
You can work with a triangular mess.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
10. 3D Slash3D slasher is by far the best application for beginners who don't want to dig deep into the subject. It has advanced features for 3D modeling but an easy to use interface which makes it easier for beginners to work with and print 3D models. It features a high definition mode for accurate modeling and editing.
The platform is not suited for professional but leave that case. For a beginner, there is no better choice than this one. You can start playing.
This software is rated as a great 3D modeling tool by various organizations and websites such as Techcrunch, 3Dinsider, and All3DP, etc.
Software For 3d Printers FreeFeatures of 3D SlashYou can import STL and OBJ model and also can save your own one created into those formats.
Apply solid colors through the syringe tool.
The software features VR mode to visualize the model in virtual reality.
Pricing for personal and commercial purpose – Free (open-source)
Final Verdict
Best Software For 3d PrintingI hope you will find it easier to easily design amazing 3D models and easily get them printed using appropriate hardware. I have researched a lot to make this article as informative as possible. Choose your software properly after fully confirming the information on their official websites. Along with this, do not forget to share this article with the people who may need it. Share your feedback in the comment section.
Free 3d Printer Design Software