Best 3D Printing Software

Cura is a great, open-source 3D printing software developed by Ultimaker specifically for their own 3D printers. However thankfully,  it can be used with most other 3D printers with little difficulty, making it a global standard. With Cura, users can create 3D models from scratch or import existing models off the web. Once a model is created, Cura can be used to generate a sliced model, which can then be exported as an STL file.

Cura also offers a wide range of settings that can be used during 3D printing process, such as adjusting layer height and infill percentage. Cura is a great bit of 3D printing software that gives users total control over their 3D printing process. It is for this reason that Cura sits in the top place on our list of the best 3D printing software out there.

SelfCAD is a fantastic user-friendly 3D printing design software, suited for both beginners and more advanced printers. SelfCAD’s fantastic slicer is compatible with the most widely used FDM 3D printers. SelfCAD also features a brilliant 3D rendering function. Users can generate realistic 3D renders using its in-built 3D rendering engine, adding lighting, textures, materials, and colors to their designs.

If you have STL files that you would like to modify, you can also do it easily within SelfCAD. For example, the Simplify 3D tool that reduces the number of faces in the STL file before sending it for 3D rendering or animation – is particularly useful. Overall, SelfCAD is a leading bit of software and is easily one of the best bits of 3D printing software out there.

Lychee Slicer is a great choice for 3D resin printing, offering a vast selection of 3D printers and resin profiles. The Lychee SLicer is also incredibly user-friendly, easy to use, and has generally great features.

The Lychee Sliver’s “Magic” button is a great feature for users looking to get stuck right in. In the Magic mode, the Lychee slicer takes care of everything, including automatic model orientation. This can assist beginners massively, and let them create great results within minutes.

Simplify3D is packed with great features that make it appealing to many advanced users. For example, Simplify3D allows users to combine multiple printing processes into a single g-code file. Features like this are targeted at more advanced users, so if you are an advanced printer who wants complete control over your prints, then Simplify3D is your best bet.

Simplify3D prioritizes functionality over a sleek and intuitive design, unlike many of the other software on this list. The interface may seem quite complicated to a lot of beginners, but advanced users that can see past the interface won’t struggle with this at all.  your users that seek complete control over their prints, do not mind spending money on high-quality software, then Simplify3D should be your software of choice. Professional users will like the degree of manual control they can obtain, and should definitely think about Simplify3D.