10 Websites to Download Free 3d Models
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Do you have a 3d printer but don’t know what to print first? Or want to see if your 3d printer is working correctly? Then get ready to bookmark these ten sites, which offer free 3d models to start printing right away.
1) Thingiverse
Created in 2008 by the personal print pioneer Makerbot 3D, Thingiverse is one of the best known and most appreciated 3D modeling platforms for makers. Thanks to a very active community of more than 2 million fans, the site hosts more than one million free STL files, from spare parts to toys. Thingiverse offers a wide variety of models with optimal print settings.
2) Cults
This platform offers more than 22,000 3D models, free or paid, available in English, Spanish, and French. The site is notable for its interface and its community of 2,500 designers specializing in 3D printing. Cults, which also offers other services such as 3D scanning, is responsible for selecting the best designer according to your project’s nature.
3) Youmagine
In response to Makerbot and its Thingiverse platform, 3D printer manufacturer Ultimaker created Youmagine in 2013. The Dutch platform hosts already have more than 14,000 STL files for free download and printing on any FDM 3D printer. To protect the creations of its designers, Youmagine has created a specific open source license called 3DPL.
Available in three types of license according to the terms of use of the 3D model, this 3D printing license intends to ensure the proper use of the designs.
4) Yeggi
Yeggi is not a database or a marketplace, but a specialized search engine for 3D printing files. Launched in 2015, the site refers to more than 1.5 million models from many platforms worldwide. Smaller in a number of available files (about 100,000), Printmeasheep is very practical, as it allows searches in several languages such as French, Italian, Spanish, and of course, English.
5) MyMiniFactory
Launched in 2013, MyMinifactory is an international platform that hosts only free STL files and 100% printable in three dimensions. The site has 8000 designers and more than 45,000 3D models for printing. In collaboration with leading brands and manufacturers, the platform offers 3D designers a wide choice of competitions to win 3D printers.
https://www.myminifactory.com/
6) Pinshape
Another site known for the quality of its designs, Pinshape, offers more than 30,000 paid or free 3D models. Born in 2014 and taken over in 2016 by the American manufacturer Formlabs, this site has a very active community of 7 0 000 manufacturers and designers. Yeggi supports several 3D, STL, and OBJ file formats, but also ZIP files.
7) Sketchfab
Created in 2012 by Cédric Pinson and Alban Denoyel, Sketchfab is a 3D file hosting and playback site. A recognized French platform for its community of designers and WebGL technology that allows visualizing models with textures and environments in 360 degrees. Among the 2.8 million 3D models hosted, there are downloadable ones in a dedicated section; for others, it is necessary to request the creator.
8) Happy 3D
Happy 3D is a platform for 3D files created by the French household appliance specialist Boulanger. Launched in partnership with Cults in 2016, this database specializes in 3D models of open-source parts for household appliances. A Fevad Award winner, the site aims to combat programmed obsolescence and facilitate independent repair. Today there are over 400 free downloadable patterns, including thermostat keys, projector feet, or even dishwasher hinges.
9) Grabcad
Thanks to its nearly 5 million members, mostly engineers, Grabcad offers a library of high-level 3D files. Purchased in 2014 by the American company Stratasys, this unique professional platform is free to use, and you can download files in their original format. Therefore, the proposed files are not always optimized for 3D printing but can be reused and changed. The database contains more than 2.8 million 3D models.
10) CG Trader
CG Trader is a marketplace created in 2011 by a designer named Marius Kalytis. The site hosts 650 000 free or paid models, including virtual and augmented reality files. Nine categories are available to the user: art, fashion, leisure and DIY, home, jewelry, toys, science, gadgets, and miniatures.
