2022's Top 10 Sites For Free 3D Printing STL Files
Welcome to the 3d printing world. You already have a 3d printer and you want to make something. Maybe you are looking for a website that can provide the free STL file. Below is a list of free STL file websites, enjoy it!
1. Thingiverse
Operated by the popular Makerbot, one of the leaders in 3D printers, Thingiverse provides access to a huge variety of 3D models as well as a knowledgeable community. This site is well known and has been running for a long time.
2. MyMiniFactory
The site is managed by iMakr, so you don’t have to worry about the lack of quality models. All the objects are curated, meaning that “every object uploaded on MyMiniFactory has been test-printed on desktop 3D printers.” If you are interested in the game and anime characters, then this site is the top 1 in your right. Need to point it out: High-quality models may not be free so you need to pay a bit.
3. GrabCAD
GrabCAD is not your typical place to just download free STL files for 3D printing. It has many CAD models, many of which are also available in STL format. The Resource area is great, giving you access to tutorials, case studies, and even helpful e-books. A mount of the members of them is designers or engineers. They will share the stp/cad type files so you can remix them easily. It also features the useful GrabCAD Workbench tool. It’s a very popular site with many interesting models and resources available so do check the website out soon.
4. SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse
Once owned by Google, SketchUP 3D Warehouse is the go-to place for all your 3D model needs. Laying claim to being one of the largest 3D model online depositories, with over 4 million free downloads available, this site is easy to navigate using the search feature. To better navigate through the sheer volume of STL files available, they have been grouped into convenient categories. The site has also just released a handy feature that gives users the option to have the SketchUp models they upload automatically converted to STL. Be warned that you may end up spending more time at SketchUp’s site than you may have planned to as there are just too many choices offered.
5. Sketchfab
Set up in 2012 to build up a community-based 3D model online repository, this French-based site has grown to offer both free and paid downloads. It was among the first to offer models created with any of the major 3D creation tools, further supporting VR and AR on compatible hardware. This site is easy to navigate using the search feature and to better navigate through the sheer volume of STL files available, they have been grouped into convenient categories. Be warned that you may end up spending more time at this Sketchfab site than you may have planned to as there are just too many choices offered.
6. Yeggi
Yeggi is a sort of Google for 3D printable models. And similar to Google, there is – almost – no real competition. Yeggi is a 3D print model search engine. It collects data from 3D printing communities and marketplaces such as Thingiverse, GrabCAD, 3DLT, and many others. As of early 2018, Yeggi claimed it had indexed nearly 1,4 million 3D models.
7. Free3d
Being one of the smaller repositories, Free3D by TurboSquid has both free and paid models. It offers models created by various 3D software but the downloads aren’t in STL format and need to be converted before usage. Multiple language options make for easier navigation and searches. As one of the newer community-focused sites, while also aiming to grow into a marketplace, Free3D has some great potential.
8. Pinshape
While this is technically a marketplace, Pinshape is a thriving community that makes available quirkier models that range from Star Wars-inspired miniatures to jewelry. The free models are displayed along with clearly-marked paid pieces, so you can easily distinguish them or you can simply spend hours browsing and admiring the creativity which went into all these pieces.
9. NASA
While this site may have the least number of 3D models available, it more than makes up in quality as STL files made available for free lets you fabricate landmark objects in the history of space exploration – like the Apollo 11 landing site, the Curiosity Rover or the Hubble Space Telescope. What makes this site really cool is that you also get to download models of spacesuits and rockets which had been deployed by America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
10. NIH 3D Print Exchange
This United States government agency for biomedical and public health research offers scientifically accurate or medically applicable models for download. The STL file collections include face shields and low-cost prosthetics, plus models of various human organs for education and research purposes. Especially interesting are the DNA molecules and virus models, so you can get a closer look at these microscopic objects.
