Helpful Resources
Here you can find resources to help guide you down the path of finding or getting inspiration for 3D models
Places to Find 3D models for download
*Please keep in mind about creator rights and credit*​​
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1. Cults 3D
Cults offers its users the perfect range of 3D models – from maker-inspired 3D files all the way to professional high-quality designs. Cults check each 3D design for printability and organize them into different groups such as fashion, art, jewelry, home, architecture, or gadgets. The mix of a modern visual interface, a well-arranged database, and a focus on smart, useful & beautiful designs makes browsing through their website a lot of fun. While many models come for free, others come at very affordable prices.
Cults is a great place to find & download 3D models for 3D printing
Cults facts:
Focus on 3D printing: Yes
Price: Free and Payable
Target: Hobbyists & Designers
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2. Pinshape
Pinshape offers its visitors the opportunity to browse through a great selection of more than 13,000 (free and payable) STL files. Finding great 3D printable models on the website is child’s play: both the visual representation and logical organization of the website are top-notch.
Pinshape is a popular database for 3D printables files
Pinshape facts:
Focus on 3D printing: Yes
Price: Free and Payable
Target: Hobbyists & Designers
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3. 3DShook
The 3DShook website is somewhat similar to Pinshape and Cults but the designs tend to be more focused on ‘fun’ 3D prints for hobbyists. Some models are free but most require a fee. However, 3DShook does offer designs at a very competitive price.
3D Shook offers fun 3D models to download
3DShook facts:
Focus on 3D printing: Yes
Price: Free and Payable
Target: Hobbyists – fun designs
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4. Thingiverse
Thingiverse is probably one of the biggest and most popular databases. It has a very active maker community behind it and offers free-to-use STL files only. You don’t even need to open an account in order to download a 3D model from their site. Sometimes the database can seem slightly less organized than the cleaner and simpler design of sites like Pinshape and Cults.
One of the most popular places to get 3D models: Thingiverse
Thingiverse facts:
Focus on 3D printing: Yes
Price: Free
Target: Makers
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5. GrabCAD
GrabCAD is different from the databases we have looked at so far. Firstly, GrabCad provides you with technical, engineering, and scale models only. Secondly, it lets you filter its database based on the 3D modeling software that the designs were created in. It’s the place to be for anyone looking for more than 27,000 technical 3D files. However, take into account that this website is not intended for 3D printing.
GrabCAD is all about downloading technical 3D models
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GrabCAD facts:
Focus on 3D printing: No
Price: Free
Target: Professionals interested in technical/engineering parts
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6. CGTrader
CGTrader offers a dedicated database for 3D printable objects. So far there are more than 13,000 models to choose from. We noticed that there are many printable jewelry designs in particular on this website. While many models are downloadable for free, others come at affordable prices.
CGTrader offers a website section that focuses on 3D printable models only
CGTrader facts:
Focus on 3D printing: No, but 3D printing database available
Price: Free and Payable
Target: Hobbyists & Designers
Size: 13,000 3D printable models
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7. TurboSquid
TurboSquid is the place to be for downloading the most stunning 3D designs. It doesn’t get any more high-end and professional than this. The problems: the designs are great visually but are not optimized for 3D printing. There is also no filtering option for finding 3D printable models. Furthermore, all models on TurboSquid are premium (payable) files. Quality comes at a price.
Premium, high-end 3D designs can be downloaded on TurboSquid
TurboSquid facts:
Focus on 3D printing: No
Price: Premium
Target: Professional Designers & 3D Artists
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8. 3DExport
3DExport is somewhat similar to TurboSquid: This is also a database that focuses on the visual aspects and offers amazing premium 3D models. In addition to this, 3DExport offers its users a filter for finding 3D printable models only.
3D Export is a 3D model database for premium designs
3DExport facts:
Focus on 3D printing: No, but 3D printing category is available
Price: Premium
Target: Professional Designers & 3D Artists
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10. Yeggi
Yeggi, a search engine for 3D printable models. Yeggi scans all the databases mentioned above, and many more, for 3D printable files. So if you want to search ‘Google’ for 3D models, this might be the right website for you.
Yeggi, the search engine for 3D models
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11. Remix 3D
Remix 3D is more than a 3D model database, is the Microsoft community of modelers who want to share their creations. The models on the libraries are organized by categories and they can be used and of course “remixed” on Microsoft Paint 3D and their VR/AR app, Mixed Reality.
The cactus in this 3D printing tutorial for beginners on Paint 3D was modeled with the help of Remix 3D, a great example of all the possibilities of this database.
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3D modeling
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1. ThinkerCAD
Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use web app that equips the next generation of designers and engineers with the foundational skills for innovation: 3D design, electronics, and coding!
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