Since the day 3D printing became widely popular, the possibilities have become endless. But with the limited resources, the earlier stages were tough to generate anything we wished for in a 3D Printer.
Fast forward a few years, 3D Printing enthusiasts started educating themselves. The community started to grow as they get connected from across the world and explored further. The Industry just boomed from then on.
Thingiverse is one of the earliest and world’s biggest Opensource platform for 3D Printable things. The largest opensource platform for User-generated content mostly for DIY tech, the maker community, and also 3D Printers.
The site contains a wide range of open-source 3D printable files to explore for your curiosity and experiment. You can simply download and print those files you wish to or you may experiment yourself by mixing different designs. Make, share, and Discover; the platform has been structured on these three phenomena.
If you are just trying to start a career in 3D Printing, you may jumpstart to the 3D Printing education section to get started with. They have got plenty of starting tutorials for the newbies. You can join different groups to participate in discussions with other designers. Learning first hand by open discussion can be another great resource. Just like any other social media, you may follow the designers on the platform to see what they are up to.
As your expertise will grow within time, I assume you will be looking for more platforms like Thingiverse. And thankfully in a growing industry of 3D printing, Thingiverse is not the only one.
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The Best Thingiverse Alternative
Today I am going to present 10 more best alternatives of Thingiverse:
1. MyMiniFactory
Those of you are already into 3D Printmaking, MyminiFactory is already a Big name for them. An Independent social platform for ameture and Pro 3D designers, Printmakers, 3D printing enthusiasts and industry professionals.
Guaranteed file printability out of their user-generated content is ensured by quality curators of the team. They preferred Quality over quantity, Freedom of Design, persona from every profession, authenticity and Inclusiveness has placed them in a strong place in the 3D print market.
It’s also an earning source for independent 3d designers. They have an e-commerce market place for 3D printers, where you can sell your personalized design. Tools and supports are also available to guide you through this journey as a freelance professional in the 3D printing industry.
Here are some key features of MyMiniFactory you might be interested in-
Features:
- Designs open for cross-platform which ensures right printing irrespective to any machine
- Upload unlimited and Monetize your design and also keep the copyright license
- Get the statics to understand how well your content is doing in the competitive market
- Round the clock support system
Visit Website: myminifactory.com
2. Patreon
Derived from the idea of crowdfunding, Patreon becomes more of a personal platform to a wide range of professionals from Artists to content creators and so on. Space where 3D Designers share their exclusive work on a regular basis to a selected number of users who are supporting the cause of the content creator.
A minimum amount one has to pay under different categories set by the creator to access the exclusive content. As a 3D Print designer, you may wish to get ideas content from a master 3D printer by subscribing with a minimal amount on the Patreon page.
On the other hand, you may also create content for other 3D designers. You will also get paid accordingly handled by the Patreon platform
Let your fans contribute to your cause to keep creating your content.
Features:
- Monthly income stream even if you are not directly selling
- Insurance of your creative control
- Connect to your audience directly
Visit Website: patreon.com
3. Yeggi
Finding a needle in the haystack is an impossible job. So does locating the right 3D printable files for your work can be a daunting task. Instead of browsing thousands of websites and asking your friends, how about a dedicated search-engine for 3D print models?
Yes! Exactly! People call it the google for the 3D print models. It crawls through the 3D printing-related websites over the web and returns you the best match results against your search query. Industry experts claim that Yeggi now capable of gathering 2.3 million 3D models and the majority of which (89.6%) can be downloaded for free. It also has paid, popular and recently added criteria.
As it is a search engine, it returns all the results that might not be well-curated. You have to do your own research to curate and locate the exact files you have been looking for.
Features:
- Collects data from all over the 3D printing community and returns search results
- Only printable models in the result
- Easy site implementation
- No seo effect
Visit Website: yeggi.com
4. PinShape
A 3D printing community marketplace. A platform to learn, share and explore a wide range of highly curated 3D models. Users can also participate in the forum to discuss any topic regarding the genre.
You can also participate in any number of running contests going on the platform to show your exclusive talent. This will help you to cut through the crowd and stand as a successful 3D print designer. You can also be a featured ambassador by the platform which can be very crucial for your career.
It’s also a marketplace for designers who want to sell their designs within their desired price range. In a nutshell: learn, share and earn is the base of this platform.
Features:
- Community Marketplace
- Educational platform
- Learning and career-based platform
Visit Website: pinshape.com
5. Grabcad
Initially founded as a free CAD library only for the engineering community. But today they claimed to be the biggest community for students, engineers, manufacturers and designers.
Under the grabcad platform, they offer a software called GrabCad Print for Stratasys 3D Printers. An easy to use software which will save your time to print CAD files directly without converting. Seamless control to monitor the process even from a mobile device makes it more user friendly and accessible.
You can easily monitor the printer usage and get in-depth analysis in real-time and have access to multiple printer control from the dashboard.
Feature:
- Multi printer control
- Robust dashboard system
- Time and budget-friendly
- Security and business intelligence
- Realtime notification
Visit Website: grabcad.com
Read More:
– SketchUp alternative
– FreeNas alternatives
6. Cults3D
Cults3D is one of the best Thingiverse alternatives. A community for 3D Model design enthusiasts. Designers share and discuss their ideas under the platform to grow their passion and solve their problems. You can share your work for free with fellow 3D printers around the globe or you may also sell your work if you wish to earn from here.
This platform has a very active blog to keep you updated about the 3D printing world and news of what’s going on in the industry. This fastest growing 3D design platform got an adult corner as well.
Instead of charging you for the subscription, they charge a 20% commission from whatever you are selling their platform.
Features:
- A social network for 3D designers in 3 languages
- Tested and ensured designs
- Further editable models
- Free and paid design
- Trusted and vast database
Visit Website: cults3d.com
7. NikkoIndustries
Brace yourself Superhero fans! The platform I am going to present to all of you now is totally different from the ones I discussed so far. NikkoIndustries is dedicated only to the 3D Models of Superheros and other 3D Sculptures and printed statues. They also have a dedicated armory section of the superheroes.
Other than the downloadable files, you will have access to a wide range of their dedicated how-to’s and tutorials to hone your skills into a different level.
Their pricing varies depending on the Model you are trying to print
Features:
- Dedicated platform for 3D sculpture and superhero figures
- Wide range of armory collectin
- Learning platform
Visit Website: nikkoindustries.com
8. Fab365
Another reliable marketplace and other best Thingiverse alternatives for 3D printing. It connects the 3D printers and designers directly with the consumer in real-time. If you are a promising and talented 3D designer, then it is a place to earn some guaranteed money.
Their store section is totally different from the others we discussed so far. Their foldable models are something different and popular in the industry trend. You will find a wide range of freebies here as well. You can upload to showcase your talent for 3D Designing in the challenge section.
The Korean based 3D Modelling platform is more interested in producing miniature versions of your favorite movie car from your childhood. You will also find some dedicated genres like Architecture, art, robot, home and automobiles in here.
Features:
- Foldable design
- Different industry-related models
- Marketplace for 3D designers to earn money
Visit Website: fab365.net
9. CGTrader
If you are a freelance 3D designer who got awesome skills, possibilities are limitless here for you. They transform your 3D Models into real-time AR and VR experience in such a way that customers can relate the usability of the product in their preferable environment and understand it better.
It is a community of 3D designers who participate in forum discussion for a better understanding of the projects they are handling. They also run a blog and news section to keep you updated about the inhouse and 3D Modelling industry.
You can work as a freelance 3D designer under CGTrader and keep 80% of the royalty. You can simply pick a project described by any client and apply for it. Upon successful job completion, you will get paid. Payment protection guaranteed.
It also got an e-store showcasing the models available already. People can simply pick and download after making the payment. Price varies depending on the model they are looking for.
Features:
- AR and VR functionality
- A freelance hub for 3D designers and printers
- Personal portfolio making feature to earn with keeping up to 95% of the royalty
- Connect directly with potential clients
Visit Website: cgtrader.com
10. Prusa Printers
Last on the list, yet Prusa claims to be the manufacturer of the World’s No. 1 3D Printer, Prusa i3. Affordability and reliability have made them the game changer of the industry. The “upgradeability” feature of Prusa is something you wish you could get in every product you purchase in your life. When the new model arrives, you don’t have to buy the new one, you can just upgrade. So it’s a big money saver.
Other than selling 3D printers, they also run a community of 3D designers under their name. Something more like a Facebook where like-minded designers can form different groups to engage with each other. Though they also have a forum section for the open discussion. Under the blog section, they regularly publish articles on the contemporary issues of the 3D printing industry.
From the shop section, you may order a whole new machine or accessories.
Features:
- One of the best printers in the market
- Open source facility
- Upgradability to new part instead of buying a new machine
- Budget-friendly
- Industrial model use
Visit Website: prusaprinters.org
So that it! Finally, we have come to an end of our featured ten alternatives of Thingiverse. We understand that our choice of making the list depends on the factors that we have taken into account, which may well very much different from yours.
We are very much likely to listen from your perspective. Which platform do you think should have been on the list?
Do comment below mentioning your preferred 3D printing platform and mention why do you like them.
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