3D models hold the power to empower your business by many folds.
But how do I bring my creative idea to reality?
- First, using a Snapmaker 2.0 3D printer;
- Secondly, using Thingiverse.
There’s no doubt that Thingiverse is the best place to find and share 3D models.
Why should you rely on just one website for getting all your 3D design Ideas?
Instead of sticking up to one place, there are dozens of sites like Thingiverse that you can use to diversify your 3D design portfolio.
So, with this in mind, I’ll share some of my favorite sites like Thingiverse in this post. Let’s get started –
Pinshape
Pinshape is the 1st sites like Thingiverse that’s made solely for 3D printing and 3D designers. The site has a wide range of 3D models and 3D printing files to download, as well as tutorials to help you get started with your projects.
If you’re looking for a place to find unique designs, Pinshape is one of the best options on our list.
YouMagine
YouMagine is one of the biggest 3D printing community where you can find and download thousands of 3D models, connect with other designers, and upload your creations.
YouMagine has an excellent search function that allows you to find the perfect 3D model for your project. It also comes with an easy-to-use interface, so you’ll be able to get started right away!
If you need some inspiration, there are several videos in their library demonstrating how people have used their products or services—such as this one on how to make a Star Wars BB-8 robot from scratch:
MyMiniFactory
MyMiniFactory is an excellent alternative to Thingiverse. It’s a platform that lets you 3D print, design your models, and find others’ creations.
MyMiniFactory was started in 2013 by the same folks who created Thingiverse (the world’s largest 3D printing community), so it has inherited much of its DNA.
One thing that sets MyMiniFactory apart from Thingiverse is its emphasis on the users themselves: they have one of the largest communities on any 3D printing site, with more than 150k members actively using their platform to share content.
If you’re looking for something unique, plenty of artists and designers upload their work here—and even if you aren’t an artist yourself, there’s still lots of cool stuff floating around!
Cults3D
Cults3D is a community for 3D printing enthusiasts. The site allows you to download and share their models and connect with other users. You can also find other popular items on Cults3D that you may want to use in your projects.
The best part about this platform is that it has a large community with plenty of content. So if you’re looking for something specific, chances are it’s there somewhere!
GrabCAD
If you’re looking for another place to share and find 3D models, GrabCAD is a good option. The website is a professional 3D design community that allows users to access free and low-cost CAD tools, give feedback on designs, or download them if they’re willing to pay.
Besides offering many 3D model downloads, GrabCAD also has many resources for designers who want to learn more about the topic.
You can read tutorials on how to use their software or browse through hundreds of articles explaining different engineering and design concepts (including some video tutorials).
The biggest downside with this site is its limited free membership: if you don’t have access, most of its content will be inaccessible unless you pay upfront for one of its premium plans (starting at $11 per month).
However, there are still plenty of helpful resources available within the site’s “learn” section that aren’t dependent on whether or not someone has paid for something—you just won’t get every single feature without paying first!
Threeding
Threeding is a marketplace for 3D models. This platform offers the perfect opportunity if you’re an artist and have created a 3D model you’d like to sell.
In addition, many creators use Threeding as a place where they can showcase their artwork and sell prints of their designs. You can buy prints or pay for downloads of these models through PayPal or credit card transactions on the site itself.
Yeggi
Yeggi ranks 7th in this list of best sites like thingiverse. After YouMagine, it comes as a big community of 3D designers, artists, and makers. It’s a great place to find inspiration and 3D models for printing.
You’ll also find lots of tutorials from other users on how to design your objects in Tinkercad, OpenSCAD, and more!
3Dagogo
3Dagogo is an excellent site for sharing 3D models. The site was founded in 2013 and is based in Prague, Czech Republic. It has a focus on 3D printing and 3D printing news.
The community of users at this website is very welcoming, with many helpful members eager to assist you with any questions you may have about using the site or sharing your designs. You’ll find plenty of other designers uploading their creations here too!
TinkerCAD
TinkerCAD is a free, web-based 3D design software that allows beginners to create and share their 3D avatars. It’s easy enough that even the most inexperienced users can get started right away.
TinkerCAD provides a robust set of tools for creating models, whether you’re looking to create something simple like a ring or more complex like an entire robot (or anything in between).
There are also plenty of options regarding colors and material—you can make your model out of wood, metal, plastic, or ceramic! And if you want to get creative with your designs, there are hundreds of materials you can choose from in addition to just one color per shape.
In addition to being free (with no ads), TinkerCAD offers several features which make it great for beginners but also provides advanced options for more experienced users:
- Export files directly into other design platforms, including Sketchfab and Shapeways, without any additional steps required on your part;
- Simple tutorials which walk you through each step, so even if none of this makes sense yet, don’t worry because after reading through them once or twice, it’ll become second nature pretty fast 🙂
Turbosquid
Turbosquid is a marketplace for 3D models and 3D printing files. It has a large community of artists and designers, so you’ll find plenty of cool stuff to download.
The site is nicely organized by categories, which makes it easy to browse or search for something specific.
There are also tags that allow you to filter results by price, file type (blender, 3DS Max), author’s name, or license type (free/paid). This is useful if you’re just looking for free models instead of paying ones.
Yobi3D
Yobi3D is a cloud-based 3D printing marketplace. It’s similar to Thingiverse in that it contains a large library of models and files, but rather than being hosted on the Yobi3D website, models are shared and downloaded from a central server.
This means you can access them anywhere with an internet connection—even if you don’t have your 3D printer or just want to browse what others have created before downloading any files.
Yobi3D has made its name by providing free access to all of its content (since it isn’t hosting any files), which helps democratize the design and production process by allowing anyone with access through their browser or mobile device to download whatever they need for free.
3DExport
3DExport is a great directory to share and download 3D models. The site provides free and paid services, so you can choose which works best for your needs.
You can use the site to upload your 3D models for others to download, or you can find other people’s models and use them in your design work. You can also sell your designs if you want some extra cash!
The site has a vast user base eager to see new 3D printer designs and helpful tools like brackets or mechanical parts.
If there’s something specific that you need from another user on the website, then simply type in “[insert item name]” into their search bar at the top of any page – this will bring up an alphabetical list of users who have uploaded similar items in order of popularity!
Conclusion
Apart from the 12 sites like Thingverse listed in this post, many great alternatives are still left to unravel.
But if you ask me, I do not suggest you go and look for some other Thingverse alternative sites.
Remember, all the sites like Thingverse are free to use without giving up on some of the best 3D model designs.
Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, all it takes is a few clicks, and your printer will be churning out beautiful new designs!
That’s all for now.
I hope this post was helpful enough in finding some of the most delicate 3D designs.
