Comparing 3D printing model websites objectively to find a winner

[@jeffb5798]

Printables is the first site I go to when looking for models.

[@psychedup74]

me too. If I don't find it on Printables then I go to Thangs.

[@Victor_2019]

Same here

[@MartinWolker]

Printables is the best website for all 3D printers.

[@oakld]

I "switched" my priority from Thingverse to Printables too, they did a good job

[@ChrisHorton343]

They also can auto import in slicer if your using prusa slicer

[@silentmodetv]

Printables and Thingiverse are my preferred options, as they allow the downloading of models without being forced to log in.

[@fouroakfarm]

Also worth mentioning is Yeggi which is an agnostic search engine. When I need something very specific thats usually where Ill head first (like parts to repair objects)

[@wisconsingoprogoalie8125]

That would be Yeggi (2 g’s), but I agree with everything else said. Just don’t want people looking for the wrong search term.

[@fouroakfarm]

Oops, thanks for the correction, Ive edited my post@@wisconsingoprogoalie8125

[@TheMasterCrabs]

My default model search engine is Yeggi, but it seems to focus more on Thingiverse, Cults, and MyMiniFactory. I don't think I've ever seen Prusa or Thangs in the results and will search them separately.

[@KrisKanyon]

Of course we noticed the Prusa XL in the background. Looking forward to your review.

[@richardferran94]

A word about Cults, they are banned from the 3d printing subreddit due to many controversies, including doxing.

[@TheCyberSpidey]

This, they have withheld payments from a bunch of model sellers and then banned them.

[@sitichybrid]

On the other hand, they are one of the few sites that don't immediately cave to copyright abuse by some corporations that are overzealous on ip. I've also seen some creators have issues with mmf, apparently they have implemented discounts/free trials for creators without informing them.

[@Zeldur]

... Good to know. Eventually I want to sell some models so I guess cults is kicked off that list. Thank you

[@oobasnork]

Are any of these claims recent? I only recently learned of the doxing incident. I started selling on Cults in June this year and haven't had any issues cashing out, etc. Any chance they've learned from their mistakes? If they ever withhold my funds I'll be happy to pull my models from their site and try someplace like CGtrader. I passed on Myminifactory because they ask you to open a shop for around $30/month and that would probably be greater than my monthly sales right now. Kind of absurd for a site littered with obnoxious advertising.

[@MB-THX1138]

Yeah, where money is involved. But on the other hand their business model of giving a financial opportunity to creators who put out more refined content worth paying for, is a good space

[@Otakunopodcast]

One warning about Cults3D is that they have been accused in the past of withholding payment to creators, and in one case, a Cults3D employee publicly "doxxed" (revealed private information about) one of the creators who (rightfully) complained about the situation. This was some time ago (2 years iirc) and I believe both parties have buried the hatchet (albeit after a very noisy and contentious back and forth) however I would still be wary of supporting them.

[@mvadu]

I remember that.. I submitted a request to get my account deleted at the time..

[@paintballercali]

I feel like printables really set the bar. But the presliced maker world files are pretty op.

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

I agree with this, but because my primary printer is a Bambu Labs P1s, maker world makes a strong case for itself. I usually prefer slicing things myself as I find many people use pretty terrible settings, but sometimes I remember I need something asap and the ability to just fire off a print and it be sitting there ready when I get home is pretty damn nice.

[@paintballercali]

@@OmegaGamingNetwork I saw a KZbin video for the mark rober compliment nerf blaster. I was 100 miles from home and was able to use the handy app and have one sitting on the build plate when I got home. The majority of files I print all of these sites refuse to host so I'll always slice my own files but if my 5 year old can run the 3d printer it's pretty neat.

[@petermarin]

You could do a similar comparison video for cad software as well (maybe include some left field entries that people have not tried/ heard of)

[@lornelorne5727]

It would've been better if your comparison table used the site names instead of the logos. Watching your video, I had no idea which sites were which each time you presented the comparison table.

[@Distanc3]

My experience has been that trying Printables first and then jumping to Thangs if I have a problem finding what I want has always been successful.

[@VorpalGun]

GrabCAD can occasionally be useful for specific engineering models. But I think I only found useful models on it once or twice.

[@CJICantLie]

What's nice about grabcad is almost everything is in step format.

[@TheSuburban15]

I found a model of a 4010 fan that I needed to make an accelerometer mount on GrabCAD. I also found files for 2020 and 4040 extrusion mounts for cameras and endcaps. Please upload CAD files when you upload your STLs and 3MF files.

[@FowlerAskew]

Yeah, I think GrabCAD is particularly useful for getting reference models for existing products and parts

[@cdsmakestuff]

I was surprised that at the end you didn't give a nod to the sites that, if your just looking for a model and don't really care about the other features, scrape a lot of better known model repositories and just provide a list of the models from all... Yeggi being one of the better known examples but there are others.

[@Iam2lazy2register]

thanks for the video, although it feels like a missed opportunity ... for me the biggest incentive to go to one side or the others would be 'do I find what I am searching'? So when I clicked the video I hoped for an analysis of the size and the quality of the catalogue, preferably broken down by type of "thing" you are searching for (figurines, modelling, RPG, art, engineering parts, spare parts, useful objects, decoration, 3D-Printer Mods, etc.) Perhaps this could be a follow up video?

[@grimsdagger]

Thank you for all your hard work and videos. I learned how to 3d print from your channel, and I always direct people to your channel when they ask about 3d printing. I don't know if you're looking for video ideas, but I think it would be cool to see a 3d printed flight yoke and rudder peddles. Or some cool prints for a racing sim setup

[@mtayseer82]

One nice feature of Printables is collections. Some dont have it (Thangs), others have it but harder to use

[@heyspookyboogie644]

I’m surprised “content restrictions“ wasn’t part of the consideration. For example, cults 3-D is the only one I know of that allows “adult“ STL’s.

[@secv]

Printables allows files marked NSFW

[@Dark0Storm]

I've never seen ads on MMF. Long live the ad blocker 😊

[@MaxMichel89]

I always start at Printables, and then go to thangs or thingiverse or else. Not only because I have Prusa Printers, but I really like the Point system and to post makes and join contests. Also uploading models there feels quite rewarding.

[@I_Do_Not_Know_What_I_am_Doing]

Please keep updating this topic periodically.

[@capitalinventor4823]

What I don't care about with Printables contests is that there is no moderation of entries. Often there are many entries that don't meet the entry requirements and are not removed from the contest page. There's a flash contest on right now for paining helpers. On the first row a monitor stand shows up. Further down there is a lamp, an artistic beehive, a pen holder to replace the hotend on a 3D printer, and more. This contest isn't that bad for entries that don't meet the entry requirements.

[@CraftyEnelrad]

I like having the choice among several. It gives us choices as well as backups should a site get neglected again. It also gives us options based on our individual needs. Some sites are better for me based on my skill level and project choices. Other sites may be helpful to others because they offer more challenging resources. Choice is good. Thanks for the videos. Printables and now MakerWorld are my two favorite sites.

[@MadeinSwabia]

Concerning the „cloud printing criteria“ of your comparison, you missed the printables integration of prusaslicer which does the same as the other website: The 3D Model gets imported in the slicer with one click in the browser. This feature just needs to be activated in the settings of prusaslicer and your printables account.

[@brianholdridge1860]

This is a great comparison video. I drifted away from Thingyverse before Utlimaker got involved. I have been using Printables. I now have a Bambu Labs P1P and an A1 mini on the way. Maker World and Printables now share my attention when looking for models.

[@bruceyoung1343]

Thank You for the comparison of the various 3d repositories. Very informative

[@Soarpix3D]

Great comparison video! I was surprised when my models appeared in several parts of the video 😊

[@Adam-rs4en]

Printables looks like my new site. Thanks TT!

[@japplefilms3514]

These features are born from competition. We need too many platforms in order to have *any* that are good.

[@Bebamyotamaki]

I agree. I quess that 3 to 4 is hoing to stay for long run and others will fade away or merge with the others. Those that are for long term will exeprience the competition based development or specialize to something.

[@XYZ-print]

Very good video, it was necessary to compare them. Personally, I'll stick with Thingiverse and Printables.

[@colin8670]

Hi Micheal, got an idea for a future video for you; I found out recently that PETG is an excellent material ti use as a transition support layer for PLA models. But what I am most curious about this is - what other filaments types are compatible with other different filament types that can be printed together to allow composite features? - ie, for example - can you print a TPU layer on top of harder filament type to create a built in rubber seal for your model? can mixing multiple different filament types in layers enable models to be created with composite style material specs? Can you design a material using layers of carbon fibre reinforced core around a more flexible filament type for far greater strength? I am interested in these questions, thought It might make a good video for you to explore. Also - I could have sworn I saw a car with a TTR racing branded trailer travelling past Loch Village in Gippsland a few week ago, was that you?

[@marchenplay]

EEEH! THE CHAOSBUSTER APPEARS IN THE MMF ADS! :D thanks for the video! I just got very excited seeing one of my models there. thanks for all your videos, they've helped me through so many years of 3d printing.

[@RestNPizza]

Printables is coded to include progressive web app functionality so, at least on an android phone, you can "install" it and it acts as a normal app on your phone.

[@MrGTAmodsgerman]

Now a comparsion with several print on demand services would be interesting. Which offers the best quality and price.

[@Loneman_OG]

Ads?! Do people _still_ put up with ads?! I don't remember the last time I ever saw an ad in a browser. 🤔🤨

[@giannyberger]

I was just about to design the IKEA bracket and this video popped up. Thanks 🙏

[@MCsCreations]

Thanks, Michael! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@exactpause9218]

I really like Printables, I like the community aspect and the competitions. They can be a boost in creativity :)

[@claytongame-hughes3803]

As a tech manager for the broadcasters behind the a-league for the past 3 years and a follower of your videos, I was very surprised to see you wearing a Wanderers jersey!

[@3dreams106eng]

As always, super useful. I have published a video too about 3D models repositories with some other sites too 😊

[@ScottHess]

The problem with every manufacturer attempting to get into the game is that most manufacturers are barely decent printer manufacturers, their website fu is atrocious. What I really want is a fast site with search that makes it easy to drill down. What I sometimes get is a janky website which floods me with irrelevant results that I have to sift through manually. It doesn't help that people try to game the sites, but it can matter whether site operators see gaming as increased engagement or a negative to keep try to manage.

[@Tom-sq9co]

Even though I don’t have any prusa machines, printables is my go to.

[@tanialimacosta]

About the adds that pop up on the screen, you can "eliminate" them if you use a browser called Brave, because it has an embedded add-blocker

[@brynyard]

Usability on printables: Search field "jumps around", tries _really_ hard to give an immediate result (and thus most often being unhelpful), doesn't allow you to simply search in models (you have to wait for the autosearch to finish, then click on "Models", or you'll get a "hybrid" result with forum posts etc), it also "translates" a lot of words to "common misspellings" and thus make some words unsearchable, and just to add more salt to the wound it is _dead slow_.

[@QuakeDragon]

I literally was researching this very question last night!

[@mlubecke]

Michael, nicely done…. I appreciate all the work you put into this….

[@Grummfy]

For search, you forget something, the support of translation. If you are not a native English speaker searching for something in other language can be difficult. Printable do it pretty well.

[@omegahelix]

i would like to know if paying for models gets you better quality compared to freebies (generally).

[@ameliabuns4058]

Damn subscriptions for a model is very annoying and a bad idea

[@MadScience45]

Hard not to mention Yeggi. They cast the widest net and will return results from all of these sites.

[@CDRaff]

14:18 How in 2023 someone could, with a straight face, say that "competition is bad" is beyond me. Does anyone really want a "KZbin" of 3d Printing sites where they can use their size to manipulate what you consume, and eventually start blocking you if you don't "bend the knee" if you create the wrong content, or you don't want to be force fed ads? Healthy competition keeps the consumer safe, and we should foster healthy competition at every turn not yearn for monolithic entities that can and will exert their power.

[@CryptikDesign]

Makerworld has an entire Wiki, is that not considered a guide?

[@Atlas.X9X]

Top notch comparison. Thank you for sharing.

[@jeremyholef]

Thanks for the clarification ❤😊

[@Dark0Storm]

You don't get exclusive models from My Mini Factory tribes. Most of the models you get will also be put up for sale at the same time. What you do get is a collection of models released by that creator each month and (almost?) always for far less money than it would cost you to buy each of the models individually.

[@JeffersonIettoNovo]

hard to believe that you didn't consider in the list/rating, websites that are login gated, from those that are free to access and use for everyone! 😔

[@JBCool0729]

One thing you forgot is how fast is the web site. Some of them are very slow.

[@farmlife228]

I'm looking to buy a new 3d printer looking to spend around 600 I've had a used anycubic i3 mega it stopped working after a couple prints wat do u recommend

[@woodwaker1]

I have two Bambu a X1 and a P1P, the A1 looks like a great printer for under $300 or under $500 with the AMS

[@mscir]

Thanks for talking about thangs.

[@calebwyatt3076]

Are we not talking about that PrusaXL in the background??

[@Penche_1903]

Printables is the best!

[@canadiansparky64]

I haven't found any reviews on maker worlds maker lab video to 3D scanner.

[@carleviston]

Cults 3D looks at first interesting, but the is a huge catch: first hey charge 20% of your sales, that looks okay..Then when you sell some of your work, it takes a long time to get the sale validated. Then when validated, and you want to cash, sudden they pop up a message that they only pay out when you reach an amount of 500 euros!! so guys if you only sell a little for a low price it means they keep YOUR money in their pocket and refuse to pay out until 500 euros. We are checking now if that is legal or not. As you cannot keep money that legally doesn.t belong to you..

[@Zombull73]

Thangs is my first stop simply because of their cross-site search results. Saves time. They could all benefit by cooperating in that way, frankly.

[@juhu34]

Grabcad is my favourite 👍

[@luciebubenikova4590]

printables can open models to prusa slicer without a download

[@devmacosx]

You set out to find out which one is the best and then just didn't ... I am dissapointed and frankly a bit aggravated. Thanks for the overview I guess...

[@capitalinventor4823]

He gave you information to help you decide which site is best for you. He's very good about not telling you what is best for you because everyone's situation is different.

[@michaelalix4943]

Geez are you a NASCAR guy or a politician with all those sponsor patches on your shirt?

[@RealShebang]

I like printables since the interface seems to get in my way the least. Bambu's makerworld at least offers a lot of functionality if you own one of their printers, so I like that one too (and it's mostly a rip of printables anyway). The rest I find a bit tedious to navigate and actually use. Thingiverse is ok because it has a lot of models, but it's an ugly interface.

[@kehet4409]

If makerworld gets a green mark on cloud printing, so should printables. Those both have exactly same feature.

[@paintballercali]

No they don't.

[@googleyoutubechannel8554]

Uh, how about availability, quality and 'printability' of, you know, actual models?

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi Yeggi

[@michaelhilton6080]

CLAIM YOUR PRUSAMETERS MAN

[@dhupee]

Maybe the shipping price isn't worth it Especially overseas shipping Happens to me in Indonesia too(neighbors), everything from Europe/US can be very expensive, not only caused by shipping but also customs, so Chinese brand is the most sensible here both for printers and filaments

[@АлексейЗапольский-и1м]

Undoubtedly, The Gatalog

[@str8up598]

Looks like bamboo labs cloned the hell out of Prusa...👀

[@pusnirizda5481]

You know ublock exists, right? But thanks for the video

[@JoshuaCamacho09]

If you're trying to get rid of the ads, I know a guy. Just saying

[@fuijika]

Pritables is my favorite and I don't own a Prusa printer so this is unbiast.😂

[@Etrehumain123]

Printables is the best, and thingiverse is the largest catalog because the oldest. Period.

[@kenlee224]

good review ❤.

[@ItsPassing]

Please change your CBat intro music!

[@alfredoghost2306]

Thingiverse does have paid models

[@jacobrollins37]

As nice as having everything all in one place sounds, it would not help the 3D printing community. Competition helps the community grow. No one place will have all the answers.

[@alexanderscholz8855]

The Site that have what i need. I'm simple Guy😁

[@RobSchofield]

Gambody?

[@stevvieb]

Printables can also send the model to prusa slicer like bambu labs. Its not on by default its in your user settings

[@matthewcampbell149]

Ey nice jersey mate!

[@warriorclassmedia]

🧨🔥

[@Derkiboi]

clearly the best is the G A T A L O G

[@woodcat7180]

Makerworld is "inspired" by Printables as much Bambu slicer is "Inspired" by Prusa Slicer. Why not just say it as it is. It's a rip off.

[@christianmontagx8461]

There are allready Metasearchengines for 3D Models, so this question is obsolet.

[@mikgus]

Watching this video made me decide to NEVER buy a creality printer

[@User-ec2bh]

I feel like onshape should be on the list as well.

[@404-UsernameNotFound]

5:42 That 🖕 on Thingiverse 🤣

[@Blue.4t2]

⭐🙂👍

[@wykonczeni]

Thingiverse for me is nr 1. The reason is "download all" full of jpegs. 2nd place is stlfinder xD Cant even imagine working with clouds or phone when internet is full of models with errors and wrong dimentions. I always have to check or edit files cuz i dont like plastic waste. Also i belive there is too many models and variations, like people uploading every sh*t in hope to be fame or just for free space. My opinion is its pointless keeping everything like in archive. Rare things should be kept, and popular ones with many wariants should be sorted in more inteligent way in near future.

[@Zunip182]

So, i know you dont want to impart opinions, but with so much information a recap, or overview would have been really useful. And without a summizatuion its so much information that i cant really fo anything with it. To me this video was not that useful.

[@PulsefiredGaming]

yeggi is the winner because it searches most of the hosting sites

[@KieranShort]

Michael - why are you posting this at 3am mate? Get some some sleep!

[@TeachingTech]

All on a schedule, don't worry I was sound asleep when it came out.

[@mephisto7549]

cults3d

[@peterkallend5012]

These lists seem to be arbitrary in they're subjective assessment that can be summarized by saying "draw your own conclusions, I just made this video for the money and the algorithm." Nothing more than clickbait.

[@thelazy3d431]

i fell like yeggi didnt get the praise it deserves, hell even gambody is a great resource for models.

[@TeachingTech]

As I said, I stuck to ones I know and I've never really used it. Doesn't mean it's not good, I was just trying to avoid speculating and making errors.

[@kimmotoivanen]

Yeggi has only links to other sites, so it's more search engine than 3D model site

[@thelazy3d431]

@@TeachingTechi appreciate the response, the sites you mentioned are great resources for anyone looking for models. still an informative video and great comparison between the bigger sites.

[@thelazy3d431]

@@kimmotoivanentrue

[@SimonRumble]

Damn why did you have to wear that shirt? I have to unsubscribe now.