Best 3D Printing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: AstroPrint is ranked #1 of 34 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Polar Cloud and PrusaSlicer. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Polar Cloud. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Polar Cloud at $6.58/mo.
3D printing software can cover steps from preparing a model to managing a print job. Compare auto supports, cloud slicing, and model repair with printer control and print monitoring; multi-material tools may also matter for your workflow. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer additional points of comparison. AstroPrint, Polar Cloud, and PrusaSlicer are among the included options, along with SimplyPrint and Bambu Studio. Consider which listed capabilities align with your printer and the parts of the printing process you want software to support.
34 3D printing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
10 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AstroPrintWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $9.90/mo | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Polar CloudWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $6.58/mo | 6.8 | |
| 3 | PrusaSlicerWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 4 | SimplyPrintWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | €40,480/mo | 6.6 | |
| 5 | Bambu StudioWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | ideaMakerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | KISSlicerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | Lychee SlicerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | OrcaSlicerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | Formlabs PreFormWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | 3DPrinterOSWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $19/mo | 5.4 |
| 12 | IceSLWeb · Windows · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 13 | Kiri:MotoWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | MatterControlWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | OctoPrintWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | One bar | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | Autodesk NetfabbWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | CHITUBOXWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | Craftware ProWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | EQUINOX-3DMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | ObicoWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 21 | PrintrunWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 22 | RaiseCloudWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 23 | Repetier-HostWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 24 | Repetier-ServerWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 25 | Slic3rWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Auto supports | Printer control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AstroPrint | 6.8 | Free plan | $9.90/mo | Yes | 9.9 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Polar Cloud | 6.8 | Free plan | $6.58/mo | Yes | 9 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | PrusaSlicer | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | SimplyPrint | 6.6 | Free plan | €40,480/mo | Yes | 4.99 /mo | — | Yes |
| 5 | Bambu Studio | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | ideaMaker | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | KISSlicer | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Lychee Slicer | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | OrcaSlicer | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Formlabs PreForm | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | 3DPrinterOS | 5.4 | No | $19/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | IceSL | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Kiri:Moto | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 14 | MatterControl | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | OctoPrint | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 16 | Autodesk Netfabb | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | CHITUBOX | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Craftware Pro | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | EQUINOX-3D | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | Obico | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | 6.99 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | Printrun | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | RaiseCloud | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 23 | Repetier-Host | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 24 | Repetier-Server | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 25 | Slic3r | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which 3D printing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
AstroPrint is ranked #1 of 34 with a score of 6.8. Polar Cloud is second and PrusaSlicer third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Polar Cloud has the lowest first paid tier we found: $6.58/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.