Best Free Design Software for 3D Printing

Start here for a part with measurements you expect to change. Make a sketch with dimensions, build the solid from it, and return to the model history to revise the fit. FreeCAD is open source and has Windows, Mac, and Linux downloads. Export STL for a slicer and keep the editable source model for the next revision.

Start here for a first print. Drag simple shapes onto a workplane and combine them, or use a hole shape to cut an opening. Autodesk’s free browser app can export STL. It is a quick route to a label, basic organizer, or school project. Once a design needs a long history of linked dimensions, step up to FreeCAD or Onshape.

Choose Blender for a miniature or an ornamental surface you want to shape directly. The free 3D Print Toolbox extension can check common mesh problems and export a selection as an STL. Spend the time to check the mesh before slicing. A measured bracket is usually quicker to revise in a parametric CAD tool.

A good fit for someone who would rather describe a shape in code. Use dimensions as variables so the next version of a spacer or enclosure is an edit to the source file. OpenSCAD is free on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Render and export STL when the dimensions are right.

Autodesk Fusion for personal use Choose the personal plan for home projects if you want parametric design and assemblies in the same app. It still exports STL for a slicer. You can keep up to ten documents editable at once and swap in older designs when needed. The free personal license lasts one year and is limited to qualifying noncommercial users earning under $1,000 a year from the work.

Choose this for browser-based parametric CAD on a hobby project you are happy to share. Onshape exports STL and 3MF, and the free plan is for noncommercial use. All documents you create on that plan are public. Use a desktop option if the design needs to stay private.