Free Programs for 3D Printers

Are you looking for a program for 3D printers? In this article we present five 3D printing platforms for every stage of the workflow. All the projects we list are open source or free options, for professionals, students, teachers or beginners. The environments also support the installation of plugins to improve their capabilities and increase the performance of 3D printing.

Cura

We will start with Cura, without a doubt the reference program for Ultimaker printers (it also works on other printers).

The platform has two modes:

• Recommended: You can choose pre-configured print quality settings.
• Custom: For more precise control over print settings.

The program is integrated with CAD and with SolidWorks and Siemens NX products. Cura is open source and available on Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems.

MatterControl 2.0

MatterControl 2.0 is a CAD program and 3D printing program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems. The environment includes a printer “Host” option that allows you to control and monitor the print when connected via a USB device. You can also slice STL files and export them to an SD card for offline printing. The environment allows you to generate designs from its CAD section.

3DPrinterOS

3DPrinterOS is a cloud-based service for managing 3D printers that allows you to convert an STL file into a printed object easily. Other administration options you will find in the environment: Delegate print jobs, printer control, print queues, and the plugin system (STL file analysis and repair).

KISSlicer

KISSlicer is a 3D printer program with advanced options. This powerful slicing tool is a good alternative to commercial options. In its free version, it allows you to print with a single extruder. KISSlicer is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems.

AstroPrint

We will end with AstroPrint, another very good cloud solution that allows you to monitor and manage your 3D printers. With its free account, you will have the possibility to host all the information needed for a good print (you can do it from the web browser or from your mobile). AstroPrint is compatible with Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory and with the CAD 3D programs, 3D Slash or Leopoly. In its cloud options you can do: Slicing configurations, printer profiles and material profiles.

With the free and cross-platform utilities listed, you can improve your 3D prints.