Where should I sell my STL files? 3D model hosting sites at a glance
The chart below highlights some of the most popular sites for selling or sharing your 3D print designs. We’ll go over each of them in more detail in the next section.
Most sites allow you to list your model as a free download or put a price tag on it. The site then takes a percentage of any sales you make, called a commission. You may also be charged a small payment processing or bank fee. Read through the information on each individual site to make sure you understand what fees you’ll pay out of your earnings.
Printer company platforms for 3D print files
The following sites are part of established 3D printer ecosystems. This integrated approach allows customers to browse designs, open files directly in their slicer, and directly print a model without ever leaving the site.
Printables
Best for: Prusa ecosystem users; establishing followers through Club subscriptions
Platform fee: 20% on individual model files; Club commission fees vary
Pricing structure: Free and paid models; Club memberships for exclusive content
Printables is part of the Prusa printer ecosystem. It contains free and paid models that users can easily download or open directly in PrusaSlicer, Prusa EasyPrint, or another common slicing software. You can choose your licensing structure, allowing you to restrict certain files to personal use only or allow for commercial sales of 3D printed objects made from your design.
Printables doesn’t charge a listing fee, so you can start a store with no upfront cost. From the Printables website, go to the “Settings” menu under your profile picture, click Store and Sales, and fill out some information to activate your store. You can upload up to three paid design files instantly; when you make a certain number of sales, you’ll unlock more “slots” that allow you to list more designs for sale. This helps keep quality high, as does the “Makes” feature that allows users to upload their images of prints they’ve created with your design.
Designers can set up a Club that allows fans of their work to sign up for a membership for access to exclusive prints.
MakerWorld
Best for: Bambu Lab ecosystem users; monetizing free designs with commercial licenses
Platform fee: 10% on commercial license memberships
Pricing structure: Free models only; commercial license subscriptions
MakerWorld is Bambu Lab’s 3D print file hosting site. Its tight integration with Bambu Lab means you can open files directly in the BambuStudio slicer.
Creators can’t sell their designs on MakerWorld because it only lists free prints. However, you can make money by offering users a commercial license subscription. This allows them to pay you a monthly fee in exchange for the right to sell any physical prints they make from your design.
Users can also “boost” your designs, and any boost tokens you accumulate can be exchanged for discounts on the Bambu Lab site.
3D print file marketplaces
The sites in this section are known as 3D print file marketplaces. They’re where people go to find free or paid 3D print files to download, but they aren’t owned by or connected to any one printer ecosystem.
Thangs
Best for: Different options for monetization
Platform fee: 14% on membership fees; fees on individual model sales fees vary by design price: 30% on purchases of less than $5, 20% of total purchase price for $5 and up to $10, and 15% of total purchase price for $10 and greater; for Bundles, 50% of the subscription fee divided between designers an individual downloaded from
Pricing structure: Free and paid models available individually; membership subscriptions; Bundles subscription
Thangs gives creators different options for monetizing their designs through subscription plans or individual sales. While fees tend to be a bit higher than some other platforms, Thangs also gives you an option to take part in Bundles. This is a subscription that gives users access to a massive library of designs from different creators for a set price per month, allowing you to get your design in front of a larger audience.
MyMiniFactory
Best for: Tabletop miniatures and collectibles
Platform fee: 10-15% of sales depending on Creator tier; requires Creator plan to list designs, which starts at $9.99/month
Pricing structure: Free and paid models; member subscriptions
MyMiniFactory is geared toward RPG, wargaming, and tabletop miniatures enthusiasts. It’s the place for free and paid files of fantasy and sci-fi figurines and collectibles, so if you’re creating models like these, you’ll be sure to find your audience here.
In addition to selling your designs individually, you can also offer subscriptions for fans to join your Tribe (similar to a club or community) for a monthly fee.
Unlike most other sites featured in this article, it’s not free to list your designs. MyMiniFactory requires a Creator plan to open a store, which starts at $9.99 per month.
CGTrader
Best for: 3D model and 3D printable files
Platform fee: Earn up to 85% royalties; payout rate depends on total sales
Pricing structure: Free and paid digital files available
CGTrader is unique in that it’s a site for 3D models in general — this includes 3D printable files, as well as digital 3D models for gaming, VR, architectural renderings, animation, and more. There’s no monthly fee or listing cost. Your royalty rate depends on your total sales over the past 12 months and increases as your performance grows. CGTrader also provides marketing tips and analytics of what’s trending on its site to help you boost your visibility and increase sales.
Cults3D
Best for: Selling individual files, not subscriptions or memberships
Platform fee: 20% commission fee
Pricing structure: Free and paid models
Cults3D is an independent site that lists models for 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining. It’s popular for tabletop miniatures and toys, but you’ll find fewer household objects here. Cults charges a straight 20% commission fee on the sale of each downloaded file (which includes payment processing fees) and doesn’t have membership tiers or subscriptions, making it one of the more straightforward platforms out there.
General marketplace for selling digital files
The following sites aren’t 3D-print specific, but they do allow you to monetize your content by listing designs for sale or offering subscription-based memberships.
Etsy
Best for: Broad consumer reach
Platform fee: 6.5% transaction fee
Pricing structure: Paid 3D model files
Etsy is best known for being a marketplace for artisans creating handmade objects. It’s increasingly become a platform where creators can sell downloadable digital files of their original designs.
People often come to Etsy to shop for household objects or decor, so if you have original designs in these categories, you may find an audience here. You’re less likely to find people looking specifically for 3D print designs.
Patreon
Best for: Building an audience and community
Platform fee: 5-12% on individual sales, depending on plan; 10% on memberships
Pricing structure: Free and paid models; subscriptions
Like Etsy, Patreon isn’t specifically for selling 3D printing files. It’s a popular platform for those who create episodic content, like podcasters, or are often releasing new products like music or videos. Patreon allows you to offer memberships with exclusive content to subscribers, but you can also sell files individually. If you want to build a following, create community, and connect with those who buy your designs through messages, videos, and more, Patreon might be a good place to start.
How to list 3D model files for sale online
Now that you know about the different sites for hosting 3D files, you can decide which ones to use depending on your audience and the types of designs you like to create.
If you’re just starting out, you may want to try putting your designs on multiple sites, especially if there’s no listing fee. Track which sites bring in the most sales or where you’re getting good feedback on your designs, and focus your efforts on building your audience there.
Here’s the general process for listing files for sale, though the steps might vary slightly depending on the platform you use.
1. Set up your shop or profile
Follow the instructions on the model hosting site for setting up your shop and profile. Share a little about yourself, like how long you’ve been designing or what types of objects you like to create. You may need to connect a financial account as part of this process so that you can transfer any earnings you receive.
2. Create your listing
Create a new listing by clicking “Add New,” “Create,” or “Upload.” Fill out the required information, like the name of your design, a description, the price, and any photos or renderings of your design. Try to include actual images of the printed design so people can see what it looks like in real life.
Be as descriptive as you can, including helpful information like dimensions and printing directions. Use keywords that people are likely to search for — this will help your listing get found when people use the search bar.
3. Choose your license
Many sites, like Printables and MakerWorld, allow you to choose a license type that limits how your customers can use your design.
Standard digital file license means your customers can only create prints for personal use. They cannot modify your design and upload it as their own, share it with others, sell prints made from your design, or otherwise profit from your design.
Creative Commons Public Domain or commercial license allows your customers to share your files, modify or remix your design, and sell prints made from your design, all without attribution. They do not need to credit you as the original designer.
There are other types of Creative Commons licenses that are less restrictive than the standard digital file license, meaning your customers might be able to share files or sell prints as long as they attribute the original design to you. Or, you can choose a license that lets them remix your design but does not allow commercial use. Choose what you feel most comfortable with.
4. Upload your design file
Here, you’ll upload your design. STL is the standard design file format for 3D printing, and is the most universal. However, 3MF is becoming more common and preferred because it stores color information and printer settings.
You should be able to export both of these file formats from the 3D CAD program you used to create the model. From there, simply drag and drop or select the files you want to upload.
5. Share your design
If you want, you can share your design or online shop with friends, family, and other 3D printing hobbyists. If you sell 3D printed objects at markets or stores, print QR codes so customers can get directed to all your designs online. Market yourself on social media to build a following, especially if you offer subscription-based memberships.
Final thoughts
Here are a few final thoughts to consider before you start selling your 3D printable designs online:
How much should I sell my 3D print design for?
Knowing how much your design is worth can be tricky, and it comes down to several factors. If your design is completely original, there isn’t anything quite like it out there, and the object itself can’t be easily bought or replicated, this might allow you to charge a premium. If your design is similar to other free or low-cost models, you might have a harder time finding people willing to pay for yours.
Do your research by looking at how other designers price their models. Try to find some that are comparable in complexity and uniqueness, and list yours for a similar price. You can always raise or lower the price later if you need to. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with offering some of your designs at no cost as a way to gain fans and followers.
Can I sell a design I’ve modified from another creator?
If you’ve used a design from another creator as a source, and if that design’s license doesn’t allow remixes, you can’t sell it or upload it as a free model. If the license does allow remixes but doesn’t allow commercial use, you can’t make money from it. In any case, if you have doubts, it’s best to ask the original designer for permission, and credit them if you share it publicly.
Can I sell 3D print design files created with AI?
As long as the AI tool you’re using and the marketplace you’re listing on don’t forbid it, you should be able to sell design files generated with AI. Some sites, like MyMiniFactory, have a policy against selling designs created with AI. Others, like Etsy and Printables, require you to disclose the use of AI in your listing. Check the site you’re using for specific rules and guidelines.
Should I offer a membership or subscription for my designs?
If you’re thinking about taking advantage of some of the subscription-based models to monetize your designs, consider what kind of value you can offer to members. Are you constantly coming up with new designs that you’ll be able to share on a regular basis? Can you provide exclusive models or a commercial usage license to paid members? If you only come out with new designs occasionally and you don’t want them sold commercially, selling them on an individual basis may make more sense.
