With dozens, if not hundreds, of 3D printing services out there, how do you pick the right one? We’ve done the work for you, uncovering the top providers, what they specialize in, what materials they offer, how their prices are calculated, and which 3D printing technologies they offer.
Even if you know nothing about 3D printing, many of these services can help you turn your idea into a physical object. If you are familiar with the technology, these providers’ online platforms require just a few clicks to go from digital file to delivered print in days (or less).
3D printing has become a viable manufacturing method alongside traditional production methods, offering cost and time savings for one-off products, functional prototypes, and small batches. Yet, many businesses and individuals hesitate to invest in expensive 3D printers and instead outsource their production to 3D printing services.
These services provide an array of professional materials and processes, spanning a wide range of materials from plastics to metals. It’s simply a matter of finding the one that suits your specific requirements.
In this article, we not only cover the best 3D printing services online, we outline the top six reasons to outsource your 3D printing, the five major differentiating factors, and how they price their services.
The Best Online 3D Printing Services
Craftcloud
Craftcloud by All3DP is a 3D printing service that aims to offer industrial quality at the lowest cost. The quality comes from industrial manufacturers with years of experience, which serve many 3D printing networks. The low prices come from what Craftcoud calls streamlined processes and price transparency, which has to do with its managed marketplace approach, which we detail a bit further down.
The platform lets you upload your 3D files, select your preferred material, and finish options. Unlike most other providers, you get instant quotes without having to register or create an account first.
Choose the best instant quote from a network of more than 150 vetted manufacturing partners worldwide, offering one of the widest ranges of materials. You can select the cheapest, the fastest, or a manufacturing partner with the best combination of these traits.
Unlike most other providers, Craftcloud discloses the prices of each manufacturing partner, and you choose the one that best fits your criteria. Still, Craftcloud takes care of the entire process from order to delivery to ensure your parts are printed and shipped to your satisfaction. That’s why they call it a “managed” marketplace approach.
Craftcloud’s manufacturing partners include some of the biggest in the industry like Materialise, Sculpteo, WeNext, and others.
New materials are added regularly, and Craftcloud recently expanded its services to CNC milling, sheet metal fabrication, and casting & molding services.
If you need help designing a 3D model, take advantage of Craftcloud’s CADmore partner offer, which is on-demand design services.
With Craftcloud, you can get the full spectrum of services from design to doorstep delivery affordably on a user-friendly platform with customer support.
What we like: Craftcloud is best for industrial-quality 3D prints at a low cost, combined with an easy-to-use ordering process.
Website: craftcloud3d.com
Xometry
Founded in 2013, Xometry has become the world’s biggest online 3D printing service. It leverages a US-wide network of manufacturing partners to offer instant quotes that are filterable by production method, material, and lead time. With customers including Fortune 500 companies, the system quickly brings together those needing custom parts and workshops frustrated at unorganized inquiries that lead nowhere.
Registration is mandatory if you want to use Xometry. Though it may be a bit overwhelming for regular consumers ordering a print, for business clients, Xometry’s features leave nothing to be desired. We think their Instant Quoting Engine is clearly geared towards industrial clients. It comes with a printability check and various part certifications. We found the order process to be straightforward.
In addition to 3D printing services, Xometry users can have CNC machined parts wrought from sheet metal or buy injection molded parts in bigger batches. They offer supply-chain solutions and high-volume production, too.
Xometry harnesses an extensive network of manufacturing partners to provide instant quotes that can be sorted based on production method, material, and lead time. The system efficiently connects companies seeking custom parts with workshops that have grown weary of disorganized inquiries that yield no results.
What we like: Because Xometry is a manufacturing service that also offers 3D printing, it’s a great way to compare the price and turn-around time of 3D printing your part to, say, injection molding it.
Website: xometry.com
Shapeways
Since its launch in 2007, Shapeways has played a prominent role in commercial 3D printing for consumers and professionals.
For consumers, it offers some unique services. For example, you can browse a wide selection of professionally designed items on Shapeways’ marketplace – everything from iPhone covers to bottle openers – tailor them to your liking, and have them 3D printed according to your specifications. If you are a 3D designer and need a shop to sell your digital files, Shapeways provides storefronts – a service we also notices on Treatstock’s 3D printing platform. They also point their users to useful 3D design apps that can help you design your own jewelry and fashion, decor and houseware, characters and creators, and terrain and topography designs.
Shapeways is not solely focused on consumers; it is a solid choice for professional rapid prototyping, catering to clients who need products that only industrial 3D printers can manufacturers. After a mandatory registration, you upload your file and get an instant quote. It is not totally clear if the prints are made by Shapeways directly or if they use other services to fulfill an order. Overall, though, we found the ordering process very straightforward and clear.
For professional customers, Shapeways offers dedicated technical support.
What we like: If you’ve never had anything 3D printed before, Shapeways is a useful starting point because they also offer digital files they know are printable. It’s a good way to experiment with a variety of materials and technologies.
Website: shapeways.com
Sculpteo
Focusing on the professional manufacturer more so than consumers or small businesses, Sculpteo (owned by German chemical giant BASF) is a smart choice if you know exactly which technology and material your project requires.
Like other 3D printing service platforms, you can upload your 3D model and select your materials and quantity. Sculpteo offers a handy “printability” check to your digital files that we like since it can point out problems before your order goes to production. There’s also a “Solidity Check” to ensure fragile elements of your print won’t break during production.
When we put Sculpteo’s ordering engine to the test it turned out to be fast and robust.
Sculpteo’s suite of professional services positions it as a comprehensive partner for tasks such as batch production, prototyping, and design validation.
It’s also worth noting that Sculpteo’s 3D printing service can be accessed through Craftcloud.
What we like: Sculpteo’s strength is its materials. As part of BASF, you’re assured of BASF 3D printing materials including its popular carbon-fiber nylon and engineering-grade resins.
Website: Sculpteo.com
Protolab Network (formerly Hubs)
Hubs started as a 3D printing network facilitated by local enthusiasts and the occasional professional. Today, the newly named Protolabs Network offers a wide array of manufacturing processes ranging from 3D printing to CNC machining, injection molding, and sheet metal fabrication.
This now enables it to suggest the optimum production method on a part-by-part basis and delegate it to an appropriately located partner for manufacturing, from 1 up to 1,000 pieces.
Prices are dynamically updated based on material and location and specified alongside turnaround times, filling you in on important variables in their purchase decisions. A minimum order value surcharge for smaller orders makes the service less interesting for consumers or single-item orders.
What we like: A broad array of local manufacturers, plus added services for professional clients is the main draw. There’s also a nice offering of post-printing surface finishes, like polishing, available.
Website: hubs.com
Stratasys Direct
If you can’t afford a Stratasys 3D printer? Using the company’s 3D printing service is the next best thing. Manufacturing exclusively with its own brand of printers, spanning a wide range of technologies, Stratasys Direct is great if you have one of the company’s printers but it’s busy, or if you know you want one of the company’s patented technologies, like Polyjet or 3D printing directly on textiles.
Fittingly, Stratasys sports a dazzling assortment of materials, which are explained in detail on the company’s website.
This online 3D printing service is aimed at engineering, medicine, and industrial design professionals. Another neat feature of its online quoting page is the ability to create and edit favorite part styles (consisting of the printing method, material, finishing, and surface treatment) that can be saved and applied to successive projects.
What we like: A broad choice of professional materials applied to Stratasys’ trusted technology.
Website: stratasysdirect.com
Treatstock
Treatstock prioritizes enabling you to select from hundreds, if not thousands, of product files ready to be 3D printed, rather than uploading your own digital file – although it offers that service, too.
Treatstock invites artists to open storefronts and upload their designs for customers to purchase and order 3D prints. What’s more, Treatstock features a handful of apps on its website, enabling the creation of braille labels to make life easier for the visually impaired, plus relief 3D images based on photos.
If you need something 3D printed, you can access the instant quote system, which is is well-designed and customer-friendly, filtering out unsuitable providers as you select key criteria (such as international shipping, product application, and desired technology). Alternatively, you can select a service provider in your town, if that’s your priority.
Treatstock’s 3D printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: A good instant-quote engine for customers, plus a storefront for 3D designers.
Website: treatstock.com
Materialise
Materialise is a Belgium-based company with offices and facilities in the US. Its services are broken out into a few different manufacturing arms, which makes it a bit difficult to navigate which one you might need. The likely reason behind this lack of ease-of-use is the massive range of what Materialise can print. From its healthcare wing, which prints human surgical guides and implants like jaw bone replacement, to its aerospace division that can fabricate certified-to-fly parts, to its quick self-service prototyping service called i.materialise, if Materialise can’t print it, no one can.
One of the strengths of Materialise is the design and consultancy services it provides to its business customers. If you’re not sure your product can or should be 3D printed, Materialise can help you analyze the real costs and potential savings.
Much like Shapeways, i.materialise also hosts designer-run shops, allowing creatives to sell their wares as physical items. The 3D printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: Wide range of technologies, materials, and applications; storefronts, plus educational discounts.
Website: materialise.com
Sybridge (formerly Fast Radius)
Sybridge calls itself a cloud manufacturing company because its focus is as much on offering an infrastructure for engineers to design and develop 3D printed products as it is on additively manufacturing them.
The company says its Cloud Manufacturing Platform encompasses the full ecosystem of 3D printing, providing software applications, manufacturing solutions, and a network of factories to produce commercial-grade parts. Its manufacturing capabilities include a range of additive manufacturing, CNC machining, injection molding, urethane casting, and sheet metal methods.
The company has its own manufacturing facilities and partners with a global network of micro-factories.
If you don’t need the consulting services, you can go right to the production platform, which delivers on-demand quotes and provides detailed information on the available additive manufacturing technologies and materials.
What we like: The holistic view of 3D printing for manufacturing that includes the design software, the right engineering guidance, and the physical fabrication all in one integrated service.
Website: sybridge.com
FacFox
FacFox is one of China’s most popular on-demand 3D print services, offering a broad selection of other manufacturing services, too. The company tailors its services to several industries, including architecture, medical, retail, and design.
A simple online interface lets you quickly upload models, which are then be checked for printability (and automatically repaired if not) before payment. Live tracking of the print’s progress is a nice touch, and competitive international delivery often makes it a cost-effective alternative to some of the perhaps better-known services on this list. The low prices come at the cost of site usability, which is not all that intuitive to navigate. But if you know exactly what material you need and which technology, it should be a smooth, quick ordering process.
FacFox’s 3D printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: Fast and low-cost printing, while offering a good range of materials.
Website: facfox.com
Quickparts
Similar to Stratasys Direct, which 3D prints with Stratasys 3D printers, Quickparts is an outgrowth of 3D printer maker 3D Systems and fabricates with its machines.
This is a great option if your shop floor of 3D Systems machines are at capacity or if your part was specifically design to be manufactured on a 3D Systems machine. Quickparts rounds out its on-demand print service with traditional manufacturing processes like CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding.
The company has engineers stationed in several facilities around the globe and has decades of manufacturing experience. Because it offers a range of technologies, it can help you choose the right process for your custom parts. Its five well-equipped facilities can handle your low-volume 3D printing production, although for mass-production it relies on its casting and injection molding services.
What we like: If you’re looking for 3D Systems quality, you’re in the right place.
Website: quickparts.com
WeNext
If you need parts in Asia, WeNext, headquartered in Shenzen, China, specializes in producing resin and nylon prints. The company has become one of the leading online manufacturing service platforms in the Asia-Pacific area, boasting a customer base of over 130,000 and access to 800+ machines through its network of partners. It also offers metal 3D printing, plastic and metal CNC manufacturing, and vacuum casting of various popular plastic materials.
Leveraging its efficient international shipping, which includes expedited delivery within 24 hours, WeNext has set its sights on the global market. It offers a cost-efficient alternative to some of this list’s more widely recognized services.
WeNext’s printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: Good quality with interesting prices, fast service.
Website: wenext.com
JawsTec
Specializing in the parts made of nylon and CNC-machining steel and aluminum, JawsTec offers a tightly focused and professional service for end use parts. It is certified to use HP’s Multi-Jet Fusion additive manufacturing system and post-processing of MJF parts.
We found the online platform had difficulty reading our 3MF digital files, but STL files worked fine. There’s not option for economical FDM 3D printing as the focus here in on end-use parts and functional prototypes.
Similarly, quality care is offered across the company’s other wares, with post-processing to order a differentiator between JawsTec and many other services.
JawsTec’s 3D printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: Specialist for nylon 3D printing.
Website: jawstec.com
BiocraftLab
Hailing from Graz, Austria, BiocraftLab’s claim to fame lies in its unwavering dedication to eco-conscious 3D printing. The company only offers biodegradable and renewable FDM materials, something that most 3D printing services fail to offer. This eco-friendly approach resonates with individuals and companies seeking to reduce their ecological footprint while benefiting from the possibilities of 3D printing.
Beyond sustainability, BiocraftLab strongly emphasizes customization and innovation by helping its clients with a 3D design service and quality assurance.
BiocraftLab’s sustainable 3D printing service can be accessed via Craftcloud.
What we like: Specialist for recycled FDM printing
Website: biocraftlab.com
Top 6 Reasons to Outsource Your 3D Printing
Using a 3D printing service opens up new avenues to make your business more agile, profitable, and sustainable. Here are the main points on how your business can profit:
- Enhance your production: Boost efficiency by creating complex parts without the need for multiple processes or tools (like molds), saving both time and resources. It also speeds up the prototyping process, reducing time and cost in developing new products, leading to faster market entry and higher ROI.
- Customization opportunities: Additive manufacturing can produce highly customized products with geometries that are only possible with this technology. Each item in a batch can be individually customized leading to better customer satisfaction.
- Reduce inventory and storage costs: On-demand manufacturing minimizes the need for large inventories, significantly slashing storage costs and waste.
- No hidden costs: Sure, it’s obvious, but by using a 3D printing service, you don’t have acquisition costs for the machine or materials, you don’t have to set up a 3D printing workflow, and you don’t have to think a second about the printing process itself. You simply get the final product shipped to you.
- More sustainable manufacturing: 3D printing can be more sustainable than traditional manufacturing processes. You reduce waste by using only the material necessary for the part itself and save resources by producing locally.
- Competitive prices: Only a handful of services (like Craftcloud) enable you to compare the prices of 3D printing services worldwide, so you pay the best price for the best quality from trusted service providers.
By leveraging these aspects, your business can streamline its operations and tap into new revenue opportunities and market segments. If you want to dig deeper, here is a perfect example of how to use a 3D printing service for your benefit.
What Sets Service Providers Apart?
You’ve got a model you need printing. We’ve got the list of 3D printing services up for the task. It’s a simple case of clicking around and trying them out, right? Wrong.
There are a plethora of factors that we took into account in considering the print services and bureaus out there. Many providers didn’t make the cut when we looked at the depth of their services. Here, to help you hone in on what matters, are the primary considerations to keep in mind when choosing which 3D printing service to use.
Material Choice
A surprisingly diverse array of materials is available for 3D printing technologies, making even the most discerningly specific of jobs a possibility. From difficult gold parts created using 3D printed molds for investment wax casting to flame-retardant casings printed in impossible shapes – the limitations become less by the day.
This means the onus is on you to know your materials. Functional prototypes must stand up to testing that reflects their end use, while engineering jigs and fixtures must be durable enough to survive on the shop floor without distortion or wear over time. All crucial considerations – made simpler by many print services allowing you to select a material from a drop-down menu.
The more specific the provider can be on materials the better. There are high-grade nylon materials and then there are economical-grade materials. Those with professional use and stringent mechanical and chemical requirements for their part in mind would do best to consider the larger print services that have highly visible partnerships with material makers. Chances are their material offerings and support will be better than those of smaller operators.
Not to diminish the little guy, though, they have their own value which is usually apparent in customer service; the economy of scale, however, means the big organizations may have more options.
Those less interested in having a part perform in a specific way, needing just a design prototype, have the luxury of choice. Any print service can physically realize a model – with material considerations gone, it’s down to cost, scale, time, and (possibly) certifications and confidentiality.
Scalability/Batch Production Volume
Another factor that will limit the number of useful 3D print services you can turn to is their ability to handle batch production. Finding a print service with the right material is good, but if it can’t handle 1,000 pieces of that thing you need by next week, then this is moot.
Some services specialize in batch production. Using a scalable farm of printers to complete large jobs quickly, the steps necessary to accomplish this are greater than the straightforward click+upload pipeline you commonly find for on-demand print services. Replaced instead with direct feedback and quotation, this will be a necessary step no matter the service you use to ensure all considerations and demands are met.
When using a 3D printing service for low-volume batch runs, be sure to check that the service you have in mind is equipped to deal with the number of prints you need. Some print technologies a service lists can be indicative of this, with selective laser sintering one particular printing tech suited to batch optimizations.
Cost
The factors affecting the final cost of a 3D printed part are many but you have some power to influence the cost of the parts you order, be it through using a 3D print service that is local to where you need the printed piece to be and being flexible with the materials you use.
Another valid strategy to scope out the best price for 3D printing is to create quotes with many print services, comparing and adjusting parameters until you achieve an acceptable price. However, this comes at a high cost in time and frustration. Who wants to acquaint themselves with the intricacies of a dozen file upload systems, material selections, and checkout pipelines? Not us.
Where cost is a factor, 3D printing price comparison services and those that operate as hubs come into their own. For example, you could spend half an hour configuring quotes from the top three print services for a given material or turn to a service such as All3DP’s own Craftcloud, upload the model once, select the material once, and see prices and shipping estimates for multiple services in one step.
Time
Fortunately, some 3D printing service providers offer rush jobs should you not be too picky about the material your parts is printed in.
Some providers focus on rapid prototyping with a history of next-day shipping. Such services are, of course, bound by physical limitations such as geography, so pay attention to the location of the service you use if time is of the essence.
As much as the location of the company printing your part can negatively impact the shipping cost, it can also increase the time it takes to reach you.
Those in a hurry would do best to opt for services that guarantee quick turnarounds and fast shipping. Otherwise, try to stay as local as possible.
As with the cost factor, a 3D printing service price comparison can come into its own here, helping you pick the service that offers the quickest turnaround when the cost matters less than having it in hand, like, now.
Privacy/Certifications
One less obvious factor to consider when choosing a 3D printing service is the company’s privacy policy, terms, conditions, and any certifications they may have.
It’s a natural assumption that most 3D printing services operate with the intent to foster trust with their users – who are uploading potentially sensitive and IP-protected prototypes, after all. Most are quick to declare that in uploading your file for manufacture, you are granting a non-exclusive license, allowing the company to fabricate your model. However, there are occasions when you, as the user, need airtight confidentiality regarding the files you are uploading. To that end, a print service willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement is your friend. Few print services are upfront about their readiness to sign such documents, but digging around a given service’s FAQ page or user forum usually yields an official stance on the matter.
Another factor, albeit a less tangible one for you as the end-user, is ISO:9001 certification. An increasing number of 3D printing companies adhere to the stringent checks and auditing that come with ISO 9001. This means little for the actual production of your part; instead, think of it more as an indication that the company is committed to ensuring a high level of standards across the breadth of its organization.
One natural benefit to think of here would be, for example, if a 3D printing service also offered CNC milling at its second location on another continent. Maintaining ISO:9001 means that the management, service, customer care, and manufacturing quality of parts coming from both sites are on par with one another. Leading to greater interoperability between different entities, it’s an assurance of commitment to excellence. Better-organized companies will inevitably lead to a better experience for you, the customer.
There are other more niche requirements that few 3D print services offer. One such example would be International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliance, a requisite for any step in the supply chain of “defense articles” as specified on the United States Munitions List.
How 3D Printing Service Prices Are Calculated
When you upload your 3D file to a 3D printing service, you’ll get a quote instantly or later by email. However, not all these services are transparent as to how a 3D printing service calculates its prices.
Below, we have compiled a list of the most important factors determining how 3D printing services calculate prices. Some of them are obvious to anyone with a 3D printer at home, while the operational processes of a given 3D printing service provider can also affect the price.
Material Cost
It’s no leap to say that an item printed in PLA will cost significantly less than the same item in sterling silver. Ideally, 3D printing services publish a list that reveals how much a certain amount of the available materials cost. Your price, or rather, the price of material required for your job, is calculated by multiplying the material cost by the volume of the 3D file.
However, other factors must be considered to understand how 3D printing service providers calculate their prices. For one, usually, parts are not printed as solid pieces. Instead, in FDM parts, a certain infill percentage is used to balance strength and cost.
What’s more, many 3D files with overhanging parts require support structures to be also printed. The material spent on these supports must also be factored in to calculate 3D printing service prices.
Manual Labor
Although 3D printing services are highly automated and use sophisticated software to facilitate every production stage, there is still a lot of manual labor involved. For instance, after printing, the parts are cleaned and post-processed according to your order, supports are removed, and then they’re packaged. The final cost of a printed item reflects this labor, a part of the “service fee” that is charged per item or order.
Another factor that must be considered to understand how 3D printing services calculate prices is finishing: the sanding, dying, polishing, and other post-processes that help get the most out of your 3D prints. However, since they are often done manually, they will increase the final cost. Some are optional add-ons, but others are a required part of the fabrication process.
Maintenance Cost
What 3D printing services also include in their calculations of 3D printing service prices are costs involved with maintenance. This includes initial printer investment, electricity, depreciation, repairs, and failed prints. Aside from labor, these costs are also wrapped up into a “service fee.” These costs can also be covered by 3D printing services charging a minimum price for orders that would otherwise be below a certain value.
Layer Height / Resolution
When setting up the print, it is sometimes possible to tweak the printing speed by adjusting the layer height. Parts with bigger layer heights will cost the printing service less time and can save you a lot of money. So, by tweaking the resolution of your part, you can determine how 3D printing service prices are calculated.
The same applies to the amount of infill. Printing solid parts does not only increase the material cost but also the time needed for printing.
Machine Space / Time
In processes like SLS and MJF, the biggest driver of 3D printing cost is neither material nor labor, but machine space. 3D printing services stack or “nest” different size parts from various orders together in order to print as many parts as possible at once. This process makes 3D printing more cost-effective for 3D printing services. In turn, they pass on the part of the money they saved. So, the shape of your 3D file can directly influence how 3D printing service prices are calculated and it may be why the larger services with a lot of volume can print your part cheaper.
Shipping Costs
Of course, it takes someone to deliver the finished piece to you. Companies like Shapeways, Sculpteo, and Materialise usually work with local subcontractors. The 3D printing file gets transferred to them to be 3D printed. Then, after successful completion, it is shipped.
It makes sense to take a look at shipping costs, as they can greatly differ. Some 3D printing services charge up to 100 percent more than others for handling and shipping.
Lead image source: Voodoo Manufacturing
License: The text of "The Best Online 3D Printing Services in 2024" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.