If you work a lot with 3D printing services or CNC machining services, you’ve probably heard of Xometry, one of the most popular on-demand manufacturing services. They have a network of over 5,000 manufacturers, and ordering a part through Xometry connects you with one of their partners.
Xometry is known for being able to handle both small and large orders. This might be a problem you’ve experienced with other suppliers, as some manufacturers specialize in either individual or bulk production, but Xometry has the scale to print large batches of parts as well as the low prices to make purchasing individual parts worth it. They also offer their customers many printing technologies and material options.
Although Xometry is great, other manufacturing services are out there. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some excellent alternatives to Xometry. Before getting started, we’ll go over what we looked at to narrow down the list of options.
Qualities of Good Alternatives
Many factors go into making a good manufacturing service or network. It’s important to remember that there’s no definitive answer to the best platform because it all depends on your own specific needs.
That said, the first and most basic thing to consider when deciding on a 3D printing or machining service is the available technologies. While FDM is the cheapest and most popular among 3D printing enthusiasts, it’s not necessarily the best for making quality functional parts. Make sure to find a platform that offers a few different manufacturing technologies, so you have more options to choose from. Also, the more technologies a platform has, usually the wider its range of materials.
On this note, the materials offered by the service are the next important consideration. The material or service you choose is vital because it defines the properties of your end product and often significantly affects the part’s strength, durability, and other aspects.
In addition to looking for a range of technologies and materials, we’ve considered the platform or service’s other key features in our list. This could be a nice user interface, a forgiving return policy, or direct contact with the local manufacturer responsible for producing your print.
With that, let’s jump in!
Craftcloud
Before we get into our picks for the best Xometry alternatives, it’s important to mention Craftcloud by All3DP, a marketplace that seamlessly connects you to service providers around the world so you can compare offers that match your specifications.
Customers can choose from a variety of 3D printing technologies as well as over 80 different materials. They also benefit from no minimum order price and a responsive customer care team. With instant quotes and shipping estimates, Craftcloud helps you save money by finding the best deal, all without the hassle of weeding through multiple services’ offerings.
Craftcloud partners also offer traditional manufacturing services such as injection molding, CNC machining, and urethane casting, among others. Instant quotes for these services are not available on the website. Instead, customers are encouraged to reach out directly to the Craftcloud team.
- Available technologies: FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS, SLM, MJF, PolyJet, binder jetting, CNC machining, injection molding, urethane casting, and more
- Available materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, PC, PP, resin, nylon, silver, steel, and more
- Key features: Easy cost optimization, clean user interface, instant quotes, excellent customer support
- Order placement: Craftcloud
Shapeways
Shapeways is an online manufacturing service that’s one of the most popular out there, with over 21 million parts produced! They have served over one million customers, including corporations like Google and Target.
Shapeways is primarily an upload-and-order 3D printing service, but they also allow customers to purchase 3D models from the website’s marketplace. Once you’ve uploaded your 3D model, you can choose from 10 different manufacturing technologies and over 90 variations of materials. Shapeways also offers full color 3D printing for certain materials.
Their interface is very smooth and clean, so the ordering process should be a breeze. Finally, while Shapeways has some large clients, they do a good job keeping the price affordable for individuals, too.
- Available technologies: SLA, SLS, SLM, MJF, binder jetting, material jetting, wax casting, CNC machining, injection molding, urethane casting, vacuum casting, and sheet metal fabrication
- Available materials: TPU, resin, nylon, steel, sandstone, aluminum, and more
- Key features: Excellent user interface, built-in file repository, full color printing, instant quote feature, a decent amount of available colors, inexpensive
- Order placement: Shapeways
Fast Radius
Fast Radius is a US-based business with a massive production facility at its Chicago headquarters that was named “one of the best factories in the world” by the World Economic Forum. In addition to the usual additive and subtractive manufacturing capabilities, the company offers “cloud manufacturing solutions” that range from design to warehousing parts. Imagine maintaining a virtual warehouse of part designs that can be manufactured in any quantity whenever needed – that’s Fast Radius’ vision.
Through an innovative partnership with UPS (an early investor in Fast Radius), they aim to ship all orders within 24 hours of receiving them – contingent on the size of the product taking less than 24 hours to produce. Custom products shipped the same day as the order placement is tough to beat for tight business timelines.
Fast Radius also gets bonus points for having an appealing user interface (UI) that makes their website easier to navigate than competitors. This UI includes a dashboard that allows users to track their order through each step of the process and easily tweak designs to optimize before production is complete.
- Available technologies: FDM, DLS, SLA, MJF, CNC machining, injection molding, and urethane casting
- Available materials: ABS, TPU, PEEK, nylon, resins, steel, and many more
- Key features: Cloud manufacturing platform, shipping within 24 hours of ordering, appealing UI, online dashboard to track orders through each step of the process and tweak designs to optimize, simple repeat orders option
- Order placement: Fast Radius
Treatstock
Treatstock offers a global directory of manufacturers that allows customers to browse and compare suppliers, read reviews from previous orders they’ve fulfilled, and receive timely quotes from selected manufacturers. If customers need design assistance, Treatstock also has a marketplace of 3D designs available to purchase and a database of 3D CAD designers for hire.
Their service isn’t about limiting possibilities when it comes time to build designs. Their global network can connect you with a local manufacturer anywhere and offers technologies beyond 3D printing, such as CNC machining, injection molding, metal casting, and more.
With reviews easily viewable to compare manufacturers, it’s no wonder Treatstock has been trusted by Google, Apple, Tesla, Samsung, and many more corporations or major universities.
- Available technologies: PLA, SLA, DLP, Polyjet, CNC machining, injection molding, cutting, metal casting, and more
- Available materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, resins, nylon, titanium, aluminum, brass, copper, carbon fiber, wax, paper, and more
- Key features: Compare supplier costs, a marketplace of 3D designs to purchase, 3D designers available for consultation, visible customer reviews of various services, instant orders
- Order placement: Treatstock
FacFox
FacFox is a China-based network of manufacturers that specialize in 3D printing. From prototypes to end products, they pride themselves on offering lower costs. While their production is entirely based in China, FacFox offers speedy global delivery and accepts designs from anywhere.
FacFox doesn’t have the same reputation as Xometry, but its network’s diversity of manufacturing services and over 200 material offerings at affordable prices make them worth mentioning.
- Available technologies: 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding, sheet fabrication, metal casting, and more
- Available materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, nylon, resin, and many more
- Key features: Low cost, many technologies and materials, instant auto quotes or fast manual quotes, short response times, all-in-one service
- Order placement: FacFox
Fathom
Fathom is a digital manufacturing platform focusing on low-volume production and accelerated timelines. You can either call them or get an online quote to start the process. They aim to deliver your parts within 24 hours of the order being placed.
Fathom is an American company with 12 domestic factories located in each time zone. While their embrace of 3D printing is more recent, Fathom brings over 50 years of manufacturing experience to every project.
You’re in good company if you choose Fathom. They count nine of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies as clients.
- Available technologies: Over 25 including FDM, SLA, SLS, Polyjet, CNC machining, injection molding, and metal cutting
- Available materials: PLA, PC, ABS, nylon, resins, wax, and many metals
- Key features: Model assembly and finishing, custom parts shipped within 24 hours, automated online quotes
- Order placement: Fathom
GKN Additive Forecast 3D
GKN Additive Forecast 3D is a 3D printing specialty manufacturer that produces all projects in-house at its California and Michigan facilities. The company is proud of its American manufacturing and history, with 260 years of metallurgy and engineering experience plus 25 years of 3D printing with Forecast 3D.
They’ve limited the types of technology they use to specialize their manufacturing on FDM, SLA, DLS, and Polyjet 3D printing, plus CNC machining and urethane casting. They’re also HP’s official West Coast MJF partner and an SAP partner.
Their specialization facilitates a more intimate role in the production process. The company offers expert designers to each of its clients before manufacturing commences. Moreover, their service guarantees that orders placed before 3 p.m. ship the next day.
- Available technologies: FDM, SLA, DLS, Polyjet, CNC machining, and urethane casting
- Available materials: ABS, TPU, PC, nylon, and more for each service
- Key features: Next-day shipping of 3D printed production parts, expert design service
- Order placement: GKN Additive Forecast 3D
Proto Labs
Proto Labs is one of the largest names in on-demand additive manufacturing. Besides 3D printing, they offer other manufacturing services such as injection molding, CNC machining, and sheet metal fabrication.
Even though 3D printing isn’t Proto Labs’ largest service, it’s still a massive business. They have six printing technologies and 30 materials on offer. The material options include not only traditional materials, but also many special composites, such as glass-filled nylon and ceramic-like PC.
Once you’ve decided on your printing method and material, Proto Labs also lets you control the resolution and finish of the final product.
- Available technologies: SLA, SLS, DMLS, MJF, PolyJet, Carbon DLS
- Available materials: PP, TPU, nylon, steel, titanium, composites, and more
- Key features: Clean user interface, instant quotes, optional part-configuration service
- Order placement: Proto Labs
3ERP
3ERP is a rapid prototyping and low-volume manufacturer built on the philosophy of three E’s: excellent, efficient, and economic. Their manufacturing facility is located in China, and all production is done in-house with global shipping available.
With their focus on prototyping, they place a special emphasis on reviewing designs and physically touching the prototyped design to assess functionality before production moves to a larger scale.
3ERP might have the most unique list of customers, thanks to its partnership with Lady Gaga on her shoe collection. They also specialize in automotive and engine manufacturing with customers including Tesla, Bombardier, BMW, Magna, Lamborghini, and more.
- Available technologies: FDM, SLA, SLS, CNC machining, injection molding, vacuum casting, and sheet metal fabrication
- Available materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, PC, nylon, resins, and various metals
- Key features: Ability to physically review designs before mass production, surface finishing, economical
- Order placement: 3ERP
Hubs
Hubs, formerly known as 3D Hubs, is another great printing service acquired by Proto Labs in early 2021. While Hubs used to be more centered around local 3D printing enthusiasts who could manufacture ordered parts, the company has reoriented more toward the professional side. Now, Hubs is touted as the “best manufacturing solution” for parts whose geometry or aesthetics require expert attention.
Hubs offers four popular 3D printing technologies: FDM, SLA, Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), and MLS. You can request a part to be printed in one of eight plastics. Besides 3D printing, they also offer CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding.
Hubs is a great alternative to Xometry because, like most on-demand manufacturing services nowadays, it has an instant quote tool and offers several technologies and materials. Another great feature of Hubs is the built-in manufacturability detection that senses imperfections in your uploaded model that might make 3D printing them difficult.
- Available technologies: FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding
- Available materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, ASA, PC, PEI, resin, nylon, as well as various metals and plastics for CNC machining
- Key features: Adjustable infill density and layer height, multiple variations of materials, instant quotes, easy-to-use user interface
- Order placement: Hubs
Stratasys Direct
Stratasys Direct is an on-demand 3D printing service offered by Stratasys, one of the leaders in the additive manufacturing industry and the parent company of MakerBot and, as of September 2022, UltiMaker. Stratasys is one of the oldest companies in the industry, and they have a lot of experience. This is probably a reason for their wide range of options and their long list of customers, including Siemens and Lockheed Martin.
When you order a part from Stratasys Direct, you can choose from a variety of traditional or cutting-edge additive manufacturing technologies and a large catalog of materials. You can also control the color for each material (if multiple are available), request a hand finish, and set a surface treatment.
- Available technologies: FDM, SLA, MJF, PolyJet, DMLM, SAF, P3, laser sintering, CNC machining, urethane casting, and injection molding
- Available materials: PLA, ABS, ASA, PC, nylon, TissueMatrix, biocompatible resins, and more
- Key features: A wide range of available colors, optional surface treatments, and hard finishes
- Order placement: Stratasys
eMachineShop
If you’re specifically looking for CNC machining services, take a look at eMachineShop.
Widely recognized as the world’s first online machine shop, eMachineShop was founded with the objective of making it easy and fast to design custom parts, as well as receiving a price for them and ordering their production. They help their customers with their Resources section, which offers tutorials, CAD lessons, CAD file viewers and converters, cost reduction tips, and more.
eMachineShop offers a free CAD program that works both online and offline. This program is simple and easy to learn, as it focuses on the machining aspect of drawings and helps produce machining compatible parts. There’s an instant price quote function built-in with the program in case you’re ready to move to the next step of production after you’re done designing.
- CNC capabilities: Milling, turning, waterjet abrasion, laser cutting, wire EDM, and plasma cutting; available finishes include powder coating, anodizing, abrasive blasting, and metal brushing.
- Available materials: Over 50 materials, including metals (aluminum, brass, titanium) and plastics (acrylic, polypropylene, PVC).
- Key Features: Instant quote on eMachineShop CAD; free CAD download; cost savings guide.
- Order placement: eMachineShop
For a more thorough guide to the best CNC online services available, check out our article The Best Online CNC Service Providers of 2023.
License: The text of "The Best Xometry Alternatives of 2023" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.