13 Best 3D Printing Slicer Software FDM Domination

The process of 3D printing comprises of a few essentials. Of course, having a great 3D printer and a well designed 3D model is important but it is equally important to have a powerful 3D printing slicer.  In case you are new to the field of 3D printing, a 3D printing slicer is a software that provides an interface between the 3D model and the 3D printer.

The slicer prepares your 3D model for printing, by generating a G-code which is a type of programming language understood by the 3D printer.  Meanwhile, there are a number of 3D Printing slicer software available in the market, we have selected the top thirteen, their features, platforms, and prices for you to select the best one for our requirements:  

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1.  Simplify3D – S3D Simplify3D is the best available 3D slicer for professionals. The slicer is compatible with almost all  3D-Printers of the industry. Its key features include high processing speed, a user-friendly interface, and powerful features to edit the complex 3D models. Also, the slicer allows you to edit raw G-codes with relative ease. While experimenting with different nozzles you can edit settings like extruders, layers and select from the various infill methods, temperature control and cooling time settings to get the optimal results.

Do you want to learn more about Simplify3D then why not check out this great tutorial, Great guide on getting you started.

Pros:

– Gives you high-quality 3D printing results
– Provides multiple options to customize your model/printer settings
– Its powerful features allow you to edit and process complex models
– Has a very high processing speed

Cons:

– It’s an expensive option for beginners

2. Cura

While S3D is considered to be the best “paid” slicer in the market, Ultimaker’s Cura takes the number 1 spot for the Open Source slicers. Since it’s free to use, Cura has become one of the most widely used 3D slicer software in the world. Also, Cura 3D slicer can process STL, 3MF and OBJ formats which gives it the versatility to work with almost all 3D-Printers in the market. 

Pros:

– Contains a simple interface with a highly customizable dashboard
– It’s easy to use for experts and beginners alike
– Open Source and Free
– The slicer provides options to edit, tinker and visualize complex designs

Cons:

– Time estimation can show an error of 10-20 minutes

3. Slic3r 3D printing slicer software

Another great Open Source 3D slicer on the list is Slic3r. Thanks to the actively contributing community of slic3r developers, professionals today are able to use many 3D printing features. For instance, the use of brim, micro layering, multiple extruders, bridge detection, command line slicing, sequential printing, etc. are all examples of the features that were developed by the Slic3r community. One of its best features is the ability to view the infill patterns of honeycomb structure separately across the layers. This gives the designers the freedom to create unique designs, independent of the other layers of the design.

Pros:

– Open Source and powerful software with features to edit designs in real-time
– Can be directly linked to the user’s OctoPrint box.
– Provides the option of real-time incremental slicing

Cons:

– It’s not suitable for beginners

4. KISSlicer

“Keep It Simple Slicer” or KISSlicer is one of the most user-friendly 3d slicers available in the market. You can select the package from the available options of free, Commercial ($35) and Educational ($25) versions. The free version is suitable for amateurs who want to get hands-on experience with 3D printing. Further, the pro-version provides features like multi-head printing and G-code generation.

Pros :

– The software provides smart multi-head temp control
– It allows adjustable printer speeds
– The slicer can handle complex meshes

*Commercial version

Cons:

– Its paid features are offered free by other slicers
– You have to manually generate the G-code for unsupported printers

5. OctoPrint 3D printing slicer software

OctoPrint slicer is considered to be the best option in the market for remotely controlling a 3D printing operation. The cloud-based software gives its users the freedom to control printing via browsers. The application is installed on Raspberry Pi, which can be extended further by using easily available plug-ins. Further, using its cloud-based operation enables you to directly load STL files onto the 3D-Printer without having to use an SD card interface.

Pros:

– It’s Open Source and Free
– Contains an Integrated slicer software that is based on the powerful CuraEngine
– The software gives great mobility to the users who can read the G-codes directly from the printer

Cons:

– It only supports STL files (currently)
– Not good for beginners

6. 3DPrinterOS

Next up is the 3DPrinterOS. Another cloud-based slicer that gives great mobility to its users. Using the slicer you can directly access your 3D-Printer from a browser. 3DPrinterOS is an integration of three 3D-Printer slicer apps namely, Cloud Slicer, Slicer 2 and MakerBot Slicer. Like all other slicers, you can choose the one that fits your needs. 

Pros:

– Cloud-based
– Easy to use
– Allows you to convert your slicer settings as JSON code

Cons:

– A lot of features are available on the paid version

7. Astroprint

While using Astroprint you will realize that it seems like a hybrid between 3DPrinterOS and OctoPrint. Well, it was built on the OctoPrint platform so the similarity is natural. The Astrobox interface provides you the freedom to remotely control the printer from any browser. Also, the software offers integration of many other 3D printing applications like Yeggi and Thingiverse for searching and downloading pre-designed models.

Pros:

– User-friendly interface
– Cloud-based
– Integrates many useful 3D printing applications

Cons:

– Limited features
– Lesser flexibility as compared to its peers
– Freemium

8. Repetier 3D printing slicer 

Repetier is perhaps the most favored 3D printing slicer option among the RepRap 3D-Printer community. Also, it’s compatible with most of the commercial FDM 3D printers. But its true strength lies in Its ability to support up-to 16 extruders. Furthermore, it can be integrated with multi-slicer support services like CuraEngine and Slic3r. Also, the Repetier Host offers remote access through the dedicated server. Furthermore, it can also be installed on Raspberry Pi.

Pros:

– Best choice for RepRap community
– Cloud-based
– Free

Cons:

– Print quality is not that great

9. CraftWare 3D Slicer

A lot of users say using CraftWare reminds them of the Simplify3D interface. Developed by CraftBot, the slicer is compatible with all available FDM 3D Printers. Also, its G-code visualizer is very powerful and allows you to view the layer-by-layer model. Further, it gives a 360-degree view of the model to you for detailed tinkering.

Pros:

– User-friendly interface
– A free alternative to the great S3D (in terms of interface)
– Good for beginners

Cons:

– Quality is not as great as that of Cura or S3D

10. IceSL Slicer

IceSL. IceSL is a multifunctional software that offers 3D slicing and modeling features under one roof. The powerful software allows you to work with more control over your projects. Also, the layer-by-layer viewing capability of the G-code is an important feature that the slicer software provides.

Pros: 

– The software gives great control to designers
– It’s free
– Multiple 3D printing features under one roof

Cons:

– Not available for MAC
– Not suitable for beginners

11. Pathio

And last but not least, Pathio. Pathio slicer looks to be bringing a lot of new features to the slicing software, 3D Offsetting being one just now pathio is in open beta meaning anyone can try this slicer out for free to get the community to help beta test. it works on many operating systems windows, linux and mac

Pros: 

– Works on many operating systems
– New features
– Works with octopi and Duet3D

Cons:

– Free for beta testing

12. SelfCAD 

Selfcad is another slicing program that was launched just recently. It has a built-in Slicer that helps you generate the G-Code that you can send to your 3D printer. With this slicer, you can access your 3D printer on the browser easily, and if you can’t see your Printer you can request it to be added and it will be done quite easily. It’s also compatible with all types of FDM Printers.  It’s similar to Cura Slicer but it is improved. Something interesting and unique about SelfCAD in-built slicer is the 3D print animation feature. You can animate your sliced object to see how it will be 3D printed. If you would like to design your 3D models and 3D print, SelfCAD is a great program as you can model, sculpt, animate and Slice your designs all under one program without the need for any additional software or extension. Myminifactory has also been integrated into the program to allow users to import models to the program at a click of a button. 

Pros

• The easiest Slicing program
• Suitable for all levels of  users
• Compatible with all FDM 3D printers
• Easier to Customize your settings
• It can handle both simple and complex meshes.
• It runs on the cloud. Hence you can access it anywhere.
• You can use the Slicer in the free account.
• The print quality is great just like for Cura.

Cons

• You need an internet connection to access the Software

13. Kirimoto

Kirimoto is an entirely new slicer written from scratch. It does not use any components from other slicers. Since it is written purely in Javascript, it is able to run entirely in-browser. Future work may offer server-side slicing for larger and more complex models. It is a multi-modal slicing and visualization engine that produces:L

• GCode for 3D printers
• GCode for CNC Mills
• GCode, DXG, and SVG paths for laser cutters

Pros

• Suitable for all levels of users
• Compatible with all FDM 3D printers
• Suitable for CNC and Laser cutters
• It runs on the cloud so access from anywhere

Cons

• You need an internet connection to access the Software

 

Now that you have the slicer for your 3d printer you will now need to find websites to download stl files this article will guide you through the best websites to download 3D models.

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