Microsoft 3D Builder Alternatives: What to Use Now It Is Gone
Microsoft removed 3D Builder from the Store in July 2024. The best free replacements for repairing, combining, cutting and embossing 3D models.
The short answer
3D Builder was removed from the Microsoft Store in July 2024 and is no longer supported, and Microsoft does not name a replacement. Depthue Studio does the same everyday jobs in a browser for free: open 3MF, STL, OBJ, PLY and glTF, repair, merge, subtract and intersect, slice with a plane, simplify and smooth, emboss text, add a base and turn photos into reliefs. Your slicer already covers simple cuts and text, and Blender covers everything else, with a steeper learning curve.
Disclosure: Depthue makes the options marked “By Depthue”. Each option is described from its own public documentation, including where it beats ours. Prices change; check each site before buying.
1.Depthue Studio
By Depthue- Price
- Free; plans from $5 a month for cloud AI
- Best for
- The jobs 3D Builder did, in a browser
Opens STL, OBJ, 3MF, GLB, glTF and PLY up to 120 MB. Repair, boolean union, subtract and intersect, plane cut, simplify, smooth, emboss or engrave text, base plate, holes and hollowing, with print checks and STL or 3MF export. Photos become reliefs and lithophanes.
2.Your slicer (Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer)
- Price
- Free
- Best for
- Quick cuts, text and merges before printing
The slicer you already use cuts, scales and adds text. Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer also have Mesh Boolean for permanent union, subtract and intersect.
3.Blender
- Price
- Free, open source
- Best for
- Everything, if you have time to learn it
Full 3D suite for Windows, macOS and Linux. Booleans built in; the 3D Print Toolbox extension adds checks, repair and hollowing; 3MF through a community extension.
4.Autodesk Fusion
- Price
- Free for personal use; $85 a month or $680 a year
- Best for
- Designing new parts from scratch
Parametric CAD for Windows and macOS. Mesh tools for plane cuts, combining, shelling and repair, plus a 3D Print utility that sends to your slicer.
Side by side
| Depthue Studio | 3D Builder (last version) | Slicers | Blender | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available | Yes, any browser | Removed from the Store, July 2024 | Yes | Yes |
| Opens | STL, OBJ, 3MF, GLB, glTF, PLY | 3MF, STL, OBJ, PLY, WRL, glTF | STL, OBJ, 3MF and more | STL, OBJ, glTF and more; 3MF by extension |
| Repair | Yes | Yes | Varies | With 3D Print Toolbox |
| Merge, subtract, intersect | Yes | Yes | Mesh Boolean in Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer | Yes |
| Slice into pieces | Plane cut | Yes | Cut tool | Bisect |
| Simplify and smooth | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Decimate |
| Emboss text | Yes, 17 fonts | Yes, text or images | Text tool | Text objects |
| Add a base | Base plate operation | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Photo to 3D | Photo to relief or lithophane | Images and webcam to 3D | Not listed | Not listed |
| Saves | STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB, PLY | 3MF, STL, PLY, OBJ | 3MF, STL | STL, OBJ and more |
What happened to 3D Builder
3D Builder was Microsoft's free Windows app for preparing models for printing. Its Store listing still describes it: open 3MF, STL, OBJ, PLY, WRL and glTF files, repair them automatically, merge, intersect or subtract objects, slice them into pieces, smooth and simplify, emboss text or images, add a base for a trophy or bust, and turn photos into 3D. Microsoft's list of removed Windows features now says that as of July 2024 it is no longer supported and was removed from the Microsoft Store. It points users to their 3D printer maker instead of naming a replacement.
Paint 3D left the Store on November 4, 2024 and 3D Viewer on July 1, 2026. For opening and inspecting files, see the 3D Viewer alternatives.
The same jobs in Depthue Studio
| 3D Builder | Depthue Studio |
|---|---|
| Open 3MF, STL, OBJ, PLY, glTF | Open STL, OBJ, 3MF, GLB, glTF, PLY up to 120 MB |
| Repair | Repair operation: welds, fixes flipped faces, fills holes |
| Merge, intersect, subtract | Boolean operation |
| Slice into pieces | Plane cut, keep either side |
| Smooth and simplify | Smooth and Simplify operations |
| Emboss text | Emboss or engrave text in 17 fonts |
| Add a base | Base plate operation |
| Photos to 3D | Photo to relief, coin, plaque or lithophane |
| Save 3MF, STL, PLY, OBJ | Export STL, 3MF with colours, OBJ, GLB, PLY |
Studio adds what 3D Builder never had: print checks for plate fit, overhangs and thin walls, a print estimate in grams, time and cost, gears, boxes, signs and keychains from settings, and every change kept in an operation stack you can turn off. It does not read WRL files or take webcam photos.
If you only need one quick fix
Many 3D Builder jobs now live in the slicer. Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer all cut models and add text, and Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer have Mesh Boolean for permanent merges and subtractions. The guide to how to edit an STL file shows where each tool is.
Frequently asked questions
Was 3D Builder removed from Windows?
Microsoft's list of removed Windows features says that as of July 2024 3D Builder is no longer supported and was removed from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft suggests asking your 3D printer maker for a recommendation.
What can replace 3D Builder for free?
Depthue Studio does the same jobs in a browser: open and repair models, merge and subtract them, cut them with a plane, simplify, emboss text, add a base and export STL or 3MF. Your slicer covers quick cuts and text, and Blender covers everything with more to learn.
Can I still use 3D Builder if it is installed?
An installed copy may still open, but Microsoft no longer supports it and it cannot be installed again from the Store. Keep files in STL or 3MF so you can move them to another tool.
Did Paint 3D and 3D Viewer go too?
Yes. Microsoft removed Paint 3D from the Store on November 4, 2024, and 3D Viewer on July 1, 2026. See the Microsoft 3D Viewer alternatives page for free viewers.
How do I emboss text on an STL without 3D Builder?
In Depthue Studio, import the STL, add the Emboss or engrave text operation, type the text, pick one of 17 fonts and set the height in millimetres. The letters are raised or sunk into the top face, and the model stays a closed solid.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn, Features and functionality removed in Windows client
- Microsoft Learn, Deprecated features in Windows client
- Microsoft Store, 3D Builder listing
- Bambu Lab Wiki, Mesh boolean
- OrcaSlicer Wiki, Mesh Boolean
- Prusa Knowledge Base, Cut tool
- Prusa Knowledge Base, Text tool
- Blender Manual, STL import and export
- Blender Extensions, 3D Print Toolbox
- Blender Manual, Bisect
- Blender Manual, Decimate modifier
- Blender Manual, Text
- Blender Extensions, 3MF Import/Export
- Autodesk Fusion Help, 3D Print
Try Depthue Studio.
Free in your browser, no card. 50 credits a month for cloud AI, and editing, checks and exports never use credits.