SelfCAD Alternatives in 2026: Browser 3D Modeling for Printing Compared
SelfCAD alternatives for 3D printing: Depthue Studio, Tinkercad, Womp and Blender, compared on price, platforms, mesh editing, checks and 3MF export.
The short answer
SelfCAD is a capable all-in-one: browser and desktop modelling, sculpting, a built-in slicer and offline use on its desktop app, with the strongest tools on the $14.99 a month Pro plan. If you mostly edit and prepare files for printing, Depthue Studio does that free in the browser, with print checks, a print estimate, 3MF export with colours and photo reliefs. If you want to sculpt or slice in the same app, stay with SelfCAD.
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
- Editing and checking files for print, free
Browser 3D workspace: 20 stacked operations on imported STL, OBJ, 3MF, GLB and PLY up to 120 MB, six parametric parts, JavaScript scripted parts, photo reliefs, coins and lithophanes, print checks and an estimate. Exports STL, 3MF with colours, OBJ, GLB, PLY, 16-bit height maps and SVG or DXF outlines. No sculpting and no slicer.
2.SelfCAD
- Price
- Free; Pro $14.99 a month or $11.99 a month yearly
- Best for
- Modelling, sculpting and slicing in one app
Browser plus Windows and macOS apps on one account, with booleans, plane cuts, Magic Fix repair, simplify, mirror and a built-in slicer. Pro adds sculpting, deformations, Image To 3D, rendering and animation. Exports no 3MF.
3.Tinkercad
- Price
- Free
- Best for
- Learning by stacking shapes
Autodesk's free browser app. Very easy, but imported models are capped at 25 MB and cannot be ungrouped, and there are no print checks.
4.Womp
- Price
- Free; Pro $12.99 a month or $9.99 a month yearly
- Best for
- Soft, clay-like shapes and renders
Browser modelling rendered on Womp's servers, with AI text and image to 3D and a resin print service. No offline version.
5.Blender
- Price
- Free, open source
- Best for
- Sculpting and full 3D work
Desktop 3D suite for Windows, macOS and Linux with sculpting and booleans; the 3D Print Toolbox extension adds checks and hollowing.
Side by side
| Depthue Studio | SelfCAD | Tinkercad | Womp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; plans from $5/mo | Free; Pro $14.99/mo | Free | Free; Pro $12.99/mo |
| Runs | Browser | Browser, Windows, macOS | Browser, iPad | Browser |
| Offline | No, it is a web app; files stay on your device | Desktop app | Not listed | No |
| Import limit | 120 MB | 1 million faces | 25 MB | 150 MB free, 300 MB Pro |
| Cut, boolean, repair, simplify | Yes, free | Yes | Boolean with holes only | Union and subtract; intersect on Pro |
| Hollow with drain holes | Yes | No dedicated tool | Not listed | Experimental |
| Sculpting | No | Pro | No | Clay-like blending |
| Print checks | Closed solid, plate fit, overhangs, thin walls, print estimate | Built-in slicer | Not listed | Health tab in print orders |
| Photo to relief | Yes, free | Pro: Image To 3D | No | Not listed |
| 3MF export | Yes, with colours | No | Not listed | Listed on some Womp pages |
SelfCAD and Depthue Studio do different halves of the job
SelfCAD is a modelling program first: you build and sculpt shapes, then slice them in the same app. Depthue Studio starts from the other end: you bring a file, a photo or a few settings, and it gets the part ready to print, carve or engrave, with every change measured on the real mesh.
That split decides most choices:
- Designing organic shapes from nothing: SelfCAD Pro's sculpting, or Blender.
- Fixing, cutting, hollowing or lettering an existing STL: Depthue Studio's STL editor, free.
- Parts with exact sizes from a few numbers: Studio's gear generator and parametric parts, or SelfCAD's shape generators.
- Knowing it will print: Studio's checks and print estimate; SelfCAD's slicer previews the toolpath.
- Photo reliefs, coins and lithophanes: Studio, free with depth on your device; SelfCAD Pro's Image To 3D turns brightness into height.
Price, side by side
SelfCAD's free plan covers modelling, booleans and its slicer, and Pro is $14.99 a month. In Depthue Studio every editing tool, check and export is free on every plan, and paid plans from $5 a month only add credits for cloud AI, storage and projects.
Moving a SelfCAD model to Studio
Export it from SelfCAD as STL, OBJ, PLY or GLB and drop it on the Studio plate. Large models stay as they are up to 120 MB. Add operations, check the print, and export STL, or 3MF with colours if your slicer supports multicolour prints.
Frequently asked questions
Is SelfCAD free?
SelfCAD has a free plan, plus a 10-day trial of the Pro tools at sign-up. Pro costs $14.99 a month, or $11.99 a month billed yearly, and adds sculpting, deformations, Image To 3D, rendering and animation.
What is a good free alternative to SelfCAD?
For editing and preparing files for printing, Depthue Studio is free in the browser: cut, hollow, boolean, repair, simplify, emboss text, parametric parts, print checks and a print estimate. For sculpting, Blender is free and more powerful, with more to learn.
Does SelfCAD export 3MF?
3MF is on SelfCAD's import list but not its export list. Depthue Studio exports 3MF with object colours for multicolour printing in Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer and PrusaSlicer.
Can SelfCAD hollow a model for resin printing?
SelfCAD's FAQ suggests workarounds rather than a dedicated hollow tool. Depthue Studio has a Hollow operation with a wall from 0.4 mm and up to eight drain holes.
Does SelfCAD have a slicer?
Yes. SelfCAD includes a slicer that makes G-code with layer height, infill and supports. Depthue Studio does not slice; it checks and estimates the print, then hands STL or 3MF to your slicer.
Sources
Try Depthue Studio.
Free in your browser, no card. 50 credits a month for cloud AI, and editing, checks and exports never use credits.