There are thousands of 3D designs and models available for free online. Many designers want to share (and/or get help to improve) their creations and so they post them online for free download. Some of these sites also have premium/paid content, but all have some free content.
The list below is not comprehensive of what’s available, but it covers the most popular sites and our favourites:
- Thingiverse – probably has the most designs and even has many that you can customize right in their site itself
- YouMagine – from the makers of Ultimaker 3D printers. You can find some very interesting models here
- Pinshape – has both free and paid models, many of which are very high quality designs
- Cults – connects designers with the people who want designs, both free and premium
- 3D Shap.es – searches across 3D model repositories
- Instructables – in addition to the 3D models, these pages contain full instructions on making the objects, which are often combined with electronics or other components
If you have a favourite that’s not on this list, let us know!