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Manufacturing · head to head

Formlabs PreForm vs Materialise Magics

Formlabs PreForm logo

Formlabs PreForm

Manufacturing

Free print preparation software that only drives Formlabs printers, because the money is in hardware and resin

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Materialise Magics logo

Materialise Magics

Manufacturing

Industrial build preparation and data repair for metal and polymer additive manufacturing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Formlabs PreForm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Formlabs PreForm preForm only drives Formlabs printers, so the free software is really an entry cost to a closed hardware and resin ecosystem rather than a tool you can keep if you change machines.; Materialise Magics new seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.
  • They diverge on capability: Formlabs PreForm covers Automatic orientation, Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Formlabs PreForm and Materialise Magics actually diverge.

Attributes where Formlabs PreForm and Materialise Magics differ
AttributeFormlabs PreFormMaterialise Magics
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a Formlabs printerquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Manufacturing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Formlabs PreForm

  • Automatic orientation
  • One-click print
  • Material presets
  • Dashboard
  • Fleet Control

Only in Materialise Magics

  • Mesh repair
  • Part orientation and nesting
  • Build Processors
  • Simulation module
  • Structures module
  • Reporting and traceability

Both cover

  • Support generation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Formlabs PreForm

  • A dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combinationnot Materialise Magics
  • A prototyping team running several Form printers that needs job queueing and usage trackingnot Materialise Magics
  • A jewellery workshop laying out castable patterns to maximise parts per buildnot Materialise Magics
  • An education lab that needs software with no per-student licence costnot Materialise Magics

Materialise Magics

  • A service bureau running several brands of metal printer that wants one preparation environment instead of five vendor slicersnot Formlabs PreForm
  • Repairing badly formed STL or scan-derived meshes that a machine slicer will not acceptnot Formlabs PreForm
  • Automating support generation on metal parts where manual support editing is the bottleneck in the processnot Formlabs PreForm
  • Simulating and compensating for build distortion before committing an expensive metal buildnot Formlabs PreForm

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Formlabs PreForm

  • PreForm only drives Formlabs printers, so the free software is really an entry cost to a closed hardware and resin ecosystem rather than a tool you can keep if you change machines.
  • Formlabs resin is sold in proprietary cartridges, and the ongoing consumable cost over a printer's life dwarfs anything a paid slicer would have charged.
  • Third-party resins can be used only through open material settings that step outside validated profiles, which affects print reliability and the comfort of warranty support.
  • Parameter-level control is deliberately limited compared with open slicers, so advanced users cannot tune exposure and layer behaviour the way they can on an open platform.
  • It is Windows and macOS only with no Linux build, which is awkward for research groups and labs standardised on Linux workstations.

Materialise Magics

  • New seats and modules have been subscription only since 15 May 2024, so the perpetual purchase route is closed and existing perpetual holders are on a shrinking island.
  • Build Processors are licensed separately per machine family, so adding a new printer brand adds a licence line as well as capital cost, and a mixed fleet multiplies the software bill.
  • The modules that deliver the biggest labour saving, notably e-Stage automated support generation, are paid extras, so the base seat alone leaves you doing manual support work.
  • Materialise publishes no prices anywhere, and quotes vary by region and reseller, so two similar bureaus can pay materially different amounts for the same configuration.
  • It is Windows only and remains a desktop application, which sits awkwardly with the cloud direction of Materialise CO-AM and means preparation capacity is tied to specific workstations and licence seats.

Pricing, plan by plan

Formlabs PreForm

Free
  • PreFormFree
    • Free download with no licence fee or subscription
    • No installation or seat limit
    • Works only with Formlabs printers

Materialise Magics

On request
  • Magics Essentials$undefined/year
    • Mesh repair and editing
    • Part orientation and platform placement
    • Basic support generation
  • Magics with modules$undefined/year
    • Everything in Essentials
    • e-Stage automated supports, Simulation, Structures priced individually
    • Build Processors licensed per machine family

Which should you pick?

Choose Formlabs PreForm if

  • You need automatic orientation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want one-click print.
Formlabs PreForm review

Choose Materialise Magics if

  • You need mesh repair.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want part orientation and nesting.
Materialise Magics review

Questions people ask

Is Formlabs PreForm or Materialise Magics better?
Neither clearly leads. Formlabs PreForm starts at Free and Materialise Magics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Formlabs PreForm or Materialise Magics?
Formlabs PreForm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Formlabs PreForm and On request for Materialise Magics.
Does Formlabs PreForm or Materialise Magics run on more platforms?
Formlabs PreForm runs on Windows, macOS. Materialise Magics runs on Windows.
Can I use Formlabs PreForm for free?
Yes. Formlabs PreForm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Materialise Magics starts at On request.
What is Formlabs PreForm best used for?
Formlabs PreForm is most often used for a dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combination, a prototyping team running several form printers that needs job queueing and usage tracking, a jewellery workshop laying out castable patterns to maximise parts per build, an education lab that needs software with no per-student licence cost. Of those, a dental laboratory preparing surgical guides on a validated resin and printer combination and a prototyping team running several form printers that needs job queueing and usage tracking are not what Materialise Magics is typically brought in for.
What can Formlabs PreForm do that Materialise Magics cannot?
Formlabs PreForm covers Automatic orientation, One-click print, Material presets, Dashboard. Materialise Magics covers Mesh repair, Part orientation and nesting, Build Processors, Simulation module. Both handle Support generation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Formlabs PreForm: Is PreForm free?

Yes, with no licence fee, subscription or installation limit. It is free because it only prepares jobs for Formlabs printers.

Materialise Magics: Can I still buy a perpetual Magics licence?

No. Since 15 May 2024 Materialise sells new seats and new modules on subscription only. Existing perpetual licences continue to work but new capacity is subscription.

Formlabs PreForm: Can PreForm drive a non-Formlabs printer?

No, and it never will. It is the front end for Formlabs hardware, which is where the revenue is.

Materialise Magics: Do I need a separate Build Processor for each printer?

You need one per machine family, licensed separately from the Magics seat. Budget for it before you buy the printer.

Formlabs PreForm: Can I use third-party resin?

Only via open material settings, which take you outside validated profiles and the reliability those profiles are tuned for.

Materialise Magics: Is Magics the same as CO-AM?

No. Magics is desktop build preparation. CO-AM is the Materialise cloud platform for AM workflow and production management, which absorbed the former Link3D product.

Formlabs PreForm: Does it run on Linux?

No. Builds are provided for Windows and macOS only.

Materialise Magics: Does Magics slice?

It prepares and supports the build and hands off through a Build Processor, which produces the machine-ready file. The machine-specific processing lives in the Build Processor.

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