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CAD · head to head

Ultimaker Cura vs Zoo

Ultimaker Cura logo

Ultimaker Cura

CAD

Powerful 3D printing slicer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoo logo

Zoo

CAD

Cloud CAD with a scripting language and a geometry engine exposed as an API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ultimaker Cura support varies by community contribution; Zoo the geometry engine runs entirely in Zoo's cloud and there is no offline mode, so an aircraft, a customer site with no guest wifi or an outage stops modelling work completely.
  • They diverge on capability: Ultimaker Cura covers Universal printer support, Zoo covers KCL scripting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ultimaker Cura and Zoo actually diverge.

Attributes where Ultimaker Cura and Zoo differ
AttributeUltimaker CuraZoo
Pricing modelUnknownPer user per month
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, API
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

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 Ultimaker Cura

  • Universal printer support
  • Custom profiles
  • Plugin marketplace
  • Cloud integration
  • Tree supports
  • Arachne engine
  • Ultimaker printers
  • Most FDM printers

Only in Zoo

  • KCL scripting
  • Design Studio
  • Design API
  • Zookeeper agent
  • Format conversion
  • Open source client

What people use each for

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

Ultimaker Cura

  • 3D print slicingnot Zoo
  • Professional printingnot Zoo

Zoo

  • A hardware startup that wants part models reviewed in pull requests alongside firmwarenot Ultimaker Cura
  • A software team generating thousands of parametric part variants programmatically rather than by handnot Ultimaker Cura
  • A SaaS product that needs to render and convert customer CAD files without licensing a geometry kernelnot Ultimaker Cura
  • An engineer who models occasional brackets and enclosures and does not want a four figure annual seatnot Ultimaker Cura

Where each one falls short

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

Ultimaker Cura

  • Support varies by community contribution
  • No commercial technical support

Zoo

  • The geometry engine runs entirely in Zoo's cloud and there is no offline mode, so an aircraft, a customer site with no guest wifi or an outage stops modelling work completely.
  • STEP and SLDPRT import are still labelled experimental, which means the most common way of receiving a supplier or customer model is the least reliable path into the tool.
  • Drawing production, GD&T and tolerance annotation are far behind SolidWorks, Creo and NX, so most users still need a second package to release a manufacturing drawing.
  • Zookeeper is billed in reasoning minutes rather than per seat, so a team cannot forecast next month's bill from headcount the way it can with conventional CAD subscriptions.
  • The open source label applies only to the Design Studio client; the kernel that does the modelling is closed and hosted, so forking the repository does not give you a product you can run yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ultimaker Cura

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ultimaker Cura review.

Zoo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Design Studio access
    • About 20 minutes of Zookeeper reasoning per month
    • Around $10 of API calls included
  • Plus$20/month
    • Roughly 400 Zookeeper minutes per month
    • Pay as you go beyond the allowance
    • Design Studio and API access
  • Pro$99/month
    • Unlimited Zookeeper reasoning
    • Higher API allowance
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Ultimaker Cura if

  • You need universal printer support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want custom profiles.
Ultimaker Cura review

Choose Zoo if

  • You need kcl scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, API.
  • You also want design studio.
Zoo review

Questions people ask

Is Ultimaker Cura or Zoo better?
Neither clearly leads. Ultimaker Cura starts at Free and Zoo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ultimaker Cura or Zoo?
Ultimaker Cura starts at Free and Zoo at Free.
Does Ultimaker Cura or Zoo run on more platforms?
Ultimaker Cura runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Zoo runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, API.
Can I use Ultimaker Cura for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ultimaker Cura best used for?
Ultimaker Cura is most often used for 3d print slicing, professional printing. Of those, 3d print slicing and professional printing are not what Zoo is typically brought in for.
What can Ultimaker Cura do that Zoo cannot?
Ultimaker Cura covers Universal printer support, Custom profiles, Plugin marketplace, Cloud integration. Zoo covers KCL scripting, Design Studio, Design API, Zookeeper agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ultimaker Cura: Is Ultimaker Cura free?

Yes. Ultimaker Cura is completely free and open-source under the LGPL license. There are no premium versions, subscriptions, or hidden fees. All features are available to everyone.

Source
Zoo: Is Zoo the same company as KittyCAD?

Yes. KittyCAD renamed itself Zoo; the GitHub organisation is still KittyCAD and the scripting language KCL keeps the old initials.

Ultimaker Cura: How many printers does Cura support?

Ultimaker Cura supports over 400 different 3D printer models with out-of-the-box configuration. Users can add custom printers and profiles.

Source
Zoo: Can I use Zoo without an internet connection?

No. The geometry engine is a cloud service, so Design Studio needs a live connection to model anything.

Ultimaker Cura: What file formats does Cura import?

Ultimaker Cura converts STL, OBJ, 3MF, and other 3D file formats into G-code instructions that 3D printers can execute.

Source
Zoo: Is Design Studio free?

There is a genuine free tier with a small monthly allowance of AI reasoning and API calls. Paid plans start at $20 per month.

Ultimaker Cura: What features are available?

Cura offers 400+ configurable print settings, material profiles, intent profiles for specific applications, plugin support via the Ultimaker Marketplace, and active community development on GitHub.

Source
Zoo: Can I replace SolidWorks with Zoo?

Not for drawing release, large assemblies or GD&T. Teams typically use Zoo for programmatic part generation and keep an established package for production documentation.

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