Ultimaker Curavs
PrusaSlicer
PrusaSlicer: Open-source 3D printer slicer software optimized for Prusa printers but compatible with many others.
Ultimaker Cura
Powerful 3D printing slicer
As of 30 August 2026, Ultimaker Cura is free to use. Ultimaker Cura is free, open-source 3D printing slicing software trusted by millions, with advanced features and wide printer support. Softwr lists it under CAD. Ultimaker Cura is made by Ultimaker (Stratasys), launched in 2011, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Overview
What Ultimaker Cura does
Ultimaker Cura is free, open-source 3D printing slicing software trusted by millions, with advanced features and wide printer support.
What people use it for
- 3D print slicing
- Professional printing
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Ultimaker Cura.
- Support varies by community contribution
- No commercial technical support
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Ultimaker Cura
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Ultimaker CuravsOpenSCAD
OpenSCAD: Free, open-source parametric 3D CAD modeler for creating designs from code.
- Ultimaker CuravsFreeCAD
FreeCAD: Free and open-source CAD software with 3D modeling and design capabilities.
- Ultimaker CuravsBlender
Blender: Free and open-source 3D creation suite with modeling, rendering, and slicing capabilities.
Capabilities
Features
Universal printer support
Custom profiles
Plugin marketplace
Cloud integration
Tree supports
Arachne engine
Ultimaker printers
Integration with Ultimaker printers
Most FDM printers
Integration with Most FDM printers
CAD software
Integration with CAD software
Open source
Open source security feature
Ultimaker account
Ultimaker account security feature
Windows support
Available on Windows
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
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.
SourceHow 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.
SourceWhat 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.
SourceWhat 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.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Ultimaker Cura
- Company
- Ultimaker (Stratasys)
- Based in
- Utrecht, Netherlands
Keep looking
Where to go from Ultimaker Cura
- Ultimaker Cura alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Ultimaker Cura pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Ultimaker Cura badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All CAD softwareThe full category
- Best CAD softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best CAD software for
Compare Ultimaker Cura with
- PrusaSlicer
- Bambu Studio
- OpenSCAD
- FreeCAD
- SolveSpace
- KiCad
- CloudCompare
- Zoo
- Siemens NX
- Bentley MicroStation
- Houdini
- ZBrush
- MoI (Moment of Inspiration)
- Nomad Sculpt
- nTop
- Octane Render
- RealityScan
- Solid Edge
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Ultimaker Cura, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Ultimaker Cura
Ultimaker Cura alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Ultimaker Cura pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Ultimaker Cura
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Ultimaker Cura badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best CAD software alternatives
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Free below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Survey drafting and COGO on an IntelliCAD engine, sold outright rather than by subscription
One-time purchaseOpen source point cloud comparison and processing maintained largely by one person in their spare time
Open source, no licence fee
Survey and civil design CAD sold as a perpetual licence with optional maintenance
One-time purchase
Photogrammetry engine formerly sold as ContextCapture, now inside Bentley's iTwin line
quote
Finite element simulation built around coupling physics, with add-on modules licensed separately
quoteFree slicer for Bambu Lab 3D printers, funded entirely by hardware sales
Open source, no licence feeCAD and modelling platform for infrastructure design, and the file format the rest of Bentley runs on
Per user per year