There is no such thing as the best 3D modeling software. Classifying and benchmarking different 3D design programs is a very complicated matter as everyone has different preferences and applications for 3D printing in mind.
Our 3D modeling and 3D printing community here at i.materialise uses tons of different software to get the job done: from free online 3D designing apps to high-end professional software.
There are several reasons why it’s so difficult to find the best 3D modeling software:
There are tons of 3D modeling programs out there. It isn’t a case of one software dominating the market, which can make choosing the right one quite complicated and confusing.
3D modeling software works in very different ways. One software might be quite intuitive for some people, but really complicated for others. There is no one-sizes-fits-all-approach.
Users typically have very strong opinions that the software they are using is the best one. So everyone seems to have a different opinion on which software is the most suitable for creating a 3D file.
Professional 3D modeling software often comes at a high price. Many people don’t want to take the risk of purchasing high-end software without having tried free software first.
Finding the right 3D modeling software for 3D printing is tough. In ‘9 Free 3D Design Programs to Get You Started with 3D Printing’, we briefly describe the most popular free programs out there and point out how you can progress to more sophisticated programs later. We tried to put them into different categories based on the style of 3D modeling that is predominant for each software. While you have to sculpt in some, you merge geometric elements in others.
Finally, we also listed some of the most popular software tools used by our community of makers, designers, and inventors. If you visit our 3D Design Tools page, you can search according to your preferred platform, typical use, and price.