We all know marketplaces and communities to download 3D models for 3D printing. In fact, All3DP listed over 30 sites to get free 3D printable models. To find a specific 3D model in this jungle manually would be a lot of work – even when we use the built-in search engines of these repositories.
Luckily, there’s Yeggi. The 3D print search engine is something like Google, just for printable 3D models that allows you to search all of the relevant repositories.
But is Yeggi also the best 3D print search engine out there? We have tested and compared the alternatives to Yeggi. Read our list to find out, or jump to our conclusion at the end.
Yeggi
Yeggi is a sort of Google for 3D printable models. And similar to Google, there is – almost – no real competition.
Yeggi is a 3D print model search engine. It collects data from 3D printing communities and marketplaces such as Thingiverse, GrabCAD, 3DLT, and many others. As of early 2018, Yeggi claimed it had indexed nearly 1,4 million 3D models.
You can search by entering keywords and by clicking on popular keywords (below the search field). To narrow down the search results, you may filter by free or commercial models and sort by popularity, best match or latest. Moreover, Yeggi also displays the most recently updated files.
Although Yeggi rules supreme in terms of numbers, this 3D print search engine is not perfect. Only a fraction of the 3D files is curated, meaning you cannot browse collections of items that have been proven to be 3D printable.
Yeggi has been online since April 2013, and it is the uncontended champion in the field. In all the years since there have been several attempts to create a competing 3D print search engine, but many have failed.
Verdict: If you want to cast out your net wide, then there is hardly a better 3D print search engine than Yeggi.
Yobi3D
The chase is afoot for the first place of 3D print search engines. Yobi3D is slowly closing in on Yeggi with a total number of more than 1 million models that are indexed in its treasure chest.
However, Yobi3D is doing much more than simply adding more and more 3D models. It is trying to beat Yeggi finding them! Similar to Google Image search, this 3D print search engine allows you to upload a 3D file and then search for similar 3D models.
From the search results, you can directly access a 3D viewport. This nifty feature allows you to inspect 3D files without having to download and open them on your computer. While this feature is commonplace in many 3D file repositories, Yobi3D is one of the few 3D print search engines that brings you this level of comfort – including Yeggi!
Yobi3D can also be used as a 3D file conversion tool. It features a handy 3D file converter that will come in handy in case the item you like is in the wrong format.
How much attention the developers gave to the needs of 3D printing can be seen in the advanced search window. Here, you can specify a maximum or minimum polygon count. In case you prefer a particular file format you can also filter the search results. Do you want to know if you can use a 3D model for your business? Yobi3D knows the answer. Last but not least, this 3D print search engine lets you also filter 3D files based on their printability. What more could we ask for?
Verdict: Yobi3D’s thought through search options makes more than up for the fact that it has indexed slightly less 3D files than Yeggi.
STLFinder
Another 3D print search engine that challenges Yeggi’s dominance is STLFinder. This service taps into a dozen different 3D print file repositories, among them are Thingiverse, Cults3D, Pinshape. It claims to have indexed more than 2.5 million 3D files, putting it way ahead of Yegii – but who has the time to check that?
Because STLFinder is one of the new kids on the block, it is trying to be better than Yeggi. The advanced mode of this 3D print search engine is a reasonable success at this since it allows you to filter repositories, commercial models, and free models.
If you create an account at STLFinder you can bookmark files and compile lists of your favorites to share with other users of STLFinder.
For those who like to search for 3D files while their out and about, there is an app of this 3D print search engine available for Android and iOS.
Verdict: You want a bigger selection of 3D printable files than even Yeggi has to offer? Look no further.
Aipos3D
The makers of this 3D print search engine make it a secret how many 3D files are accessible through their service. Therefore, we cannot tell if will you find more 3D files here than on Yeggi. However, our own idiosyncratic searches suggest that Yeggi has the quantitative upper hand.
What we really love about Aipos3D is that the content is curated with numerous categories that you can explore. This is just one example how smaller 3D print search engines try to improve on Yeggi’s user experience.
The search results can be refined using the facets bar on the top of the page. Here you can specify the price range for commercial 3D models and sort them by relevance, number of views and other factors. Aipos3D’s advanced search also lets you choose in which of the repositories you want to search.
If you create an account at Aipos3D you can bookmark files and compile lists of your favorites to share with other users of this 3D print search engine.
Verdict: Aipos3D is a solid 3D print search engine that offers greater ease of use than Yeggi.
Tridimensia
The future of 3D print search engines can already today be seen on Tridimensia. This site brings exciting and unheard of features to the table that will hopefully become standard practice in the years to come.
First, this 3D print search engine allows you to display 3D files directly in the browser. This nifty feature allows you to inspect 3D files without having to download and open them on your computer. While this feature is commonplace in many 3D file repositories, Yobi3D is one of the few 3D print search engines that brings you this level of comfort – including Yeggi!
However, the ingenious inventors went out of their way to make 3D printing even easier and more enjoyable. For one, the site analyzes every 3D file and indicates whether it is 3D printable. Usually, issues like non-manifold vertices can be easily solved using an STL repair tool.
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Tridimensia also calculates the amount of filament that is needed to 3D print a file and how long the print will take. Of course, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, because factors like the 3D printer model, layer-height, the kind of filament, etc. can make a big difference. – Still, Tridimensia outshines all of its competitors (including Yeggi) with this amazing feature-set.
Verdict: As of early 2018, Tridimensia is still in the beta-stage, so don’t expect a polished 3D print search engine. Once the final version is released, Yeggi and Co will face some stiff competition!
Conclusion
Yeggi is often praised for its impressive number of indexed 3D files. However, if we trust STLFinder’s claim Yeggi is not the top dog people think it is. Moreover, its usability lags behind its competitors. A search engine should do more than spit out hordes of 3D models. It should help you find exactly what you want.
With its many sophisticated features that are designed to make 3D printing easier and more enjoyable Yobi3D clearly outshines Yeggi. If you can look past the slight difference in indexed 3D files between Yeggi and Yobi3D, you will realize that the latter is the better 3D print search engine when it comes to usability.
If you want a bigger selection of 3D printable files than even Yeggi has to offer, STLFinder is the right address for you. What is more, this 3D print search engine also makes it so much easier than Yeggi to find exactly the 3D files you are looking for.
Aipos3D has a few aces up its sleeve that helps you finding the right kind of 3D files for you. Unlike Yeggi, it allows you to specify the price range for commercial 3D models and sort them by relevance, and much more. Aipos3D’s advanced search even lets you select the repositories you want to sift through.
Now, for the child prodigy on our list. We place high hopes on the kind of smart features Tridimensia has introduced to 3D print search engines. 3D printability analysis, print-time, and print-cost estimations are clever ideas that will make 3D printing more accessible for a larger crowd.
License: The text of "Yeggi & Co. – Which is the Best 3D Print Search Engine?" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.