Polygons are geometric shapes with three or more sides, like squares, pentagons, hexagons, and so forth. In 3D printing and 3D modeling, polygons are essential components of models. This is because computers and printers don’t display perfect curves for models. Instead, they divide the complicated feature into as many polygons as needed.
So, the more polygons you have, the more complex your part is, which makes it more difficult to render or print. To counteract a high polygon count, 3D modeling programs like Blender have made tools that allow you to control the polygon count for models. Using polygon control tools, you can control a model by decreasing or raising its polygon count.
Raising the polygon count will smooth out curves and other irregular geometries to make them look more natural. On the other hand, decreasing this value will make lower-polygon models easier (and quicker) to render, load on a device, or 3D print.
Low-poly models are more angular and have less detailed features, but the maker community has taken to this look, hence their popularity. They’re especially popular in game design and virtual reality, due to the reduced amount of time it takes to render them. The style can also be aesthetically pleasing and make for some interesting and artful decorations for your home.
Low-poly models are fun, but not always easy to find. In this article, we’ll go over a few different websites where you can find these models and download them. Before getting into our selections, let’s cover some considerations we kept in mind when curating our list of sites.
Considerations
There are quite a few 3D model repositories out there. To narrow down the best candidates for low-poly models, we used the following criteria:
- Large selection: When looking for low-poly models, it’s good to have options. That’s why the following sites have a wide range of models to choose from.
- Search features: It’s also important to have filters when searching for models. We looked for websites that offer useful filters to help narrow down search results.
- Types of models: While 3D model websites often contain a large variety of different models, they’re often suited for specific use cases. For example, Thingiverse is focused on 3D printable models, while 3DExport specializes in animation and game design. To give you diversity, we’ve included sites that offer different types of models.
- Price: As you may know, some models aren’t free, and certain repositories allow the designer to charge a fee for users to download their creations. Price is an important factor to consider when using a website to find low-poly models because you’ll likely want to find a site with some free designs or, at the very least, fairly inexpensive ones.
With these points in mind, let’s get into our list!
Thingiverse
Thingiverse is arguably the biggest 3D model repository on the internet. Founded by MakerBot in 2008, Thingiverse was absorbed by UltiMaker after MakerBot and (then) Ultimaker merged. The main file formats you can expect on this website are STL and OBJ, which are compatible with nearly all 3D slicers.
When it comes to low-poly models, Thingiverse has thousands of options. These include characters, wall art, animals, and even plant pots. You can find nearly anything in low poly using the intuitive search engine, and there are around 232 pages filled with such models.
However, Thingiverse does come with the occasional glitches. But, when one considers its vast range and collection of free models, easy-to-use search engine, and the fact that the website is constantly being updated, it’s a great option for low-poly 3D models.
- Number of models: 4,500+
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free
MyMiniFactory
Like Thingiverse, MyMiniFactory is another popular 3D printing website offering a large variety of designs. Most users who put their 3D files on the site usually also upload them on Thingiverse and Cults as well. Because of this, MyMiniFactory has many of the same 3D models that you’ll find on other sites as well as some unique ones.
In terms of low-poly designs, MyMiniFactory has many offerings, including characters and cute animals. While some models on this platform are free, others are locked behind a paywall, which usually ranges from $1-$5. The filters on this site set it apart, and you can opt for a specific 3D printer, type of license, 3D printing technology, and more. Maybe noteworthy is the has a complexity feature (easy, medium, or hard) to filter your search further. The site also has tags, including a low-poly one.
- Selection: 650+
- Registration required: Yes
- Price: Mostly free with some paid models ($1-$5)
Poly Pizza
Poly Pizza is a newer player in the world of low-poly websites. It first went live in 2021, when it was started by a YouTuber named Dook. It has many fantastic features, including a well-polished interface, and it includes models for 3D printing and game design with file types ranging from STL to FBX. The game design models even come with animations for convenience. Plus, it’s user-friendly, making it easy to search for the 3D models you want.
One of the best parts of this website is how every single model is in low-poly form – every single one. To make it even better, they’re all free. The website currently has over 9,000 models, allowing you to choose from a wide selection of animals, characters, everyday items, and more.
- Selection: 9,000+
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free
CGTrader
Another great website for low-poly models is CGTrader. Founded by Marius Kalytis in Lithuania in 2011, most of the models on this platform are centered on animation and game design. There’s a wide variety of models, but they are mainly characters with a low-poly look.
There are thousands of low-poly designs on CGTrader, and they can be downloaded in nearly any format, with the handy search filters making it easy to find what you’re looking for. For example, you can select the low-poly checkbox under the Attributes tab of the filter options, and you can further narrow down the results by selecting the range of polygons. Most of the models on this website are paid, costing anywhere from $2-$500. While the price tag can sometimes be expensive, the vast pool of models and the high quality is usually worth it.
- Selection: 380,900+
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free and paid ($2-$500+)
3DExport
3DExport is a well-known 3D model website offering over 55,000 models. The library of models is constantly being updated, so the selection is always growing. While many designs are animation-oriented for video games, the website also contains a wide variety of file types for 3D printing. As a 3D model marketplace, some designs are available for purchase, and prices range from around $20 to $200.
When it comes to low-poly models, 3DExport certainly delivers. It has a filter specifically for such models, including low-poly appearance or low polygon count. The rest of the filters are also very expansive, and you can filter for characters, animals, landscapes, vehicles, and more.
- Selection: 61,000+
- Registration required: Yes
- Price: Free and paid ($20-$200)
Cults
Cults is one of the larger 3D printable model repositories, comparable to Thingiverse. The website contains a large selection of models for both animation and 3D printing purposes, and it regularly hosts competitions where users can submit their own models to compete for different themes.
Cults has a wide range of low-poly models, including characters, animals, and many more. There are a good amount of basic filters available to help you narrow down your search results. You can also find low-poly models by looking in the competition section or for featured models on the home page. Keep in mind that some models offer an inexpensive paywall, usually ranging from $1-$5.
- Selection: 12,100+
- Registration required: Yes
- Price: Free and paid (mostly $1-$5)
Pinshape
Pinshape is another 3D model repository with a fair share of low-poly models. It’s mainly centered on 3D printing, but it caters to more than just hobby prints. The interface is a little cluttered, but it still offers a user-friendly experience.
To find low-poly models on Pinshape, you can use their search tool and filter designs by price, popularity, date posted, and more. This makes it easy to find low-poly models, especially if you use the relevancy filter, which should find models close to the exact term you searched for. The selection includes animals, miniatures, and more. Additionally, most of Pinshape’s models are free.
- Selection: Thousands
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free and paid (mostly $1-$5)
Printables
Printables is a 3D model repository from Prusa, a well-known 3D printing company. It offers a clean and attractive interface that’s easy to use. Plus, it has an active user community and an education platform, with regular contests and events.
Printables has a wide variety of filters to help find your low-poly models. There’s even been a low-poly competition, where people could submit their models. Over 400 users participated, making it very easy to find new and exciting models for your collection. Additionally, all of the models on Printables are completely free to download.
One of the things that makes this website unique is the fact that it’s maintained by a 3D printing company, which makes it very polished and it rarely glitches or has errors.
- Selection: 1,300+
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free
Free3D
Free3D is a well-rounded choice for finding low-poly 3D prints. The interface is easy to use and allows you to find your models quickly. Even though the models on this site are intended for games and animation, the designs are still 3D printable if that’s your goal.
The interface is rather simple, but still offers a large amount of advanced filters to help you find what you’re looking for. You can filter results by model type, such as characters or vehicles. It also allows you to filter by file type or whether or not the model is rigged for animation or game design. Some of the models do come with a price, but compared to other animation-centered 3D model websites, the cost is relatively low.
Even though there might be occasional glitches on this website, Free3D is still a good option for finding low-poly models. It’s simple to use and caters to 3D printing and animation and game design.
- Selection: 10,000+
- Registration required: No
- Price: Free and paid (mostly $1-$6)
Thangs
Thangs is the last website on this list, but certainly not the least. It features a unique function that lets you see results from other websites, like STL Finder or Yeggi, along with its own results.
Thangs is an all-around good choice for finding low-poly models due to the large selection. The filters help you narrow the results by model type, source, external website models, Thang’s models, and more. In order to access and download premium models, you’ll need to register for a paid membership.
- Selection: Thousands
- Registration required: Yes
- Price: Free and paid (requires membership)
License: The text of "Low-Poly 3D Models & Characters: The Best Sites" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.