Thangs: finding 3D models and getting them printed to order
Thangs is a website and search engine for 3D models that collects models from various sources and lets you browse and compare them.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence
What Thangs is
Thangs works as a search engine and community platform for 3D models. It collects files from authors and from other databases and can search among them by shape too. It is useful when you need to find a spare part or a model similar to the one you have.
Licences
The same applies as elsewhere: the author sets the licence. An overview of Creative Commons licences is on the project page. A model with BY-NC must not be used commercially. If a model comes from another database, follow the licence at the original source. We do not check licences, the responsibility lies with the customer.
What to check before printing
Look at the file format. STL or 3MF is ideal. With a 3MF with several colours, check how many there are, our filament changer handles up to 4. If a model looks complicated, see whether it can be printed without large supports. Our supports are generated automatically and are included in the price.
Thangs and your order
Searching by shape helps when you do not know the name of a part. Just upload a similar model and Thangs suggests similar ones. Always check the dimensions though: a model from a database may not fit your original exactly. Before ordering a larger number, order one piece first to try, more in the entry on spare parts.
Upload the downloaded file to the calculator. After upload the model is genuinely prepared for printing and you get the price per piece and the lead time based on real grams and time. You choose the material, PLA or PETG, and the strength. The maximum size of a single part is 246 × 246 × 256 mm.
Common questions
Is Thangs a database or a search engine?
Both. It collects models from various sources and also offers its own.
Can I order a model from Thangs commercially?
It depends on the original author's licence. Not with BY-NC.
Which format should I download?
STL for a single-colour model, 3MF for a multicolour one.
Related terms
STL
STL is the most common file format for 3D printing. It describes only the surface of a model as a mesh of triangles, with no colours, material or units.
3MF
3MF is a 3D printing file format that carries units, colours, materials and several parts as well as the shape of the model. It succeeds STL and is the best choice for multicolour printing.
Creative Commons licences
Creative Commons is a set of licences by which an author allows others to use their work under stated conditions. For 3D models it decides whether you may print them to sell and modify them.
BY-NC licence
CC BY-NC is a Creative Commons licence that allows a model to be used and modified only non-commercially and with credit to the author. Without the author's consent it does not suit sales or business use.
Printables
Printables is a website with a database of free 3D models, run by Prusa Research. Models are shared under various licences and most of them can be downloaded for free.
Thingiverse
Thingiverse is one of the oldest and largest websites with a database of free 3D models. You will find hundreds of thousands of files in it, from useful parts to toys.
SourcesSources checked 1 November 2026, 1
- Creative Commons licences, Creative Commons, checked 2026-11-01
We will print it for you
Upload a model and see the price per piece, the total with shipping and the date at once. We print in Košice, Slovakia, from PLA and PETG.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence