Measure the model
Your browser reads the STL’s triangles and adds up the enclosed volume and the surface area. Nothing is uploaded.
3D Printing Cost Calculator
Drop in an STL to see how much it costs to 3D print at home: the part’s weight, the filament and the electricity. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded. No STL? Type the grams from your slicer.
Drop an STL file hereChoose an STL file
Your file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Your prices and print time
Leave blank to assume 20 g per hour.
Add an STL to see the cost—
- Weight
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- Filament
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- Electricity
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PLA filament and electricity only. Supports, failed prints and the printer itself aren’t included.
Printing for a business? We print prototypes, display pieces and production runs in-house, from about $30, with no setup fee.
3D printing service ↗The method
01 / THE MATHHow does the 3D printing cost calculator work?
Estimate the weight
The outer walls are printed solid and the inside at your infill percentage. Weight is that plastic volume times PLA’s density, 1.24 g/cm³.
Price the filament
Weight times the price of a 1 kg spool: $9.74 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic on sale) to $23.99 (Prusament PLA). Enter your own spool price if you know it.
Add the electricity
Print hours times the printer’s measured watts times 18.16¢ per kWh. Without your slicer’s time, hours assume 20 g per hour.
Where the numbers come from. Bambu Lab PLA Basic technical data sheet (density 1.24 g/cm³ (ISO 1183)); Bambu Lab and Prusa brand stores, checked October 27, 2026 (PLA $9.74–$23.99 per 1 kg spool); U.S. EIA, August 2026 residential average (18.16¢ per kWh); Our 3D printing cost guide’s worked example (100 g in 5 hours). Printer wattage is owner-measured: Bambu Lab A1, TKC3D, Bambu Lab (owner’s fleet), Kaizen 3D Prints, Creality K2 Plus, Carlex DIY.
Read before you trust it
What does the 3D printing cost estimate leave out?
It prices plastic and power, the costs that change from print to print. Owning a printer costs more than that. How much a 3D printer costs covers the machine and upkeep.
- Supports, brims and purge waste, which add plastic your slicer will show
- The printer itself, its wear and replacement parts
- Failed prints and test prints
- Sanding, painting and other finishing
- Your time to prepare, print and clean up the part
For business and production work
How much does it cost to have it 3D printed?
PrintAWorld prints for businesses, brands, agencies and production teams in our New York studios: prototypes, display pieces, very large builds, and production runs on our in-house FDM print farm. A simple print from your file starts around $30, with no setup fee and no minimum order. A person checks the file first, and finishing is quoted with the print.
No file yet? 3D modeling starts at $250. For a one-off hobby print, a home printer or a print marketplace will usually cost less, and this calculator shows roughly how much.
Questions
3D printing cost questions
Want the full breakdown, from home printing to studios? Read how much 3D printing costs.
How do you calculate the cost of a 3D print?
Multiply the print’s weight by your filament’s price per gram, then add the electricity: print hours × the printer’s watts ÷ 1,000 × your price per kWh. A 100 g PLA print that takes 5 hours on a 110 W printer costs about $1.07–$2.50 at the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh.
Is my STL file uploaded anywhere?
No. The calculator reads the file in your browser, on your own device. It isn’t sent to PrintAWorld or anyone else, and it’s gone when you close the page.
Why is the estimate different from my slicer?
Slicers know your exact walls, top and bottom layers, infill pattern, supports and speed. The calculator approximates those. For the closest number, type the grams and print time from your slicer into the calculator.
How much does it cost to 3D print something at home?
Once you own a printer, material and power are cheap: about $1.07–$2.50 for a 100 g PLA print. The printer, upkeep, failed prints and your time cost more. See how much a 3D printer costs for the up-front side.
Does the calculator work for resin prints?
Roughly. The weight uses PLA’s density and the electricity uses filament printers ’ measured watts. For resin, enter your resin’s price per kilogram as the spool price and treat the result as a ballpark.
How much does it cost to have something 3D printed?
PrintAWorld prints for businesses, brands and production teams. A simple print from your file starts around $30, with no setup fee and no minimum order; production runs on our in-house FDM print farm and finished or very large pieces are quoted per project. 3D modeling starts at $250 if you don’t have a file. For a hobby print, a home printer or a print marketplace usually costs less.
Prices and sources checked by PrintAWorld ·