3D print cost calculator with STL viewer
Drop an STL to see it in 3D and get its volume, filament weight and length, print time and full cost — material, electricity, machine wear, labor and markup. Your file is analysed on your device and never uploaded.
- File
- — ·
- Size (X × Y × Z)
- —
- Volume
- —
- Surface area
- —
- Triangles
- —
- Mesh check
- —
- Build volume
- —
Cost estimate
| Cost | How | Amount | Share |
|---|
Printer, time & electricity
Labor, failures & markup
What does this 3D print cost calculator do?
It reads your STL file directly in the browser, measures the model's exact volume and surface area from its triangles, and estimates how much plastic the printed part will use with your wall thickness, infill and support settings. From the grams and an estimated print time it adds up material, electricity, machine wear, labor and a buffer for failed prints — the full cost of a part, not just the filament.
The estimate follows the same logic a slicer uses — a solid outer shell plus sparse infill — so it lands much closer to real print weights than multiplying volume by density. If you already have a slicer's print time, type it in for an exact electricity and machine cost.
How to calculate the cost of a 3D print
- Load the STL. Drag an STL file onto the page or click Open STL file. Binary and ASCII STL both work, and the file is read on your device — nothing is uploaded.
- Check size and mesh. Confirm the dimensions, choose the file units if the model looks tiny, set the scale and check that the mesh is watertight and fits your printer.
- Choose material and settings. Pick a material, enter what you paid per kilogram, and set infill, wall thickness and an allowance for supports and waste.
- Add printer and business costs. Select your printer type (or type in its wattage and your slicer’s print time), your electricity price, machine wear, labor, failure buffer and markup.
- Copy or print the quote. Read the cost and price per part with a full breakdown, then copy the quote as text or print it with a snapshot of the model.
Cost by material
- PLA1.24 g/cm³ · about $0.02 per gram at $20.00/kg
- PETG1.27 g/cm³ · about $0.02 per gram at $22.00/kg
- ABS1.04 g/cm³ · about $0.02 per gram at $22.00/kg
- ASA1.07 g/cm³ · about $0.03 per gram at $27.00/kg
- TPU1.21 g/cm³ · about $0.03 per gram at $32.00/kg
- Nylon1.14 g/cm³ · about $0.05 per gram at $45.00/kg
- Polycarbonate1.2 g/cm³ · about $0.04 per gram at $40.00/kg
- Resin1.15 g/cm³ · about $0.03 per gram at $30.00/kg
How far does a spool go? See filament length per kilogram for PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, ASA, Nylon, and what a printed gram really costs in 3D printing cost per gram.
Cost by printer type
- Entry-level bed slingerCreality Ender 3 / Ender 3 V2, Anycubic Kobra, Prusa MK3S+ · about 120 W
- Fast bed slingerBambu Lab A1, Prusa MK4S, Creality Ender 3 V3 · about 100 W
- Enclosed CoreXYBambu Lab P1S / X1C, Creality K1C, Prusa Core One, Qidi Q1 Pro · about 140 W
- Large-format FDMCreality K1 Max / K2 Plus, Elegoo Neptune 4 Max, Anycubic Kobra 3 Max · about 250 W
- Resin MSLAElegoo Saturn / Mars, Anycubic Photon Mono, Phrozen Sonic Mini · about 60 W
Guides
- How to calculate 3D printing costA print costs more than the filament on the spool. Here is the full formula, what to plug into each part, and a worked example you can check in the calculator.
- How to price 3D prints to sellMost new sellers price by gut feel or by the gram — and quietly lose money on every long or fiddly print. Here is a pricing method that covers your costs and still sells.
- How much filament does a 3D print use?Volume, walls, infill and density decide the weight of a print. Understanding how they interact lets you estimate filament before slicing — and cut it when you need to.
- How much electricity does a 3D printer use?Less than most people fear: a typical desktop printer costs a few cents an hour to run. Here are realistic wattages by printer type and how to work out the cost of any print.
- STL files explainedSTL is the most common 3D printing format, and one of the simplest: a list of triangles. Knowing how it works explains most "my model looks wrong" problems.
- How to open STL files on any deviceSTL files open in a web browser on every computer and phone, with nothing to install. Here is that option first, then what each operating system can — and no longer can — do on its own.
- PLA vs PETG vs ABS vs TPU vs resin: cost per printPrice per kilogram is only half the story. Density, print speed, failure rates and consumables change the real cost of each material — sometimes more than the sticker price.
Frequently asked questions
How is 3D printing cost calculated?
Cost = material + electricity + machine wear + labor, plus a buffer for failed prints. Material is grams × price per kg ÷ 1,000; electricity is print hours × average watts ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh; machine wear is print hours × an hourly rate that covers depreciation and spare parts. Add a markup on top if you sell prints.
How do you estimate filament weight from an STL file?
The calculator measures the model’s exact volume and surface area from its triangles. It then adds a solid outer shell (surface area × wall thickness) and fills the remaining inside volume at your infill percentage, adds supports and waste, and multiplies by the material density — 1.24 g/cm³ for PLA.
Is my STL file uploaded?
No. The STL is read and analysed entirely in your browser with JavaScript and displayed with WebGL. It never leaves your device, so customer files and unreleased designs stay private.
How accurate is the estimate?
Volume, size and surface area are exact for a closed (watertight) mesh. Weight is typically within 10–20% of a slicer’s figure, because slicers also model top and bottom layers, infill patterns and supports precisely. Print time is a rough average-speed estimate — if you have sliced the model, type the slicer’s time in for an accurate electricity and machine cost.
What units does an STL file use?
STL files have no units. Almost all 3D printing software assumes millimetres. If a model looks tiny it was probably exported in metres or inches — change "File units" and the size, volume and cost update instantly.
How many meters are in a 1 kg spool of filament?
About 335 m for 1.75 mm PLA, 327 m for PETG and 400 m for ABS. For 2.85 mm filament divide by about 2.65 — roughly 126 m of PLA per kilogram. Use the filament length calculator for any material and weight.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Most desktop FDM printers average 80–250 W while printing, depending on bed size and enclosure; resin printers use 40–80 W. At $0.18 per kWh a 120 W printer costs about 2 cents per hour to run.