Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

HackADay VS Thingiverse

Compare HackADay VS Thingiverse and see what are their differences

HackADay logo HackADay

Hackaday.io is a platform for people who like to build things.

Thingiverse logo Thingiverse

Thingiverse.com is the place to share digital designs for fabricating real, physical objects.
  • HackADay Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-04
  • Thingiverse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-09

HackADay features and specs

  • Diverse Content
    Hackaday covers a wide range of topics within electronics, engineering, and DIY projects, catering to a broad audience with varied interests.
  • Community Engagement
    The site has a vibrant community that actively shares projects and ideas, providing a platform for collaboration and feedback.
  • Regular Updates
    Hackaday frequently updates its content, ensuring readers have access to the latest in technology and maker communities.
  • Educational Resources
    The site offers tutorials and how-to guides, valuable for both beginners and experienced makers looking to learn new skills.

Possible disadvantages of HackADay

  • Technical Complexity
    Some projects and articles are highly technical, which might be challenging for beginners to fully understand without additional context.
  • Variable Quality
    The quality of content can vary greatly, as it is community-driven and includes submissions from a wide range of contributors.
  • Niche Focus
    While Hackaday covers diverse topics within its niche, it may not appeal to individuals outside the DIY or maker community.
  • Advertisement Presence
    The website contains advertisements that can sometimes detract from user experience, especially during project navigation.

Thingiverse features and specs

  • Large User Community
    Thingiverse boasts a large and active user community, which ensures a steady influx of new designs and models. This can be beneficial for users looking for a variety of 3D printable objects.
  • Free to Use
    Thingiverse is free to use, which makes it accessible for hobbyists, educators, and professionals alike, without any subscription fees or costs tied to downloads.
  • Extensive Library
    The platform offers a vast library of 3D models across various categories, making it easy to find designs that meet your specific needs or interests.
  • Search and Filter Options
    Thingiverse provides comprehensive search and filtering options, enabling users to quickly find designs based on popularity, date added, category, and other criteria.
  • Community Engagement
    Users can engage with the community through features such as comments, likes, and collections, fostering a collaborative environment where feedback and improvements are common.

Possible disadvantages of Thingiverse

  • Quality Variability
    Due to the open nature of the platform, the quality of designs can vary dramatically. Some models may require significant modifications or may not be printable at all.
  • Slow Website Performance
    Some users report that the website can be slow or experience downtime, which can be frustrating when looking for files or uploading new designs.
  • Intellectual Property Concerns
    There have been instances of intellectual property violations, where users upload designs without proper attribution or permission from the original creators.
  • Limited File Formats
    Thingiverse primarily supports STL files, and while it does support other formats to some extent, the emphasis on STL can be limiting for users who prefer other formats.
  • User Interface
    The user interface can be somewhat outdated and clunky, making it less intuitive for new users to navigate and find the resources they need.

HackADay videos

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Thingiverse videos

3D Printing A Coin Sorter! [Thingiverse Print Review]

More videos:

  • Review - 3D Printing A Crossbow! [Thingiverse Print Review]
  • Review - 3D Printed Working Wrench! [Thingiverse Print Review]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HackADay and Thingiverse)
Digital Fabrication
45 45%
55% 55
3D Modeling
0 0%
100% 100
Additive Manufacturing
100 100%
0% 0
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare HackADay and Thingiverse

HackADay Reviews

We have no reviews of HackADay yet.
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Thingiverse Reviews

Top 10 3D Model Databases: The Best Sites to Download 3D Models for 3D Printing
Thingiverse is probably one of the biggest and most popular databases. It has a very active maker community behind it and offers free-to-use STL files only. You don’t even need to open an account in order to download a 3D model from their site. Sometimes the database can seem slightly less organized than the cleaner and simpler design of sites like Pinshape and Cults.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thingiverse should be more popular than HackADay. It has been mentiond 227 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

HackADay mentions (49)

  • Wells Fargo Fires over a Dozen for 'Simulation of Keyboard Activity'
    It seems like most of these devices (example: https://hackaday.com/?p=683252) have a fixed and unusual USB vendor+product ID that will surely come up in the system log. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Deej: An open-source hardware volume mixer for Windows and Linux
    Can't help you with a list. But https://hackaday.com/ features sometimes nice DIY project, I often also see them popping up on youtube. But you might be able to find some if you search on 3D printing websites such as https://www.printables.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • What are some fun ME-related coding projects?
    Https://hackaday.com/ has many ideas/previously made projects. They also reward you for bringing up something new. Also accept year around applications. Check it out. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Did students lose interest in electronics as a hobby in the early 80s?
    We made abstractions successfully, world changing abstractions. Do the NAND to Tetris course and see that tech is abstractions on top of abstractions. Electronics today is frequently represented by code. Check out Verilog or VHDL. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_description_language Where electronics stayed interesting is in the realm where code meets reality -> robotics and art. Playing with LED's,... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • What is your go-to source for science/tech news?
    Hackaday for when I'm browsing cool ideas I can actually do myself. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Thingiverse mentions (227)

  • How can I improve the sound?
    Since I don't live in the forest, the instrument's high volume was always a big problem, it came with a bundle of standard wooden reeds (2.5). I did some research and found that with a softer and thinner reed you need less air to create the vibration and therefore can play at a lower volume. I found “full range alto saxophone reed” on thingiverse.com and printed a (1.5) reed with PETG. It really worked, the volume... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Ender 3 printer for my 13 yr old?
    There are millions of free designs on printables.com and thingiverse.com and other sites. There is certainly no need to buy models. Commercial models do exist but they are usually highly elaborate decorative pieces. Source: over 1 year ago
  • How I made a cool T-Rex Carving - workflow
    I found a 3D model of a T-Rex on thingiverse.com that I liked. I used The T-Rex Skull by MakerBot - Thingiverse. This method lets you use any 3D model. Source: over 1 year ago
  • How i keep my kaico from committing workn't
    This is the solution that worked for me. I found a bracket on thingiverse.com and printed it at work. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Suddenly tech support for dad
    Then, head over to a site that hosts 3D print files like thingiverse.com or printables.com to download .STL files.You'll want something super simple at first, like a low poly model. Nothing complicated. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing HackADay and Thingiverse, you can also consider the following products

Hackster - Hackster is a community dedicated to learning hardware.

Cults 3D - Cults is a marketplace that connects designers and people who want to 3D print some objects.

Wikifactory - Engineer the future with Wikifactory. Wikifactory unifies teams in real-time, enabling efficient communication, streamlined workflows, and accelerated time-to-market.

MyMiniFactory - MyMiniFactory is the world’s leading curated platform for 3D printable objects.

Instructables - DIY How To Make Instructions

Thangs3D - Thangs3D is an online community for engineers and visual designers that provides unlimited downloads of 3D models and CAD designs.