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Thingiverse VS Instructables

Compare Thingiverse VS Instructables and see what are their differences

Thingiverse logo Thingiverse

Thingiverse.com is the place to share digital designs for fabricating real, physical objects.

Instructables logo Instructables

DIY How To Make Instructions
  • Thingiverse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-09
  • Instructables Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

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    The user interface can be somewhat outdated and clunky, making it less intuitive for new users to navigate and find the resources they need.

Instructables features and specs

  • Diverse Range of Projects
    Instructables offers a wide variety of projects across multiple categories, including technology, crafts, cooking, and more, catering to diverse interests and skill levels.
  • Community Engagement
    The platform fosters a strong sense of community with user-generated content, allowing individuals to share their projects, comment on others, and collaborate with like-minded hobbyists.
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
    Most projects come with detailed step-by-step guides and pictures, making it easier for users to follow along and successfully complete projects.
  • Educational Resource
    Instructables serves as a valuable educational tool, providing tutorials that can help users learn new skills and gain knowledge in various fields.
  • Free Access
    A significant portion of the content on Instructables is accessible for free, allowing users to explore and create without any financial commitment.

Possible disadvantages of Instructables

  • Quality Variation
    The quality of projects can vary greatly, as the content is user-generated. Some instructions may lack clarity or be incomplete, leading to potential frustration.
  • Ad Distractions
    The free version of the site includes advertisements, which can be distracting and hinder the user experience while browsing or following instructions.
  • Premium Membership
    Access to some of the more advanced features or ad-free browsing requires a premium membership, which can be a downside for users looking for a completely free experience.
  • Overwhelming Choices
    With a vast number of projects available, users might find it overwhelming to locate the most suitable or high-quality instructions for their needs.
  • Inconsistent Updates
    Not all categories or projects are consistently updated, which might lead to outdated information or limited new project inspirations in certain areas.

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]

Instructables videos

Instructables Electronics Class: Project Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Thingiverse and Instructables)
3D Modeling
100 100%
0% 0
Additive Manufacturing
0 0%
100% 100
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Digital Fabrication
66 66%
34% 34

User comments

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Reviews

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

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.

Instructables Reviews

We have no reviews of Instructables yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thingiverse should be more popular than Instructables. 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.

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

Instructables mentions (37)

  • Broken Samsung charger
    Note that I could not find much documentation on references written on these components and that I am pretty new to electronics but it's something I'm interested in and I love to experiment (I have already went through hackster.io and instructables.com tutorials). Source: about 2 years ago
  • A compilation of bragging about how much money Beggy claims she has taken (read: scammed) her followers for. All of these have been posted in the past 3 DAYS. Her smug desperation is positively RANCID. Poor little Audrey-Prop is just dangling there.
    This person would have better luck participating in contests run by Instructables. Write a tutorial, submit it to one of the contests that are run every 6 weeks(themes and subjects vary from cooking, computer themed, design) for a chance to win an Amazon gift card worth $100-500 depending on the contest. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Over 11 hrs since she posted this and not a single 🔥 in the comments - I really do love that for her. She's now offering to help you figure out what you are passionate about/want to sell courses on 🙄
    Want to know how to make a tutorial? Go to Instructables. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Help me validate my idea for StrideDoc - an all-in-one solution for creating interactive demos, step-by-step tutorials, and product documentation!
    From your comment, I would say that we will work in a completely different niche than the one instructables.com tried to work. Source: about 2 years ago
  • looking for good free plans to build a shed/barn
    Instructables.com is a good place to start. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

edX - Best Courses. Top Institutions. Learn anytime, anywhere.

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

Treehouse - Treehouse is an award-winning online platform that teaches people how to code.

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

Pantheon - The professional website platform for Drupal & WordPress sites.