Simplify3D vs Cura: The Differences

Lucas Carolo
10 months ago

Among the most popular slicers, Simplify3D and Cura split opinions and hearts in the
3D printing community. Find out which is best for you!

All3DP is an editorially independent publication. Editorial content, on principle, can not be bought
or in uenced. To keep All3DP free and independent, we nance ourselves through advertising and
a liate revenues. When you purchase using a shopping link on our site we earn an a liate
commission. Learn more

CONTENTS
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Slicer Showdown Cost & Updates
Learn More
User Interface & Experience Final Thoughts
Features

SIMPLIFY3D VS CURA

Slicer Showdown

The 3D printing workflow (Source: SUTD Fab Lab)

A slicing software tool (or slicer) converts a 3D model and some parameters into a
set of printing instructions for a 3D printer, usually outputting a machine language
known as G-code. It’s not only essential within the work ow of 3D printing, but also
one of the most important steps to ensure the success of a project.

A Few More Options

2020 Best 3D Printer Slicer Software (Fall Update)

Costing around $150, Simplify3D is considered to be the only premium slicer on the
market. Available for Windows, Mac OS, and Ubuntu Linux, it’s an ultra-fast slicer,
loaded with features specially designed for the best quality 3D printing.

Costing absolutely nothing, Cura is the o cial slicer of Ultimaker 3D printers and an
all-time favorite of makers and open-source fans. It’s known as an easy-to-use slicer
that can be enhanced with plug-ins made by members of the community.

In this article, we present the main differences between Simplify3D and Cura. Which
slicer will come out at the top? Keep reading to nd out for yourself!
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More BACK TO CONTENTS
SIMPLIFY3D VS CURA

Cost & Updates

Free Cura vs. Paid Simplify3D (Sources: Cura; Simplify3D)

Likely the most important difference for the majority of users is the cost.

CURA

While Cura is currently owned by Ultimaker, it’s an open-source platform available

under the LGPLv3 license. This means that and any future updates are completely
free.

Speaking of updates, since its inception, Cura has always boasted constant updates,
with at least ve new releases (4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4) in 2019 alone. All of these
versions are kept on GitHub.

SIMPLIFY3D

Simplify3D, on the other hand, is probably the most expensive slicer software out
there,Get it 3D printed
despite for the best
being marketed price using
to beginners ouramateurs.
and 3D printing service
Each marketplace!
license costs $149
and can be purchased directly at theirLearn
website. That said, there is a two-week free
More
trial, and according to the webpage, you can have a full refund in case “you don’t love
it.”

Simplify3D was updated twice in 2019 (4.1.1 and 4.1.2), but these were mostly bug
xes and minor improvements. Older versions of the software are not available for
download.

At the end of 2018, Simplify3D announced its plans for 2019, which included a major
update said to be the “biggest in our company’s history.” To the surprise of all users,
they declared that this would be the rst paid software upgrade. The company didn’t
mention costs, but this means users with a license will have to pay an unspeci ed fee
to upgrade to version 5.0.

BACK TO CONTENTS

SIMPLIFY3D VS CURA

User Interface & Experience

Initial screens for Cura (left) and Simplify3D (right) (Source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)

Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
The software’s user interface (UI) is crucial for good user experience. A UI that’s
confusing or overwhelming can inhibitLearn More ability to fully appreciate its features.
the user’s
This is the same for any 3D printing software, and in this section, we’ll cover some
aspects of both slicers in regards to user interface and experience.

Overall Layout

A good layout should be clean, with recognizable icons and buttons, which in turn

would make the platform as intuitive as possible.

At rst, both slicers display nice clean layouts with similar tools for importing models.
While Cura has bigger icons and smaller toolbars, Simplify3D’s left panel allows the
instant management of all imported models and printing processes.

The buttons for positioning and scaling models are xed on the right in Simplify3D,
while in Cura, they only show up when a model is imported.

Printing Settings Panel

3D printing process parameters for Cura (left) and Simplify3D (right) (Source: Lucas Carolo via
All3DP)

As for process settings, Simplify3D displays a big overlaid window for adjusting

the printing parameters. All customizable settings and processes options are
divided into tabs, for a total of 12 tabs.

Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
These tabs are organized by speci c 3D printing parameters, such as layers, in ll,
supports, and temperature, enabling aLearn More work ow. Each printing parameter
streamlined
displays a small description when hovering with the mouse.

Cura has a somewhat different approach, as the print settings panel is presented in a
side window that occupies only part of the interface. The parameters available at the
window are customizable, so you can choose to keep only the settings most used or
relevant to your 3D printers.

Cura also displays settings descriptions when hovering, but these are a bit more
lengthy than Simplify3D’s.

Print Preview

Preview Environment for Cura (left) and Simplify3D (right) (Source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)

Both slicers have preview environments, where the printing process can be simulated,
analyzed, and checked for errors and inconsistencies. If anything needs changing, the
printing parameters and model positioning can be altered within the preview
environment in Cura, but this isn’t possible in Simplify3D.

For Simplify3D, if any improvement is spotted during simulation, you rst need to exit

the preview mode before entering the changes. This back-and-forth can be tiresome
since the model must be reprocessed and sliced whenever entering the preview
mode. Depending on the size and complexity of the model, the slicing process might
take some time (and CPU), even with the fast processing capabilities of Simplify3D.
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
With that said, both platforms present similar tools for analysis, with different
visualization modes like color schemes for different line types (like outlines, in ll),
feedrate, speeds, and so on.

Cura grants a bit more control of the simulation, with two manual sliders rather than
the one in Simplify3D, which allows control of both layer and line progression in
the simulation.

Printing Information

Regardless of the type of user, from service providers to

hobbyists, printing information like time and lament usage is very important.

Simplify3D displays these statistics on the left panel in the preview mode
environment (see above). If you want to see the impact of a printing parameter on
these statistics (like layer height vs. printing duration), you’ll bump into the same
issue raised in the last section – the back-and-forth between working and preview
modes.

By default, Cura performs model slicing as soon as the model is imported. Once that’s
done, the software is able to display the printing information, which is done through a
small window in the lower right. It’s necessary to hover on the little “information” icon
to see all the stats, though.

While it’s very handy to have all this info available at all times, whenever the model or
print settings are changed, the software will slice it again and take some time doing it.
If this becomes too bothersome, the auto-slicing feature can be disabled in Cura’s
Preferences tab.

BACK TO CONTENTS

SIMPLIFY3D VS CURA

Features
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
 Special settings can yield special results (Source: Solvay)

The set of features is the backbone of every slicer. These determine what can be
adjusted in terms of the 3D printing process and play a central role in calibration and
print quality. In fact, some people use both slicers, depending on the project, to
bene t from these different features.

In this section, we’ll be discussing the main feature differences between Simplify3D
and Cura.

Printer Setup

3D printer setup for Cura (left) and Simplify3D (right) (Source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
Every slicer needs to know the 3D printer’s properties to be able to create a G-code le
for it. Rather than inputting all the technical details and dimensions of each printer to
the slicer, both Cura and Simplify3D provide ready-to-use pro les for many common
printers and brands.

While Cura started by supporting only Ultimaker printers, it now has a comprehensive
list of many different brands and models. Simplify3D, on the other hand, has always
supported a huge number of 3D printers, including some smaller brands local to
speci c countries. According to the company, Simplify3D supports 95% of all desktop
3D printers on the market.

Plug-ins

The Cura Plug-in Marketplace (Source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)

Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
Being an open-source software has its advantages. Cura has an online marketplace
for plug-ins developed mostly by the user community. Plug-ins can add extra
functionality, like new tools and features, change the user interface, or even import
preset pro les for speci c brands of lament.

The platform is accessed within Cura, and it enables the installation and management
of all plug-ins. Unfortunately, Simplify3D has nothing of the sort.

Personalize Your Slicer

2020 Best Cura Plug-Ins

Customizable Supports

Custom supports – a definite win for Simplify3D (Source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)

As with any slicer worth its salt, Cura and Simplify3D both create support structures
for overhangs. This automatic feature allows the user to set parameters like the
maximum overhang angle, density, or pattern before determining support placement.
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
While this can be considered a sort of customization at rst, Simplify3D goes a little
Learn More
further to give the user complete control of support allocation. The “Manual
Placement” tools make the process of manually removing and adding supports
structures very visual and intuitive.

Recently, Cura has implemented some manual customization with the “Support
Blocker” tool, but it can be somewhat complicated for ne tuning all of the supports.
That said, there are some clever plug-ins that allow for manual support editing. We
have a great article about optimizing supports for Cura.

Support Your Supports

How to Optimize Cura Support Settings

Processes

Last but not least, one major difference between these two slicers is the ability to
create different printing processes within a single G-code le.

By de nition, a process in Simplify3D is a set of printing parameters that can be

assigned to different models within the same print job, or even in the same models
but at different layer heights. This means that you can have four different models
being printed together on the build plate and each has speci c printing settings
applied to them.

Also, depending on the total height of the parts, it’s entirely possible to have each part
printed sequentially, one after another.

Although Cura has features that allow different settings to be applied to different
models, they might not be as intuitive and easy-to-use as Simplify3D’s processes
arrangement.

BACK TO CONTENTS

SIMPLIFY3D VS CURA

Final Thoughts
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
 What's the verdict? (Source: Hackaday)

Cura and Simplify3D are two giants in a constant struggle for the spot of best FDM

slicer. So which is better?

Well, in reality, it depends. Each software has strengths and weaknesses that can
bene t different users. In terms of print quality, there are a number of YouTube videos
that try to compare these slicers, but the truth is that both of them are very solid if
properly used.

Being very popular, both the user communities are huge, with Cura slightly ahead for
being open-source and having plug-ins. On the other hand, any paid software like
Simplify3D comes with some premium features, like support customization and
processes.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide which slicer better suits your needs. As Cura is free,
it may be better to start there and upgrade if you feel that Simplify3D would be a
better choice. You might also learn both and switch between them depending on the
speci c project.

(Lead image source: Lucas Carolo via All3DP)

BACK TO CONTENTS

INITIALIZING
Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
TOPICS

SIMPLIFY3D ULTIMAKER CURA SOFTWARE

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
 All3DP Comment Policy


Keep discussion on-topic and respectful. Comments that breach our community guidelines
will be removed.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

3 Comments All3DP 🔒 Disqus' Privacy Policy 

1 Login

 Recommend Sort by Best

Join the discussion…

LOG IN WITH
OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS ?

Name

Charlie Jordan • 10 months ago

One distinct disadvantage of Simplify 3D is a ( more than 4 year old ) flaw in it's
DRM that can lock you out of using the software. A $150 license entitles one
person to use the software on a max of two computers, and everytime I reboot my
laptop It's perceived as a new machine. Didn't take long to exhaust my licenses
and now I'm locked out of using my purchased software, with no relief from
Simplify3d in sight.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

KDanagger > Charlie Jordan • 9 months ago

I don't have that problem. I've moved S3D between several PC's over the
years and I'm always able to have it running on two at once. I wonder what
you are doing to cause this problem?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

The Walabee > Charlie Jordan • 10 months ago • edited

Thanks for the heads up. That _feature_ is enough to steer me away from
it.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

✉ Subscribe d Add Disqus to your siteAdd DisqusAdd ⚠ Do Not Sell My Data

Get it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More
 The World's #1 3D Printing Magazine for Beginners and Professionals
INFORMATION

ABOUT US

CONTENT POLICY

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

PRIVACY POLICY

TERMS OF USE

IMPRINT
LINKS

CRAFTCLOUD

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

ADVERTISE WITH US

WRITE FOR US

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

PRIVACY SETTINGS
FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter

GetNewsletter
it 3D printed for the best price using our 3D printing service marketplace!
Learn More