PrusaSlicer
FreeThe stable one — and the ancestor of several other slicers
3D printing slicer software developed and open-sourced by Prusa Research. It covers both filament and resin printing, with variable layer height, organic supports, multi-material handling and per-object settings. OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio both descend from its codebase.
Why we picked it
PrusaSlicer occupies an unusual position: it is the ancestor of several other slicers. Bambu Studio derives from it and OrcaSlicer derives from Bambu Studio, so a feature or parameter name you recognize from another slicer probably originated here.
It is developed and open-sourced under AGPL by Prusa Research, the Czech open-hardware 3D printer manufacturer, and itself descends from the earlier Slic3r.
Its defining quality is stability:
- Conservative release cadence, with features tested for a long period before reaching the main line.
- Profiles for Prusa's own printers are factory-tuned and work out of the box better than anything else.
- Community profiles cover other mainstream machines.
- It supports both FDM (filament) and SLA (resin) workflows — broader coverage than most slicers, and necessary for anyone printing resin.
The feature set is complete: variable layer height that automatically thins layers on curved surfaces, organic tree supports, seam position control, multi-material purge towers, parameter changes per object or per height range, model repair, and a detailed slice preview that colors extrusion types so you can see which passes are perimeters and which are infill.
To be clear about:
- Choosing between this and OrcaSlicer. The concepts transfer and settings cross-reference: OrcaSlicer iterates faster, includes a full calibration wizard, and adopts new printers and multi-color workflows eagerly, which helps beginners dial in a machine; PrusaSlicer is more conservative and stable, handles resin better, and is the factory match for a Prusa printer. This is not either/or — many people install both and pick by what they are printing that day.
- It does not model. Models come from FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, Blender or a repository.
- There are many parameters. It offers simple, advanced and expert modes; beginners should stay in simple mode, adjusting only layer height, infill and supports rather than jumping straight to expert.
- Default profiles for non-Prusa machines may not be optimal. Importing a community-tuned profile for your printer beats configuring from scratch.
- AGPL licensing carries source obligations for derivative work and commercial distribution — which is precisely why forks like OrcaSlicer remain open.
Who it suits: Prusa printer owners, resin printers, and anyone who prefers software that changes slowly and has been proven over time.