UltiMaker Cura
FreeA slicer that shows you four settings by default, with a plugin marketplace as its trump card
A 3D printing slicer developed and open-sourced by UltiMaker. It ships profiles for hundreds of third-party printers, shows only layer height, infill and supports by default, and expands to more than four hundred settings. The in-app Marketplace installs plugins and material profiles without signing in.
Why we picked it
LGPL-3.0, 7,045 stars. The latest release, 5.13.0, came out in May 2026.
Cura's default view is restrained: pick the printer and the side panel shows only layer height, infill, supports and adhesion. Drop in a model, slice, and you have G-code. When you need more, custom mode groups the settings by category, makes them searchable, and lets you switch visibility between basic, advanced and expert sets.
What sets it apart is the Marketplace. Community plugins add things Cura lacks on its own — placing supports by hand, automatic orientation, generating calibration models — and material manufacturers publish their profiles there. Installing plugins inside Cura does not need an UltiMaker account; signing in only syncs them across machines.
The download page links straight to the installers, with no form and no email.
To be clear about:
- Anonymous slicing statistics are on by default. They cover printer model, material usage, number of slices and print settings; UltiMaker says models and IP addresses are not sent. The first-run wizard mentions it, and turning it off means unticking "Send (anonymous) print information" under Preferences → General → Privacy. That is why the "no tracking" badge is left off.
- The first-run wizard includes a step prompting you to sign in to an UltiMaker account, which can be skipped.
- Cura Enterprise is a separate product for businesses, with long-term support releases. The free version is its own line. Digital Factory cloud printing only matters for UltiMaker's own printers and needs an account.
- Built-in profiles for non-UltiMaker printers work but usually need your own calibration. OrcaSlicer has a more complete calibration wizard.