AstroPrint vs Polar Cloud
AstroPrint
astroprint.com
Polar Cloud
polar3d.comSide by side
| Figure | AstroPrint | Polar Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $9.90/mo | $6.58/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 15 |
| Spec score · 3D Printing Software | 8.8 (#2) | 8.9 (#1) |
| AI model generation | AstroPrint’s cloud dashboard includes an AI tool that generates printable 3D models from text prompts. | Its Image to 3D generator turns uploaded photos into printable 3D models, with AI credits included in paid plans. |
| Founded | 2013 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California, United States | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Intended users | AstroPrint describes its service as suited to makers and education, with a free tier for casual users. | The site presents plans for makers, classrooms, schools, libraries, labs, universities, consultancies, service bureaus, and print farms. |
| Support | The Premium plan includes priority email support, while Business & Education includes priority single point-of-contact phone support. | The listed individual plans range from AI chat only on Free to live human chat on Monthly and Annual. |
Plans
Polar Cloud
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- Monthly$9 a month
- Monthly$9 a month
- Annual$79 a year
- Annual$79 a year
- Print Farm$79 a year
- Classroom$199 a year
- Classroom$199 a year
- School$499 a year
In their own words
AstroPrint
AstroPrint is a platform for managing 3D printers and printer fleets. Its cloud library stores STL and G-code files, and users can slice designs in a browser. A cloud dashboard tool generates printable models from text prompts. Users can monitor prints and remotely pause, resume, or cancel them from a computer or smartphone; analytics cover filament use, printer operating hours, and print success rates. Printers can connect through AstroBox Touch, AstroBox Gateway, a self-built AstroBox, or the OctoPrint plugin. The mobile app can search Thingiverse designs and start prints. AstroPrint Desktop is listed for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, alongside Android, iOS, web, API, and self-hosted platforms. Klipper is supported for slicing only, and live video streaming is not available in the mobile app; a browser is needed for that. The free Basic plan includes 2 printers, 1 user, and 1GB file storage. Premium costs $9.90/mo and includes the first 5 printers, with each additional printer costing $5.
Polar Cloud
Polar Cloud is a cloud platform for preparing and managing 3D printing workflows. Users can slice STL files in a browser, including from Chromebooks, iPads, and laptops, then queue jobs and monitor prints remotely. The service also lets users pause or cancel prints. Its Image to 3D tool turns uploaded photos into printable models, and paid plans include AI credits. Design workflows connect with Tinkercad, Onshape, and Google Drive; printer connections include Bambu Lab and Prusa, as well as OctoPrint and Klipper plugins. Free iOS and Android apps support job monitoring, queue management, and notifications. The Free plan costs nothing and allows one printer and five print jobs per month, with seven-day history, 300 MB storage, mesh files only, and a 30 MB file limit. Individual plans are for personal use; larger fleets require Education or Enterprise plans. Polar Cloud is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. The company says it is FERPA and COPPA compliant and GDPR ready, and has not completed an independent SOC 2 audit.