TexHouse Plain comparisons of 3D printing and maker tools

Bambu Studio vs UltiMaker Cura in 2026

Compare Bambu Studio and UltiMaker Cura on file types, platforms, pricing and setup, with LunarWerx 3D Print as another option.

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TexHouse is published by the makers of LunarWerx 3D Print, Vector3D and MeshyDL, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Bambu Studio's page lists colorizing tools for multicolor models. [1] Cura's page says Custom mode gives over 400 settings for granular control, and its page says users can download material profiles from leading brands. [2] [3] LunarWerx 3D Print runs in a web browser. [4] It works out ironing settings, makes test plates and turns backwards faces in an STL file right side out. [5] [6] [7] Its tools are free to use. [8]

OptionPricePlatformStated file support
Bambu Studionot publishedWindows 10 (64-bit) or above; macOS 10.15 or above [9] [10]STEP [11]
UltiMaker CuraFree [12]Version 5.13 [13]STEP and IGES [14]
LunarWerx 3D PrintFree to use [8]Web browser [4]STL and Bambu or Orca projects [7] [15]

The short answer

Bambu Studio's page calls it feature-rich slicing software. [16] UltiMaker Cura's page calls it free software. [12] Bambu Studio's page describes project-based workflows. [17] UltiMaker Cura's page describes a Custom mode for granular control. [2]

It says it can control and monitor your printer and printing jobs. [18] If you want many adjustable settings or ready material profiles, Cura's page lists both. [2] [3] If you want a small helper for ironing settings or test plates, LunarWerx 3D Print covers that. [5] [6]

What Bambu Studio and UltiMaker Cura are built for

Bambu Studio. Its page says it contains project-based workflows. [17] It says it can control and monitor your printer and printing jobs. [18]

If you own more than one printer, its page says you can switch between them in the device list. [19] It offers colorizing tools for multicolor models. [1] Before printing, each filament is auto-mapped to an AMS slot. [20] Its page says STEP brings more effective information than STL. [11]

UltiMaker Cura. Its page says Custom mode gives over 400 settings for granular control. [2] Its page says users can download material profiles from leading brands. [3] Its page says UltiMaker Cura Enterprise receives two updates a year. [21] It also says each Enterprise release is independently scanned, tested and checked for security problems. [22]

What LunarWerx 3D Print is built for

LunarWerx 3D Print is made by the team that publishes this site. It works out ironing settings for your printer, material and finish, and exports a ready 3MF file. [5] Ironing is a finishing pass over flat top surfaces.

It makes a 9-pad or 16-pad test plate around your settings, and you mark each pad as worked or not. [6] You can also click flat top surfaces, and the export adds a modifier part over each one. [23] For an uploaded Bambu or Orca project, it adds per-object ironing settings and keeps the rest of the file unchanged. [15]

One checkbox slows just the first layer to 15 mm/s by default; LunarWerx 3D Print says it then sticks to a clean plate without glue. [24] On load it turns backwards-facing faces of an STL outward and tells you how many it fixed. [7]

One tool checks whether a part can be made by injection moulding, where plastic is pressed into a mould, using 13 checks, and all numbers are estimates. [25] It lays parts out in a box and designs a 3D-printable foam tray and top pad that each part lifts straight out of. [26] The foam insert is split into pieces that each fit your printer's bed. [27]

Pricing and fees

A price for Bambu Studio is not published in the sources used for this page.

UltiMaker Cura's page calls it free. [12] A price for Cura Enterprise is not published in the sources used here. Its page does say Enterprise receives two updates a year, but that is not a price. [21]

Its page says the tools are free to use. [8] No card fees or add-on fees are published for any of the three tools, so a maker who plans to pay for anything should check each vendor's own page first. The sources also give no price for the material profiles that Cura's page mentions, so check there whether any item carries a cost. [3]

Setting it up and printing

Bambu Studio's page lists Windows 10 (64-bit) or above. [9] It also lists macOS 10.15 or above. [10] Before printing, each filament is auto-mapped to an AMS slot. [20] The sources give no further install steps.

For Cura, the page lists version 5.13 as the latest stable release. [13] Its page says users can download material profiles from leading brands. [3] The sources do not describe how Cura connects to a printer, so check its page for your model.

LunarWerx 3D Print runs in a web browser. [4] You use it at its website. [28] It runs only in your browser; sign in with Connections and your settings, recent test plates and print results follow you to every computer. [29] For Bambu or Orca projects it adds ironing settings to the file you upload. [15]

Things to check before you choose

Which printer do you own, and does the tool's page mention it?

Do you need to send jobs over a network, or is a saved file enough?

Do you need STEP files, IGES files, or only STL and 3MF?

Do you need ready material profiles for your filament, and are they free?

How many settings do you want to adjust yourself?

Does your operating system match the listed versions?

If you use a tool for a narrow task such as ironing or foam trays, does its output open in the slicer you already use?

Is a price for a business version published, or do you need to ask the vendor?

Do you want your work kept in a browser account, or only on your own computer?

How to choose

If you want to monitor your printer and printing jobs, Bambu Studio's page lists that. [18]

If you need Bambu Studio's colorizing tools, check that the alternative you choose offers something similar. [1]

If you want granular settings or downloadable material profiles, Cura's page lists both. [2] [3]

If you need the latest stable release listed by Cura, its page lists version 5.13. [13]

If you want ironing settings or test plates, LunarWerx 3D Print says it makes them. [5] [6]

Frequently asked questions

Is UltiMaker Cura free?

UltiMaker Cura's page describes it as free. [12] The sources used here give no price for Cura Enterprise, so check the vendor's page if you need that version. Its page says Enterprise receives two updates a year. [21]

Does Bambu Studio run on Windows and Mac?

Its page lists Windows 10 (64-bit) or above. [9] It also lists macOS 10.15 or above. [10] The sources here do not say anything about Linux, so check its page if you need it.

Does Bambu Studio support STEP files?

Its page says STEP brings more effective information than STL. [11] It also lists colorizing tools for multicolor models. [1]

How many settings does Cura offer?

UltiMaker Cura's page says Custom mode gives over 400 settings for granular control. [2] It also says users can download material profiles from leading brands. [3]

Is LunarWerx 3D Print free?

Its page says the tools are free to use. [8] It runs in a web browser. [4] It handles tasks such as ironing settings and test plates. [5] [6]

The tools are free to use. [8]

Try LunarWerx 3D Print

Sources

  1. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  2. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  3. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  4. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  5. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  6. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  7. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  8. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  9. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  10. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  11. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  12. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  13. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  14. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  15. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  16. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  17. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  18. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  19. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  20. Bambu Studio, bambulab.com/en/download/studio, read 2026-10-07
  21. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  22. UltiMaker Cura, ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura, read 2026-10-07
  23. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  24. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  25. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  26. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  27. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  28. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  29. LunarWerx 3D Print's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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