Slicer comparison: PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio and Cura
are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.
A slicer is the program that cuts a 3D model into layers and calculates the instructions for the printer from them. All four major slicers are free and open source. The difference lies less in whether they print well and more in how they are operated and for which printers ready-made profiles exist.
The four slicers at a glance
| Slicer | Developed by | Strength | Particularly suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrusaSlicer | Prusa Research | mature, very well documented | Prusa printers, many open printers |
| OrcaSlicer | community (founded by SoftFever) | built-in calibration tests, profiles for a great many brands | almost all printers, tinkerers |
| Bambu Studio | Bambu Lab | seamless with Bambu printers, app and AMS | Bambu Lab printers |
| UltiMaker Cura | UltiMaker | huge printer database, plugins | UltiMaker and many older printers |
All four run on Windows, macOS and Linux.
One family with many offshoots
Most current slicers are related to each other. That explains why they feel so similar:
- Slic3r was the origin. PrusaSlicer emerged from it.
- Bambu Studio builds on PrusaSlicer.
- OrcaSlicer builds on Bambu Studio and adds many features from the community.
- Several manufacturers offer their own slicers based on OrcaSlicer, for example Creality Print, ElegooSlicer and Anycubic Slicer Next.
- Cura is a development of its own and does not belong to this family.
Anyone who knows one of these slicers therefore usually finds their way around the others quickly.
Which slicer for whom?
Do you have a Bambu Lab printer? Start with Bambu Studio. The connection to the printer, the app and the multi-colour system works without any setup. If you want more calibration options, you can switch to OrcaSlicer later.
Do you have a Prusa printer? PrusaSlicer is tuned to the machines and integrates Prusa Connect directly.
Do you have a printer from another manufacturer? Use the manufacturer’s slicer first, as it has the right profiles. Very often this is an offshoot of OrcaSlicer. The original version of OrcaSlicer is a good alternative with even more test functions.
Do you want to experiment and optimise a lot? OrcaSlicer has the most built-in calibration tests, for example for temperature, flow and retraction.
The manufacturer’s slicer is almost always the best start. It knows your printer, and the profiles are tested. You can switch at any time, because all slicers read the common file formats STL and 3MF.
What they all have in common
No matter which slicer: the most important settings have similar names everywhere and work the same way.
- Layer height: how thick each layer is
- Infill: how the interior is filled
- Supports: where overhangs are supported
- Print temperature: how hot the nozzle is
Terms you do not know are explained in the text when you hover over them, or in the glossary.