3D Warehouse pays you nothing — Proofly pays you 100%
Trimble's 3D Warehouse is a community repository, not a marketplace. It exists so architects, interior designers, and SketchUp users can share and reuse models for free. There is no monetization system — no paid tiers, no creator revenue share, no tipping, no subscriptions. If you upload a model to 3D Warehouse, you are gifting it to the internet.
Proofly is a commercial marketplace. Set any price for your model. When a buyer purchases it, they pay your listed price plus a flat buyer service fee — and 100% of your listed price transfers directly to you. Whether you sell one model a month or a thousand, Proofly takes 0% commission.
Your models deserve to earn — 3D Warehouse is the wrong tool
Uploading professional-quality models to 3D Warehouse makes sense for building portfolio visibility or contributing to the SketchUp community. It does not make sense if you want to generate revenue. Every download on 3D Warehouse is a potential customer who found your work, liked it, and took it — without paying anything.
Many creators use 3D Warehouse for free preview or low-resolution versions while listing their detailed, print-ready, or production-quality files on Proofly for a price. There is no exclusivity requirement on either platform — you can do both simultaneously and serve both audiences.
💡 Creator math
If 500 people downloaded your model from 3D Warehouse this month, that's 500 missed sales. At $5/model on Proofly with 0% commission, that's $2,500/month staying in your pocket instead of going to a platform that paid you nothing.
HiddenMark™ — protection 3D Warehouse doesn't offer
On 3D Warehouse, your models are public. Anyone can download them, re-share them, or claim authorship. There is no per-buyer fingerprinting and no forensic tracing. If you find your model reposted somewhere under a different creator's name, you have no technical proof to recover.
Proofly's HiddenMark system embeds a unique steganographic code per buyer into every paid download — directly in the mesh vertex data, not in metadata that slicers strip. Each code is unique to the specific buyer and purchase. If your file surfaces on a piracy site, upload it to proofly.store/hiddenmark to identify the source buyer instantly.
🔐 HiddenMark™
Every Proofly paid download gets a unique watermark embedded in the mesh geometry. Automatic on every sale. No setup required. Models on 3D Warehouse have no equivalent protection.
How HiddenMark works →Every format supported — not just SketchUp
3D Warehouse is built around the SketchUp ecosystem. Its primary audience is architects, interior designers, and urban planners using Trimble's software. While you can upload some general formats, the platform is optimized for .skp files and SketchUp-centric workflows.
Proofly supports STL, GLB, OBJ, 3MF, FBX, GLTF, and ZIP packages — covering 3D printing, game-ready assets, architectural visualization, product design, and cross-software workflows. The in-browser WebGL viewer renders every format directly so buyers can inspect before purchasing. Format filters help buyers find exactly what their pipeline needs.
Use both — different audiences, different goals
3D Warehouse gives you community reach inside the SketchUp ecosystem. Proofly gives you commercial revenue from buyers who want to pay for quality. Neither platform requires exclusivity — many creators maintain a 3D Warehouse presence for community discovery while listing their premium files on Proofly for actual income.
Free and open-source models on 3D Warehouse. Paid, production-quality, or print-ready models on Proofly. Two platforms, two revenue strategies, no conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sell 3D models on 3D Warehouse and earn money?
No. 3D Warehouse is a free repository — models are uploaded and downloaded for free. There is no paid tier and no creator revenue. Proofly is the alternative: set any price, 0% seller commission, 100% of your listing price goes to you.
Is Proofly a good 3D Warehouse alternative for creators who want to earn?
Yes. Proofly supports STL, GLB, OBJ, 3MF, FBX, and ZIP. 0% seller commission, in-browser 3D viewer, HiddenMark per-buyer watermarking. No exclusivity — list on both 3D Warehouse and Proofly simultaneously.
What formats does 3D Warehouse support vs Proofly?
3D Warehouse is primarily a SketchUp (.skp) repository. Proofly supports STL, GLB, OBJ, 3MF, FBX, GLTF, and ZIP — covering 3D printing, game assets, viz, and cross-software workflows.
Can I keep my 3D Warehouse uploads and also sell on Proofly?
Yes. No exclusivity required on either platform. Keep free/preview models on 3D Warehouse for community visibility and list premium or detailed models on Proofly for revenue.
Does 3D Warehouse protect my models from piracy?
3D Warehouse models are publicly downloadable — no per-buyer watermarking. Proofly's HiddenMark embeds a unique steganographic code per buyer in the mesh geometry. If your model leaks, upload it to proofly.store/hiddenmark to identify the source buyer instantly.
Stop giving your work away for free
Upload STL, GLB, OBJ, 3MF in 2 minutes. Full in-browser viewer, HiddenMark protection, and 0% seller fees. Keep 100% of every sale.
Start selling on Proofly →