Why the fee model matters more than you think
Most creators underestimate how much commission compounds over time. A 20% cut sounds manageable — until you realize it applies to every single sale, every month, forever. On a $10 model with 100 monthly sales, Cults3D's 20% takes $200/month — $2,400 per year — from a single model. At scale, with 10 popular models, that's $24,000/year flowing away from you.
The buyer-side fee model (where buyers pay the platform fee, not sellers) fundamentally changes this math. It's the difference between building equity in your work vs renting it to a platform.
2026 Commission Comparison Table
All data verified from each platform's current fee pages as of June 2026.
| Platform | Creator keeps | $10 × 100 sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proofly | 100% | $1,000 | Buyer pays flat ~$1 fee |
| Ko-fi | 95–100% | $950–1,000 | 0% on free tier (Gold membership removes 5% fee). No 3D viewer. |
| Gumroad | ~90% | ~$900 | 10% + payment fees. General digital goods, no 3D viewer. |
| Fab (Epic) | 88% | $875 | 12% cut. Game dev focus, USD-only, US entity often required. |
| MyMiniFactory | ~77–87% | ~$770–870 | 10–15% commission + $0.49–0.89 per-download library fee. Strong mini community. |
| Blendermarket | 75% | $750 | 25% cut. Blender add-ons + assets. Blender-only ecosystem. |
| Cults3D | 80% | $800 | 20% flat. Large community, print-focused. |
| CGTrader | 30–70% | $300–700 | New sellers start at 60% royalty. Rises with lifetime sales. Exclusivity boosts rate. |
| TurboSquid | 40–60% | $400–600 | 40% base, up to 60% with StemCell certification. Game assets focus. |
| Printables | 0% (no payouts) | $0 | Prusa platform, free models only. Use for discovery, not monetization. |
In-browser 3D viewer: a real conversion driver
One consistent finding from 3D marketplace analytics: listings with an in-browser viewer convert significantly better than render-only listings. Buyers who can orbit, zoom, and inspect the actual mesh topology before purchasing have dramatically fewer “not what I expected” refunds and disputes.
Of the platforms above, only Proofly and Fab include a full in-browser 3D viewer that handles STL, GLB, OBJ, and 3MF formats. Sketchfab (now part of Fab) has long been the gold standard for mesh inspection — Proofly's viewer is built on three.js and offers equivalent functionality for print-focused formats, including STL mesh analysis and topology warnings before purchase.
Piracy protection: why mesh watermarking changes the equation
Piracy is the single most common complaint from paid 3D model creators. Files end up on free-download Discords, Telegram groups, and re-upload sites within days of release. Traditional countermeasures fail:
- Metadata watermarks (filename, header comments) are stripped in seconds by any re-export
- Visual watermarks on renders don't protect the actual mesh
- DRM and platform locks don't survive the first STL export
Proofly's HiddenMark takes a different approach: every paid download receives a unique steganographic code embedded directly into the mesh geometry — inside the vertex positions themselves, at sub-precision offsets that don't affect print quality. The code survives format conversion (STL → OBJ → 3MF), slicers (PrusaSlicer, Meshmixer, ChituBox), and re-exports. If a buyer shares your file on Discord or re-uploads it, you verify the leaked file at proofly.store/hiddenmark and identify the exact purchase in under 10 seconds.
No other major 3D marketplace currently offers per-buyer mesh-level fingerprinting. Most rely on metadata — which is trivially stripped by any slicer export.
HiddenMark — per-buyer mesh fingerprinting
Every paid download on Proofly gets a unique invisible code baked into the mesh geometry. If your file leaks, verify the leaked copy in 10 seconds — no account needed.
Platform recommendations by creator type
Print-focused STL creators
Primary: Proofly (0% fee, HiddenMark, in-browser viewer, print settings tab). Secondary: Cults3D or MyMiniFactory for community reach. Free discovery layer: Printables or Thangs (no payouts, but high search volume).
Tabletop miniature creators
MyMiniFactory has the strongest established mini community, but the 10–15% + library fee adds up fast on high-volume packs. Running Proofly alongside MMF captures the revenue MMF's fees would otherwise absorb. HiddenMark matters here — mini communities have active Discord leak groups.
Game asset / GLB creators
Fab (Epic) and TurboSquid have the largest B2B game studio audiences but take 10–60% cuts. Proofly supports GLB, FBX, OBJ natively and costs 0%, making it viable for independent game asset sales alongside a Fab storefront.
Blender plugin / add-on creators
Blendermarket is purpose-built and has the audience, but 25% is steep. For add-ons distributed as ZIP packages, Proofly supports ZIP format natively — and HiddenMark fingerprints the contained mesh files within the package.
The multi-platform strategy
Since no major platform enforces exclusivity, the most effective 2026 strategy is layered: use Printables or Thangs for organic discovery (search traffic), list on Proofly for 0% commission sales, and optionally maintain a Cults3D or MMF presence for their established buyer communities. Each sale on Proofly means the full $10 (or whatever you set) reaches you — no silent 20% skimmed off forever.
Start selling — keep 100%
List your first model free. Set your own price. Buyer pays a flat ~$1 service fee. You keep everything. HiddenMark on every paid download.
Upload your first model →Frequently asked questions
Which 3D model marketplace has the lowest fees in 2026?
Proofly charges 0% commission to creators — buyers pay a small flat service fee (~$1) on top of the model price. Among established platforms, Ko-fi is 0–5% and Gumroad is 10%. Most 3D-specific marketplaces like Cults3D (20%), MyMiniFactory (10% + per-download library fee), and CGTrader (30–70%) charge significantly more.
What is the best marketplace to sell 3D printing files in 2026?
It depends on your priority. For maximum earnings per sale, Proofly's 0% commission model means you keep 100% of your listed price. For existing audience reach, Cults3D or MyMiniFactory have larger established communities. Most creators use 2–3 platforms simultaneously since none require exclusivity.
How does Proofly compare to Cults3D?
Cults3D takes 20% of every sale from the creator. Proofly takes 0% — buyers pay a flat ~$1 service fee instead. On a $10 model with 100 monthly sales, that's $200/month more on Proofly vs Cults3D ($2,400/year). Proofly also offers an in-browser 3D viewer and HiddenMark steganographic piracy tracing per buyer.
What is HiddenMark and why does it matter for 3D creators?
HiddenMark embeds an invisible, unique code into the mesh geometry of every paid download. The code survives format conversion and re-export. If a buyer shares your file, you can upload the leaked copy to proofly.store/hiddenmark and identify the exact purchase in under 10 seconds. No other major 3D marketplace offers per-buyer mesh-level fingerprinting.
Can I sell the same 3D models on multiple marketplaces at once?
Yes — none of the major 3D model marketplaces (Cults3D, MyMiniFactory, CGTrader, Proofly, Printables) currently require exclusivity. You can list the same STL or GLB on multiple platforms simultaneously and run all channels at once.