Quick answer
You can sell 3D prints on Etsy, eBay, your own store or at local markets; on a $30 sale, Etsy's fees come to $3.30 and eBay's to $4.48. Sell only prints of models you designed yourself or whose licence allows commercial use, because Etsy says items made on a 3D printer must be produced based on a seller's original design.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the fee comparison. See where Nation fits.
Where to sell 3D prints
Selling 3D prints works in four kinds of places: handmade marketplaces such as Etsy, general marketplaces such as eBay, a store of your own, and in-person markets and fairs. Marketplaces bring shoppers who are already searching and charge a fee on each sale. Your own store charges less per sale but brings no shoppers, so you find buyers yourself. Markets let people pick up a print and judge the surface finish before they pay, which matters for a product where layer lines and strength vary from one printer to the next.
Most sellers start on one marketplace and add a second channel once listings sell. The best place to sell 3D prints depends on what you print: decor and gifts suit Etsy, replacement parts and accessories that buyers search for by name suit eBay, and repeat buyers suit your own store.
What each place keeps from a $30 sale
The same $30 print sold on two marketplaces and two own-store builders, using each platform's published rates. The marketplaces cost more per sale because they bring the buyer; the own stores cost less but leave the marketing to you.
- Shopify $1.17 plus $39 a month Card 2.9% + 30¢ $1.17
- Square Online $1.29 free plan Card 3.3% + 30¢ $1.29
- Etsy baseline $3.30 no monthly plan Listing $0.20, Transaction 6.5% $1.95, Processing 3% + $0.25 $1.15
- eBay $4.48 no monthly plan Final value 13.6% $4.08, Per order $0.40
Example: a $30 printed planter, free shipping, no tax, a standard US card, no ads and no currency conversion. eBay uses its most-categories rate and assumes the listing is within its 250 free listings a month.
How to sell 3D prints on Etsy: what the rules say
Etsy allows 3D printed items in its 'made by a seller' category. Its creativity standards cover physical items a seller produced in their personal shop or home using computerized tools such as a 3D printer, and they add a condition: such items must be produced based on a seller's original design. Etsy's own list of qualifying items includes a bust made by a seller using automated tools (3D printer).
In practice that means a print of a model you downloaded from someone else does not meet the standard for 'made by a seller', even when the model's licence allows commercial use. If you design the model yourself, or commission a design that you own, the print qualifies. If you send your own design to a print service instead of printing it at home, Etsy treats it as 'designed by a seller', and sellers must disclose that an item is made by a production partner.
- Photos: listings for items made by a seller must use original photo or video content of the final product, so a render from your design software is not enough on its own.
- Rights: Etsy says sellers are responsible for ensuring they have all necessary rights to their content. That covers the model file and any characters, logos or brand names on the print.
- Enforcement: Etsy says it will remove material cited for alleged intellectual property infringement when provided with a report that complies with its policies, and Etsy terminates selling privileges of members subject to repeat infringement notices.
- Fees: each listing costs $0.20 per listing, and a listing expires after 4 months. Orders attributed to Etsy's Offsite Ads carry a fee of 15% for smaller shops, and shops under $10,000 in sales over the past 365 days can opt out.
How to sell 3D prints online on eBay or your own store
eBay is a general marketplace, where printed parts, spares and accessories sit next to factory-made ones. Buyers search by part name and model number, so put the exact device or part the print fits in the title. eBay charges 13.6% in most categories on the order total, including shipping and sales tax, plus $0.40 per order over $10 ($0.30 at $10 or less), with 250 free listings a month before listing fees start. Rights owners can act on copies too: eBay's VeRO program allows intellectual property rights owners to report listings or items that infringe on their protected rights, and eBay says it may remove or hide a listing if the rights owner asks.
Your own store on Shopify or Square Online suits sellers who already have buyers, for example from a market stall, a social account or a community around a printer or game. Shopify Basic costs $39 a month plus 2.9% + 30¢ on card sales. Square Online has no monthly fee on Square Free and charges 3.3% + 30¢ online and 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free in person, so one account covers both the store and a market card reader.
Local markets and craft fairs set their own stall fees and rules, so ask the organiser before you book. Bring printed samples in each material and colour you offer, and a way to take custom orders, since buyers at a stall often ask for a size or colour you do not have on the table.
Which model licences allow you to sell 3D prints
Most free models on sharing sites carry a Creative Commons licence chosen by the designer. The licence decides whether you may sell prints of the model, whether you must credit the designer and whether you may sell prints of a model you changed. Read the licence shown on the model page before you print it for sale.
Every Creative Commons licence requires you to give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Licences with the NonCommercial term say you may not use the material for commercial purposes, and the legal code defines NonCommercial as not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation. Selling a print is commercial under that definition.
If a designer sells a commercial licence for a model, buy it before you list prints. Keep a copy of the licence terms or the designer's written permission with each model you sell.
Fair use rarely helps a seller. The U.S. Copyright Office lists whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes as the first factor, and says courts evaluate fair use claims on a case-by-case basis. Prints of characters, logos and trademarked designs need permission from the rights owner. This page is general information, not legal advice; rules vary by country, and a lawyer can review a specific case.
How to start selling 3D prints
These steps take one print from file to first listing. They apply to Etsy, eBay and your own store alike.
Pick the models you have the right to sell
Use your own designs, designs you commissioned and own, or models whose licence allows commercial use. On Etsy, items made on a 3D printer must be produced based on a seller's original design.
Print and test a sample
Print each item in the material and colour you plan to list. Check strength, fit and finish, and note the print time and filament weight for pricing.
Work out a price
Add filament, electricity, machine wear, failed prints, packaging and your time, then the platform fee. On a $30 sale that fee is $3.30 on Etsy and $4.48 on eBay.
Photograph the actual print
Take photos of the finished print in good light, with something next to it for scale. Etsy says listings for items made by a seller must use original photo or video content of the final product.
Write the listing
State the material, size, colour, layer finish and whether the item is food safe, heat resistant or for display only. For parts, name the device or model the print fits.
Plan shipping
Weigh the packed item and pick a box that stops thin parts from snapping. Price shipping into the listing or charge it separately.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not in the fee comparison.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not in the fee comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeQuestions about selling 3D prints
Where is the best place to sell 3D prints?
The best place to sell 3D prints depends on what you print. Etsy suits decor, gifts and custom pieces made from your own designs, and eBay suits parts and accessories that buyers search for by name. On a $30 sale, Etsy's fees come to $3.30 and eBay's to $4.48. Your own store costs less per sale but brings no shoppers.
How do I sell 3D prints on Etsy?
To sell 3D prints on Etsy, open a shop, print items from your own original design, photograph the finished print and list it for $0.20 per listing. Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing when it sells. Etsy says items made on a 3D printer must be produced based on a seller's original design.
Can I sell 3D prints of models I downloaded?
You can sell 3D prints of a downloaded model only if its licence allows commercial use or the designer gives permission. Creative Commons licences with the NonCommercial term say you may not use the material for commercial purposes, which rules out selling prints. On Etsy, prints of someone else's model also fail the original design rule for items made by a seller.
Do I need to credit the designer when I sell 3D prints?
Selling 3D prints of a Creative Commons model requires credit to the designer. Every Creative Commons licence says you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Put the credit and a link to the licence in the listing description, and keep a copy of the licence terms from the day you downloaded the model.
Can I sell 3D prints of characters or brand logos?
Selling 3D prints of characters, logos or other protected designs needs permission from the rights owner. Etsy says it will remove material cited for alleged intellectual property infringement when provided with a report that complies with its policies, and eBay's VeRO program allows intellectual property rights owners to report listings or items that infringe on their protected rights. This is general information, not legal advice.