4 reasons why I finally switched from TinkerCAD for SelfCAD

TinkerCAD is one of the easiest 3D design software for anyone who wants to learn 3D modeling quickly. It is free and runs online, and many recommend it as a great starting point for creating 3D models. It is popular among beginners because it has a user-friendly interface that most 3D modeling software doesn’t have.

The tools are well-arranged on the interface, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes creating 3D models quicker. Despite these advantages, I switched to SelfCAD for several reasons, and here’s why you may want to.

4

TinkerCAD is too basic

Not ideal for highly complex 3D models

Even though this is a strength in TinkerCAD, especially when I want to create basic 3D models quickly, it doesn’t have advanced tools for creating complex and detailed projects. For example, as someone who likes creating 3D characters and figurines for 3D printing, I will need to use 3D sculpting tools, and TinkerCAD lacks these. The only option remaining is combining the primitive shapes and adjusting them until I achieve something close to my intended needs, but I can’t refine it the way I would have done with 3D sculpting brushes.

With SelfCAD sculpting brushes, I can push, pull, inflate, add, or remove material until I achieve my desired result. This applies to organic 3D models I create from scratch and imported ones designed in other programs. I can modify and refine them quickly in the program, which is challenging in TinkerCAD.

Moreover, TinkerCAD has tried to expand its design capabilities by including tools like the scribble for freehand drawing, but this doesn’t offer the precision and control that I need compared to the freehand drawing tools of SelfCAD. With the drawing tools of SelfCAD, I can even draw my ideas on paper, then import them to SelfCAD using the reference image tool, trace around them using the drawing tools, and later turn the drawings into a 3D model. There are also advanced settings that I can set for precision drawing, like plane settings, drawing styles, and snapping.

TinkerCAD sketching launched in early 2025. This is an excellent step towards making the software more advanced, as it allows you to draw in 2D and then extrude in 3D. However, it’s still far from the sketching tools of SelfCAD.

3

No offline mode

You always need an internet connection to access it

Using web apps has its advantages, especially when I want to design my 3D models or access the files anywhere on any computer, but it would have been great if TinkerCAD had an offline version that I could use to create my files even in areas with limited internet connections. SelfCAD addresses this disadvantage by offering a downloadable version for macOS and Windows in addition to the online version.

What’s more interesting is that the online and offline versions of SelfCAD are synchronized. So, whatever I do offline will be reflected in the online version when I access the internet. I have two laptops and a PC, so I can always switch effortlessly between different computers without the risk of losing my files or progress.

The downloadable version of SelfCAD also has a small file size and doesn’t use much of my computer resources when running. As per SelfCAD system requirements, a computer with at least 8 GB RAM and a 2.8GHz processor should be able to run the software smoothly.

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2

Lack of slicing software

You need to switch to another software to slice files

While TinkerCAD is one of the 3D modeling programs for creating ready-to-print files and exporting in 3D printable format, it doesn’t have a built-in slicer like SelfCAD. After designing files and exporting them in STL format, I will need to use an external slicer like Cura to prepare them for 3D printing.

Moving to another program to do slicing doesn’t hurt, but as someone who doesn’t like switching between different programs, I found SelfCAD to be a great option. It has a built-in online slicer. After designing, I simply click on the “3D print” tool in the SelfCAD workspace. The slicer will launch, and I can choose my 3D printer and adjust the necessary settings.

SelfCAD slicer supports most standard FDM 3D printers. It also has a mesh fixing tool that I can use to fix any issues with my designs before slicing them instead of exporting them to third-party programs like Meshmixer. I can also preview the slicing process, determine the material size the file will use, and know the time it will take to print.

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1

TinkerCAD lacks texturing and rendering capabilities

You can’t make the designs look realistic

TinkerCAD doesn’t have rendering and texturing capabilities. After creating 3D models and one wants to render them, they must look for another software. SelfCAD, on the other hand, has a rendering engine, though you will need to install it on your machine.

I can apply materials, textures, and lighting to the files to make them look real. The software also supports manual and automatic UV mapping options, which is helpful when working on various 3D models with varying degrees of complexity.

Editing and refining the textures is also easy. I can use the built-in textures or download some from various 3D texture websites and then import them into the software.

Create more advanced 3D models with TinkerCAD alternative

Many people who have tried TinkerCAD will agree that, although it is a beginner-friendly program, it lacks the advanced tools needed to create complex 3D models. However, this doesn’t mean everyone should abandon TinkerCAD and switch to other programs. If you are entirely new to 3D modeling, or you design basic designs, I recommend using it. After getting the hang of it and learning the basics of 3D modeling, you can switch to a more advanced program like SelfCAD to take your design skills to another level.