Can I sell prints from MakerWorld?
Last checked: Oct 2026. Not legal advice. This summarizes public terms. Read the current license on the model before you sell.
Quick answer. Sometimes. CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA allow commercial use, so you may sell physical prints of that model. CC BY and CC BY-SA need attribution. The NC licenses and the Standard Digital File License do not allow it. A free download is not permission to sell.
If the creator sells a Commercial License Membership, that is a separate paid right to sell prints of their own original models. The license on a published model is permanent.
Can I sell prints from Bambu Handy, Bambu Studio, or Bambu Lab? Only if that same MakerWorld license allows it. The apps do not add permission. Details below.
- How to check a model's license
- Which licenses allow selling
- Commercial License Membership
- Common mistakes
- Bambu Handy, Bambu Studio, and Bambu Lab
How to check a model's license
- Open the model and read the license the creator chose for that file. Match the name to the table below.
- Treat that choice as final. MakerWorld's Terms of Use say the license is irrevocable after publication.
- On the model page, a Get Commercial License button means the creator sells a membership for print-selling rights.
- On the creator's profile, Join Commercial Membership is the same offer.
- If you are uploading, confirm the license names on the upload form. The full menu was not re-checked there. See the note under the table.
Merchant licenses in the rest of this directory work differently. The general version is How merchant licenses work.
Which licenses allow selling prints?
CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA allow commercial use, so anyone may sell prints. CC BY-SA also requires sharing adaptations under the same license. The NC licenses do not allow commercial use. Attribution below is what those Creative Commons licenses require. A dash means that license is not a way to sell prints.
| License | Can you sell prints? | Attribution needed? |
|---|---|---|
| CC0 | Yes | No |
| CC BY | Yes | Yes |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Yes |
| CC BY-NC | No | — |
| CC BY-NC-SA | No | — |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No | — |
| Standard Digital File License Users may not sell the digital or 3D printed versions, or charge money. | No | — |
| MakerWorld Exclusive License Exclusive models must use this or the Standard license. Both prohibit commercial use by downloaders. A membership can allow selling physical prints of that model, not the files. | No | — |
Unverified. The names CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-NC-ND, and Standard Digital File License are the upload choices described for MakerWorld. Confirm that full list on the upload form. It was not checked there for this page. The MakerWorld Exclusive License is separate: exclusive models must use it or the Standard Digital File License.
What a Commercial License Membership is
This is how a creator sells print-selling rights on MakerWorld. It is not the same thing as downloading the file.
Who can offer one
- 200 followers
- 600 prints on the account
- No rule-violation removals in the last 90 days
Established creators from other platforms can email models@makerworld.com and ask for an invite. On a profile, Join Commercial Membership is how MakerWorld shows that this offer is available.
How a seller buys one
- The creator sets the price, from $3 to $300 per month.
- Quarterly and yearly plans were added later. This page does not list those prices.
- Use Get Commercial License on a model page, or Join Commercial Membership on the creator's profile.
- A Commercial License Helper builds the license text.
- Payment is PayPal only.
Fees and what it covers
- MakerWorld's fee is 10%, plus PayPal's fees.
- There is a 31-day hold on funds.
- It covers only the creator's own original models.
- On an Exclusive model, subscribers may sell physical prints. They may not redistribute the files.
Common mistakes
A free download means you can sell it
It doesn't. Selling depends on the license, not on the price of the file. A $0 download under the Standard Digital File License, or under any NC license, still bans selling prints.
A remix is covered because the original was
A Commercial License Membership covers only that creator's own original models. A remix is a different upload. Read the license on the remix. Don't assume the original model's license, or someone else's membership, lets you sell it.
The Standard license is the friendly default
The Standard Digital File License says users may not sell the digital or 3D printed versions, or charge money. Exclusive models have to use that license or the MakerWorld Exclusive License. Both prohibit commercial use by downloaders. Selling physical prints of an Exclusive model is only through a membership, and the files still cannot be redistributed.
Can I sell prints from Bambu Handy, Bambu Studio, or Bambu Lab?
Same rules as the table. Bambu Handy and Bambu Studio pull models from MakerWorld. MakerWorld's FAQ says the simplest way to print a model is the Bambu Handy app: open the model and send it to the printer. It also says you can open the model in Bambu Studio from MakerWorld, or download it in a browser and import it into Bambu Studio. The app is how the file gets to the printer. It is not a new license.
Read the license on the MakerWorld model page before you sell, whether you found that model in Bambu Handy, in Bambu Studio, or on the web. A free download under the Standard or Exclusive license is still not permission to sell. A Creative Commons license that allows commercial use is a different case, and you read that name on the model. Thingiverse is a different site, with its own license menu: Thingiverse licenses explained. Printables and Cults3D are covered in Cults3D commercial license and CULTS PU. The four types together are STL commercial license types explained.
Find designers who sell this right
The directory lists designers who allow selling physical prints, including paid MakerWorld memberships and free Creative Commons catalogs. MakerWorld is a platform filter. 31 listings include MakerWorld. Each one is a designer who offers a commercial license, or whose listing says a MakerWorld membership exists. Where a MakerWorld price was not checked, the listing says so. Designers with no license fee are on Free to sell.
MakerWorld designers How merchant licenses work
Sources
- MakerWorld Terms of Use — the license is irrevocable after publication (§5).
- Creative Commons licenses — CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA allow commercial use. CC BY and CC BY-SA require attribution.
- Exclusive Model Policy — exclusive models must use the Standard Digital File License or the MakerWorld Exclusive License, and both prohibit commercial use by downloaders (§3.4.2).
- Commercial License Membership Agreement — subscribers to an Exclusive model may sell physical prints, not redistribute the files (§4.2.2).
- MakerWorld FAQ — who can offer a membership, and how to print a model: Bambu Handy, or Bambu Studio from MakerWorld or from a downloaded file. Bambu Lab's announcement — the $3–$300 monthly price, the 10% fee, PayPal-only payouts, the 31-day hold, original models only, and the Get Commercial License / Join Commercial Membership buttons.
- MakerWorld community post — quarterly and yearly plans.
The Standard Digital File License wording quoted above (no selling the digital or 3D printed versions, no charging money) is the license text checked for this page. The exclusive-model policy is the official page that states that license prohibits commercial use by downloaders.
FAQ
Can I sell prints of a free MakerWorld model?
Only when that model's license allows commercial use. CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA do. CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-NC-ND, and the Standard Digital File License do not. A Commercial License Membership is a separate paid permission, and it covers only the creator's own original models.
Does the Standard Digital File License allow selling prints?
No. It says users may not sell the digital or 3D printed versions, or charge money. Exclusive models must use this license or the MakerWorld Exclusive License, and both prohibit commercial use by downloaders.
What is a Commercial License Membership?
It is how a MakerWorld creator sells print-selling rights. The creator sets the price, from $3 to $300 a month. Quarterly and yearly plans are also offered. Buyers pay with PayPal only. MakerWorld takes a 10% fee plus PayPal fees, and holds funds for 31 days. On an Exclusive model, subscribers may sell physical prints but may not redistribute the files.
Can the creator change the license later?
No. The license the uploader picks is irrevocable after the model is published.
Can I sell prints from Bambu Handy, Bambu Studio, or Bambu Lab?
Only when the MakerWorld license on that model allows it. MakerWorld's FAQ says the simplest way to print a MakerWorld model is the Bambu Handy app, and that you can also open it in Bambu Studio or download it and import it there. Bambu Handy and Bambu Studio do not add a selling right. CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA can allow selling prints. The Standard Digital File License and the NC licenses do not. A Commercial License Membership is a separate paid permission.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is a short summary of public MakerWorld and Creative Commons terms, last checked in October 2026. Read the current terms before you sell.
More guides
- How 3D print merchant licenses work — A merchant license lets you sell the physical print, not the STL. What it covers, and what ends when you cancel.
- Thingiverse licenses explained — Thingiverse licenses explained: CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, and CC BY-ND can allow a sale. NC and All Rights Reserved do not.
- Cults3D commercial license and CULTS PU private use — CULTS PU is Private Use, the default, and it does not allow selling prints. CULTS CU and CU-ND are the commercial licenses. Open priced is not a license.
- STL commercial license types explained — Selling 3D prints legally comes down to the license: private use, Creative Commons, a print marketplace file, or a designer tier such as Ryodan Studio.
- STL files you can legally sell — Free CC0 and CC BY downloads, then paid merchant tiers, for STL files you can sell as physical prints.
- Anime designers who allow print sales — Which anime, bust, and statue designers license physical print sales, with prices and IP warnings.
- Flexi designers with sell licenses — Flexi and articulated toy designers with a commercial tier for selling physical prints, compared by price.
- D&D mini merchant tiers compared — Monthly prices, sales channels, and open or closed status for tabletop miniature and terrain merchant tiers.
- Sell 3D prints on Etsy and at cons — What verified merchant licenses say about Etsy, online shops, markets, and conventions. Not legal advice.
- Best 3D prints to sell at markets — Flexi animals, fidgets, keychains, and desk items for craft shows, and which licenses allow a booth.
- How much to charge for 3D prints — A pricing formula for material, machine time, labor, failed prints, packaging, fees, and a merchant license.
- Sell 3D prints on eBay and Amazon — Rules and fees for Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Amazon Handmade, and Vinted, from each platform's own pages.
- Supplies for selling 3D prints — Filament, bed adhesion, finishing, paint, drying, and packaging for people who sell physical 3D prints.