STL vs 3MF — Which Is Better for 3D Printing?

STL is the 3D printing classic since 1987, 3MF is the modern replacement from Microsoft. 3MF supports colors, materials, and metadata; STL stores pure geometry only.

Criteria	STL	3MF
Slicer support	✓	✓
Colors & materials	✗	✓
File size	Large	Compact (ZIP)
Metadata	✗	✓
Universality	✓	✗

When to use STL

For maximum compatibility, older printers, simple models.

When to use 3MF

For color printing, complex models, modern slicers.

Export to STL Export to 3MF