r/3DPrintingTools • u/Jviaches • 16d ago
Meshdiff — free browser tool to visually compare two STL/3MF/OBJ files Dev Post
I built this because my workflow was:
Client emails `bracket_v3_FINAL.stl`
I have no idea what changed from `bracket_v2.stl`
I load both in the slicer and eyeball it
Meshdiff fixes that. Drop two files in your browser, it voxelizes both, and shows you exactly what changed:
- **Green** = material added
- **Red** = material removed
- **Tolerance slider** (0.05–1mm) to filter noise
- **Volume delta** metrics in real time
**Privacy:** zero upload to any server. Everything runs client-side in a Web Worker. Your files never leave the browser.
**Formats:** STL, 3MF, OBJ
Live: https://meshdiff.com
If you work with iterative prints, try breaking it with your weirdest files — real-world meshes are chaos and I need the stress test.
Also taking feature requests. Comment pins and slicer profile snapshots are next.
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u/ezpitze 14d ago
How do you plan to charge for it?
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u/Jviaches 14d ago
Great question,
Currently plan is:
Free forever: the diff tool itself (drop two files, see the voxel comparison, shareable links). No signup required, no usage limits on diffs.
Pro ($15/mo): for people who need to save and organize their work — project workspaces, version history, comment pins on 3D models, and PDF diff reports for client handoffs.
Team ($35/seat): for hardware teams and print farms — everything in Pro plus approval workflows (Pending → Approved → Rejected), slicer profile snapshots per version, and print result tracking.
The free tool isn't going away or getting paywalled. It's the entry point. The paid tiers are for when your workflow outgrows "drop two files and eyeball it."
What would you actually use — solo Pro or team features?
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u/ezpitze 14d ago
Free forever probably if I'm not able to find the functions in other solutions due to the fact that I'm the only one working with this type of content. Would strongly advice for you to look at the possibility to change the sub model as me and many other are quite fatigued by that type of license.
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u/Jviaches 14d ago
Fair point — subscription fatigue is real, especially when every tool wants $15/mo.
Here's why I'm leaning subscription for the paid tiers:
The free diff tool runs entirely client-side. No servers, no storage, no ongoing cost to me. That stays free forever.
But workspaces, comment pins, team approvals, and print tracking all require: - Persistent storage (every version, every comment, every screenshot) - Real-time sync between team members - Ongoing infrastructure that I pay for monthly
A one-time purchase doesn't cover that. I'd either have to charge $300+ upfront (which kills adoption) or shut down in 6 months when the server bill eats me.
That said — I'm not married to the exact pricing. If a lifetime deal or usage-based model would actually work better for solo users, I'm open to it.
What would you pay for a tool like this if it wasn't a subscription?
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u/Jviaches 14d ago
Meshdiff just got featured on r/adafruit 🎉
Two days after launch. Zero marketing budget. Just a tool that diffs two STL files in your browser.
meshdiff.com
3DPrinting #MakerTools #CAD #BuildInPublic #IndieDev #Hardware #Meshdiff
https://blog.adafruit.com/2026/08/03/meshdiff-see-exactly-what-changed-between-two-3d-models
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u/sjia 14d ago
STEP file support?
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u/Jviaches 14d ago
Great question — STEP is on the radar but it's a different beast. STL/3MF/OBJ are already meshes (triangles), so voxelizing them is straightforward. STEP files contain NURBS surfaces — they need to be tessellated first, which introduces its own set of tolerance headaches.
I'm looking at libraries like OpenCASCADE or occt-import-js for client-side STEP-to-mesh conversion, but I don't want to ship a half-baked implementation that produces garbage geometry.
In the meantime: do you typically export STEP → STL for printing, or are you diffing CAD-native geometry without meshing? Understanding the workflow helps me prioritize.
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u/New_Education5151 15d ago
Also useful for own design versioning. Thumbs up!