Frequently asked questions.

3D Extruder is a desktop app for small and growing 3D printing businesses. It bundles printer monitoring, jobs, filament inventory, pricing, invoices, customers, shop integration and analytics in one application.

No. One licence covers one installation — in every plan. On activation the key is tied to one device; for a second computer you need a second licence. Changing devices is free of charge at any time: release the old device in your account, then activate the key on the new one. A different matter is multi-workstation operation: if one installation runs as a server on the network, further workstations connect to it without being activated themselves — one program, one licence. How many users are permitted follows from the respective plan. The same principle applies to Free without a key: one active device per account, switching at any time by releasing the device in your account.

For makers, Etsy/shop sellers, small print farms and businesses that no longer want to manage their 3D printing production with Excel, a phone app and isolated single-purpose tools.

A native desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux is planned.

You need a Mac, Windows PC or Linux machine to install the 3D Extruder app on. Your business data is stored locally on that device. For the one-time activation you need an account and an internet connection; the account is free, and Free needs no licence key.

For Bambu Lab printers you need a reachable printer connection on your network. Depending on your setup, the connection runs in LAN mode or via the Bambu Cloud link. What matters is not the model name, but whether the printer provides the required status and control data via the Bambu connection. Klipper printers require a reachable Moonraker setup.

Shop import and email sending are optional. You'll need the respective credentials, for example credentials for WooCommerce, Shopify or Etsy, or SMTP/IMAP data. The cockpit is part of the app and works with your local job, inventory, invoice and maintenance data.

3D Extruder supports Bambu Lab printers reachable via the Bambu LAN, Cloud or MQTT connection. That includes the A, P, X and H series — for example A1/A1 mini, P1P/P1S, P2S, X1/X1C/X1E and H2D/H2S/H2C. Klipper printers are additionally supported via Moonraker, for example setups with Mainsail or Fluidd.

Laser, cutter and special toolchanger features are currently not part of 3D Extruder. Future support depends on technical feasibility, available interfaces and safety-related requirements.

Once, right after installation: the setup assistant guides you through an online activation. For Free a free account is all it takes – no licence key, no payment details. For Basic, Pro and Business the licence key from your confirmation email is added. After that the program runs locally; day-to-day use needs no internet connection. There is no offline activation.

Yes. The app is designed to be local. Business data lives on your machine, and printers can be used in LAN mode where the respective printer connection supports it. Day-to-day use needs no internet connection. The software is activated online once, during installation; after that you carry on working locally.

A print can be created as a job automatically. Depending on printer and material data, the app captures information such as file, material, color, status, runtime and later the filament usage.

Data storage is local by design. Customer data, jobs, inventory and invoices stay on your own system and are not tied to any mandatory cloud.

No. In the app, 3D Extruder relies on cockpit hints, system diagnostics and first-level support instead of model chat. This means help does not start a local model runtime and does not require an external API key.

Yes. The software is designed not to lock your data in. Backups and exports are part of the concept, so you keep long-term control of your business data.

Yes. The free plan is meant as the entry point, so you can test the basic workflow before upgrading to a bigger plan. Free costs nothing and needs no licence key – only a free account and a one-time online activation. One active device per account is provided for.

You can currently download the Free plan at no cost. Basic, Pro and Business are opened gradually through the beta rollout; the interest list on the home page will let you know when a suitable test slot becomes available.

Directly by email at info@3dextruder.de.