Looking for a Xometry or Shapeways alternative?

If you've searched for a cheaper Xometry alternative, a faster Shapeways alternative, or you're comparing Craftcloud vs JLCPCB — you're in the right place. 1Off is a US-based on-demand 3D printing service built for the customers those big platforms don't serve well: small orders, fast turnaround, and direct access to the person printing your parts.

Here's an honest breakdown of how we compare — including where they beat us.

A different approach

The big platforms operate as marketplaces or networks — they take your order, add their markup, then route it to a manufacturer who does the actual printing. It works, but it adds cost and time at every step.

We go direct. You upload a file, we print it ourselves in Florida, and we ship it to you. No middle-man between you and the person making your parts. That cuts out a layer of markup and removes the handoffs that slow things down, while keeping the seamless auto-quoting experience you expect from a modern service.

Where 1Off is the better fit

• Cost. With no marketplace or platform layer between you and the printer, your money goes toward material, print time, and shipping — not overhead.
• Speed for US customers. Everything prints in Florida and ships domestically. Most orders ship in 1–3 business days.
• Real human support. Email the same person who prints your part. Questions about material selection, orientation, or design tweaks get an actual engineering answer, not a chatbot.
• No account walls. Upload, quote, order. That's it.
• Made in the USA, every time. Your files stay domestic. We never subcontract overseas.

Where they beat us

We're not trying to be everything. Here's where the bigger platforms genuinely serve customers better:

• Material selection. We offer four FDM materials: PLA, PETG, PA12 Carbon Fiber, and TPU. Xometry and Shapeways offer dozens of materials across FDM, SLS, MJF, SLA, and metal printing. If you need nylon SLS, resin, or metal parts, they're your shop — not us.
• Process variety. We do FDM only. Xometry also does CNC machining, sheet metal, injection molding, and more. For multi-process projects, they're built for that.
• Production volume. Need 10,000 identical parts? We're not your shop. Our sweet spot is 1–100 parts. The big platforms have the capacity for industrial-scale orders.
• International shipping. We're US-only for now. Shapeways and Craftcloud ship globally.

Quick comparison

1Off as an alternative — the short version

• As a Xometry alternative: if you're a single engineer or hobbyist and Xometry's enterprise pricing and account walls feel like overkill, we're built for you. For CNC or metal parts though, stick with Xometry.
• As a Shapeways alternative: if Shapeways' per-cm³ pricing and multi-week lead times are a problem, our direct approach and 1–3 day US shipping will likely be cheaper and faster for FDM parts.
• As a Craftcloud alternative: Craftcloud's marketplace model routes your order to whichever shop bids lowest. If you'd rather know exactly who's printing your part (and have consistent quality), order direct from us.
• As a JLCPCB 3D printing alternative: JLCPCB ships from China with long lead times for custom parts. If you want US-based printing with no overseas routing, we're the alternative.

Who should use 1Off?

You're a great fit if:

• You need 1–100 FDM parts in PLA, PETG, PA12-CF, or TPU
• You want to avoid paying for a platform layer you don't need
• You want fast domestic shipping
• You'd rather work with a real person who can advise on material and design
• You want US-based manufacturing with no overseas subcontracting

You'd be better served elsewhere if:

• You need SLS, MJF, resin, or metal printing
• You need thousands of identical parts
• You need exotic materials we don't stock
• You're ordering from outside the US

No hard feelings — we'd rather point you to the right service than take a job we can't do well. When we expand to resin and more materials (it's coming), we'd love to earn your business then.

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