January 29, 2026
Slice wars, school cheers
Grid: Forever free, local-first, browser-based 3D printing/CNC/laser slicer
No logins, no fees — fans rave while power users ask if it beats their go-to slicers
TLDR: Grid.Space offers a free, privacy-first fabrication tool in the browser, no accounts required. Commenters cheer the school-friendly, offline vibe, joke about needing “offline printers,” and debate bugs and whether it rivals Orca/Prusa tools—making it a big deal for classrooms, libraries, and budget makers.
Grid.Space dropped a “free forever” maker tool that runs in your browser, no logins, no fees, and it keeps your stuff on your computer. It’s a slicer—aka the prep step that turns your design into a recipe for 3D printers, CNC machines, and lasers—and it works offline after loading. The crowd came in hot: one fan shouted “100% free, no subscriptions, no accounts, no cloud” and name-dropped founder Stewart Allen’s resume. Educators on Chromebooks are imagining stress-free classrooms. Another user posted CNC projects made with Kiri:Moto, flexing that it works. The vibe? Big excitement and “finally, no IT drama.”
But the knives came out too. A power user complained it “didn’t generate any top surfaces” for their print and said they’re sticking with OrcaSlicer for now. Another shrugged, asking if this is new since “Prusa and Orca are open-source too.” And the jokes flew: “Now if we can only get an offline printer…” The comment war is classic: teachers and privacy hawks love the no-account, local-first promise; tinkerers demand perfection and feature parity with their favorite tools. Whether it’s a classroom hero or just another tab, the community is slicing the hype—and that drama is half the fun.
Key Points
- •Grid.Space provides free, local-first, browser-based tools for 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, and 3D modeling.
- •No installations, licenses, or accounts are required; all processing remains on the local device with no data collection or cloud uploads.
- •The tools work across Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, and Linux, and continue to function offline after initial load.
- •Students can learn industry-standard workflows, including slicing, CAM toolpaths, laser settings, mesh editing, and design/problem-solving skills.
- •The platform is open-source under the MIT license, with automatic updates and resources like documentation, tutorials, and community forums.