Cura Slicer Download: Free UltiMaker Cura for 3D Printers (Latest Version)

Download Cura

How this download box works

• It is live. Each visit asks GitHub for the newest stable release of UltiMaker’s official Cura project, so you are never sent to an outdated file. Your browser keeps the answer for ten minutes; the Refresh button asks again straight away.
• It shows the current version only. If one system has no file in the newest release, the box says so instead of quietly offering an older build.
• Test builds are flagged, not offered. UltiMaker publishes alpha and beta builds before each stable release. They are marked as pre-releases, are experimental and are left out of the download list; if a newer one exists, the box mentions it so you can try it if you want.
• Two Mac files and two Windows files. Pick the Mac file that matches your processor (Apple Silicon or Intel). The Windows list has the normal installer and an .msi package that UltiMaker labels “Enterprise”. The release page also holds .pkg installers for macOS and a signature file for the Linux AppImage.
• Every link goes to GitHub. The script only accepts download addresses on the official project’s release path, which is also where UltiMaker’s own download page sends you. If GitHub cannot be reached, the box falls back to links that always point to the newest release.

Download Safety and How to Verify the File

Slicers run with full access to your files, so where the installer comes from matters. UltiMaker’s Cura page links straight to the files on the official GitHub release page, which is what the download box above reads. UltiMaker also says the Cura installer is signed, and the Linux AppImage comes with a detached GPG signature file (.AppImage.asc). Be wary of mirror and “free download” sites: some show out-of-date version numbers or repackaged installers.

Check the SHA-256 checksum

A checksum is a fingerprint of the file. If the fingerprint of your download matches the one shown in the box above, the file is exactly what was published. Replace the file name with yours (note the capital M in UltiMaker).

Windows (PowerShell)

Get-FileHash .\UltiMaker-Cura-*-win64-X64.exe -Algorithm SHA256

macOS (Terminal)

shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/UltiMaker-Cura-*-macos-*.dmg

Linux (terminal)

sha256sum UltiMaker-Cura-*-linux-X64.AppImage

Compare the printed value, character by character, with the SHA-256 shown for that file. If they differ, delete the file and download it again from the official link.

What Is Cura?

A slicer is the program between a 3D model and a printer. It cuts the model into thin layers, works out the path the nozzle should follow for each one and writes those instructions as G-code. UltiMaker Cura is UltiMaker’s slicer (older material still calls it Ultimaker Cura). UltiMaker’s page calls it free and open-source software with a powerful open-source slicing engine and more than 400 customisable settings, and the project’s README describes a slicer with “hundreds of settings and community-managed print profiles”.

The parts and the licences

Cura is the application layer, built on a framework called Uranium; the actual slicing is done by a separate program, CuraEngine. Cura itself and Uranium are licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPL-3.0), while CuraEngine is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPL-3.0). The README does not explain how the two licences fit together, so this page only states them. UltiMaker also sells printers, offers “UltiMaker Cura Enterprise” (a Windows MSI build with scheduled updates) and runs a separate cloud service, Digital Factory, which has paid plans. None of that is needed to use Cura.

Do I need an account?

No official page says an account is required to slice. The first-run wizard has a sign-in page with a “Skip” button. An account is needed for Cura Backups, for installing plugins through the Marketplace website, and for cloud printing with Digital Factory; plugins and materials can still be installed from the Marketplace inside Cura without one.

What’s New in Recent Releases

The table summarises the stable releases from 5.5.0 onward, newest first, from the official release notes. UltiMaker says it intends to update Cura about every three months on average. The download box above shows the very newest release’s notes live, so it stays current even as this table ages.

The 5.0.0 release (17 May 2022) introduced the slicing engine that produces variable line widths (known as Arachne), a renewed Marketplace and Apple M1 compatibility. At the time of writing (October 2026) the newest test build is 5.14.0-beta.1, published on 15 October 2026. Its notes list paint-on support, a tabbed settings panel on by default, a Windows on ARM build, an upgrade of the interface framework and many new support settings. Beta builds are experimental, so stay on the stable release unless you want to test.

Key Features

Which Printers Does Cura Support?

UltiMaker says Cura works with all UltiMaker printers and offers a wide range of preset third-party printers. Counted from the definition files of version 5.13.0, Cura bundles about 630 printer definitions from about 150 makers. That count is ours, taken from the project’s files, not an official figure.

No Bambu Lab or Qidi printer is listed among the bundled definitions of 5.13.0 (a Bambu Lab G-code flavour exists, and an experimental Bambu build appeared as an alpha in 2025). For those printers use the maker’s own slicer, or Orca Slicer.

Printers that are not in the list

In the “Add a non-networked printer” list, a Custom printer comes first after the UltiMaker models. It starts with an empty profile and opens the Machine Settings panel, where you enter the build-plate size and shape, whether the bed is heated, the start and end G-code, the print-head size and the number of extruders. UltiMaker states that custom configurations are not tested and that it does not support third-party printers. A printer maker can add its machines to Cura by sending a pull request with a printer and extruder definition to the project.

Connecting Cura to Your Printer

Who Should Use Cura?

• UltiMaker printer owners, who get tested profiles, network discovery and Digital Factory.
• Beginners, who can stay in Recommended mode and never open the long settings list.
• Tinkerers, who like Custom mode, Post Processing scripts, per-model settings and plugins.
• Schools and workshops, who can deploy the Windows .msi package to many computers.
• Owners of popular budget printers such as Creality, Anycubic, Elegoo and Sovol machines, which have bundled definitions.

If your printer is from Bambu Lab, Bambu Studio is the maker’s own program; for Prusa printers see PrusaSlicer. The comparison below explains the differences.

System Requirements

UltiMaker describes Cura as a lightweight application that runs on low-end systems, with memory and processor needs that depend mostly on the size of the models you load.

How to Install Cura

UltiMaker has no step-by-step install article, so the steps below combine the file types it publishes with standard behaviour for each system.

Windows

1. Download the Windows installer (.exe) from the box above and, if you like, check its SHA-256 checksum.
2. Run it and follow the prompts. Since 5.13.0 the installer has an option to set file associations, so Cura can open model files by double-click.
3. The .msi is UltiMaker’s “Enterprise” package for managed deployments, such as installing on many computers at once.

macOS

1. Choose the file for your processor: ARM64 for Apple Silicon (M-series), X64 for Intel Macs. The box shows both.
2. Open the .dmg and drag Cura into the Applications folder (the usual way to install a Mac app; UltiMaker’s pages do not describe this step).
3. If macOS blocks the first launch, open System Settings, Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. This is Apple’s standard route for an app it has not verified; UltiMaker’s pages do not mention it.

Linux

1. Download the AppImage, make it executable and run it. Some distributions need FUSE support installed for AppImages to start (general AppImage behaviour; UltiMaker does not document it).

   chmod +x UltiMaker-Cura-*-linux-X64.AppImage
   ./UltiMaker-Cura-*-linux-X64.AppImage

2. UltiMaker publishes no Flatpak, deb or rpm package, only the AppImage. The release also holds a .asc signature file for the AppImage.

Plugins and the configuration folder

Plugins can be installed from the in-app Marketplace, by dragging a .curapackage file onto Cura, or by placing them in the plugins folder inside the configuration folder (Help, Show Configuration Folder). Each Cura version has its own configuration folder named after the version number: %APPDATA%\cura\<version> on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/Cura/<version> on macOS and ~/.config/cura/<version> (preferences) plus ~/.local/share/cura/<version> (settings) on Linux.

First-Time Setup and Your First Print

The first-run wizard

1. Welcome and user agreement. You accept or decline the agreement (declining closes the program).
2. Data collection. A page asks about sending anonymous usage information: the machine types, material usage, number of slices and print settings, with no personal information. The matching “Slice info” plugin can be switched off in Preferences, and in 5.13.0’s code it is on by default.
3. Sign in (optional). Click “Skip” to continue without an account.
4. Add a printer. Choose “UltiMaker printer” or “Non UltiMaker printer”. For other brands, use the search box in the “Add a non-networked printer” list to find the manufacturer and model. If your model is missing, use Custom.

Slice and print a model

1. Open a model. Use the File menu or drag the file into the window.
2. Pick a profile in Recommended mode. Thin-layer profiles print slowly and precisely, thick-layer profiles print quickly and more roughly. UltiMaker recommends an infill of at least 15% for standard applications, and says it is almost always worth enabling extra adhesion (a brim or raft), because it costs little time and improves reliability.
3. Add support if needed. Support is for sharp overhangs and floating parts. Choose a normal or tree structure in Custom mode.
4. Slice and check the preview. Use the layer view to look at line types and feed rates before you print. The X-ray view marks model errors in red, though UltiMaker says it is not a guarantee.
5. Send it. Print over the network or Digital Factory, or save to a removable drive or file and carry it to the printer.
6. Save the project. File, Save Project writes a 3MF holding the printer, extruders, profile and models. UltiMaker advises saving it after you send the print, and sending the complete project (not the Universal one) when you ask support for help.

Settings Worth Knowing

Start with the profile for your printer and change one setting at a time. The entries below are statements from UltiMaker’s documentation and the project’s files unless marked as general advice.

Cura vs PrusaSlicer, Orca Slicer and Bambu Studio

Cura comes from a different family than the other three, which all descend from Slic3r. The right choice depends on your printer more than on any single feature.

Orca Slicer’s own README lists Cura among the ideas it drew on, and Orca is not a Cura fork. If your printer is from UltiMaker, or a popular budget brand with a bundled profile and you like Cura’s Marketplace, Cura is a solid choice. If you want calibration tests built in, try Orca Slicer. For another PrusaSlicer relative, see SuperSlicer.

Pros and Cons

Troubleshooting