Hero Forge is a website that allows you to design custom miniatures. You can create your own custom figure and Hero Forge will 3D print it and ship it to you.
Hero Forge has a lot of variety, but other alternatives have several advantages, such as more different customization options or weapons not available on Hero Forge.
Furthermore, printing STL files from Hero Forge can get somewhat expensive. Many people prefer to download the digital models of the custom miniature figures they create in an STL format so they can 3D-print it themselves, but other tools offer the same option at a much lower cost.
Some people also feel that the results they get from Hero Forge are a bit too cartoonish and not suitable for more serious purposes. Alternatively, you may be looking for a Hero Forge alternative that offers a commercial license.
Besides, you may simply be interested in trying what’s out there. It’s worth having more than one tool at your disposal anyway, as it will give you greater variety and more options.
Today, I will be exploring the seven best Hero Forge alternatives for designing and creating custom minis, whether you want them shipped to you or you want to download them as STL files so you can 3D print them yourself.
Check them out.
Best Hero Forge Alternatives
1. Eldritch Foundry
The best alternative to Hero Forge is Eldritch Foundry. Like Hero Forge, it offers two options: You can either download the STL file and print your 3D figure yourself or have EF print and ship it to you.
According to the EF kickstarter page, Eldritch Foundry prints the 3D models at a 40% higher definition than its competitors. Not only that, but it uses wax supports, which means that the printed miniatures shipped to you will not have flash, mold lines, or seams.
The quality of the items is great, but that’s not all. The character creator tool is intuitive, fun, and easy to use.
Not only that, it is a lot more affordable if you want to print STL files yourself. At Hero Forge, digital downloads start at $7.99 while physical minis start at $19.99, according to the Hero Forge pricing page.
On the other hand, Eldritch Foundry offers a premium subscription option that gives you access to unlimited STL downloads for the duration of your subscription. Yes, you heard that right – you have absolutely no limit on how many STL downloads you can create.
While there are some free options out there that offer unlimited STL downloads for free, they may not have the wide range of customization options that Eldritch Foundry has.
While Hero Forge does have a premium plan, it only gives you five free digital downloads per month (with credits that roll over), for around the same price as the Eldritch Foundry plan, which gives you unlimited downloads.
Pricing is between $10-15/month, depending on whether you are paying monthly, quarterly, or yearly. See updated pricing here.
Note that these downloads are for personal use only. EF is working on releasing an option to let people purchase merchant licenses, though, which is another reason it’s on the top of my list.
Of course, EF does offer one-off purchase options as well, with STL files at just $5 a download, which is still cheaper than Hero Forge.
Physical minis, though, start from $25 and go up from there, depending on whether you add premium options and the size of the mini. They come in two to three weeks.
You can also donate to the Kickstarter page to get coupons for minis while supporting the project at the same time.
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2. Desktop Hero
Desktop Hero is one of the best alternatives to Hero Forge if you are interested in printing your creations yourself. It is entirely free to download the STL files and 3D print them – it is not going to cost you like it will at Hero Forge.
One downside of Desktop Hero is that it does not give you the option of having it print and ship the item to you. However, if you are looking for a Hero Forge alternative because you think its charges for STL downloads are too high, Desktop Hero is an awesome alternative.
I found the software very easy to use. Start by choosing a race, such as human or elf, and then continue on to customizing the miniature figure.
You can choose different outfits, poses, clothing, items, and more, so there are plenty of customization options available.
There is no limit to how many characters you can create for free. Therefore, you can create one figure with several versions, such as different armor for each one, and print them all.
While Desktop Hero is free to use, you are welcome to support the project on Kickstarter. It already has raised over $7,000 in fundraising, and although donating is not required, it will help keep the project going.
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3. Thingiverse
Thingiverse is a fascinating Hero Forge alternative. It is a website with a lot of ready-made items that you can download and 3D print yourself, including miniature figures but also other items, such as jewelry.
Just use the search tool to find minis.
If you find Hero Forge difficult to use because you can’t seem to figure out how to design your own custom mini, Thingiverse might be a good alternative. You can find plenty of items that you can download for free.
However, instead of downloading them as-is, you can also use the Thingiverse customizer to customize them before downloading them.
Make sure to double-check the license before using a file, as it may be licensed under a Creative Commons license or another license with certain limitations.
You don’t necessarily have to pay to download and print an item, although you may want to tip the designer by giving a small donation, just to show your appreciation.
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4. ANVL.co
ANVL is a great alternative to Hero Forge. It boasts over two trillion unique combination possibilities, with many races, weapons, and accessories to choose from.
Using the ANVL web app is easy. Start by selecting your character’s race; possible options include human male, human female, dwarf male/female, orc male/female, goblin male/female, and others.
Then, start customizing it. When you click on Head in the menu, you can customize the face, hairstyle, ears, facial hair, horns, and a lot more.
You can also customize the body and select different clothing and items. Using the sliders, you can easily adjust how your character looks – there are tons of options.
You can even adjust the character’s personality to your liking. For example, you can use the sliders to adjust how much confidence, anger, and happiness the character displays.
You can purchase custom miniatures from $19.97 for one miniature, although discounts of up to 30% are available when you place several orders at once. ANVL will print the miniature and ship it to you, using high-quality materials.
There are, in fact, six materials you can choose from:
- Steel
- Bronze
- Gold
- Silver
- Brass
- Premium resin
However, if you want, you can also download the STL file yourself. A single STL file costs just $4.97, which is itself cheaper than Hero Forge, but you can get 50% off by purchasing at least 20 STL download credits (and you get a discount of 25% or more when you purchase at least three download credits).
For example, three downloads cost just $10.97, while five downloads are $15.97. Make sure to check the ANVL store for updated pricing information, both for custom miniatures and STL files.
Furthermore, you can sign up for the Gold membership, which starts at just $19.97/month and gives you access to five free downloads and all further downloads at 50% off, which is a pretty good deal if you need to make more than five downloads per month.
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5. TitanCraft
TitanCraft is a good alternative to Hero Forge if you are looking to create and design non-humanoid minis. The Character Creator tool is easy to use and allows you to create custom miniatures that TitanCraft will then print in 3D, using a 3D printer, and ship to you.
There are many character combination possibilities. Start by choosing a race – possible options include human, elf, dwarf, dragonborn, and others, with the option to choose either a male or female.
All those are humanoids, but there are other options too, such as Aboleth and Balor. Just navigate to the Creatures tab instead of the Humanoids tab to find these options.
Then, continue customizing the character you chose. You can customize the body and pick from many clothes, items, expressions, poses, and more.
I personally liked the TitanCraft Character Creator tool a lot. Not only did I find it easy to use, but I liked how it updated the 3D model in real-time – it just looks very realistic compared to other 3D mini designer tools out there.
Play around with the tool as much as you want. There are so many options to choose from, but the layout is not too complicated or overwhelming.
Then, once you are finished with your creation, add it to your cart. You can purchase either physical miniatures or a digital version that you can download and 3D print by yourself.
Physical minis start at just $15 for the small ones. While that alone is a bit cheaper than the starting price at Hero Forge, there’s something else that makes TitanCraft an attractive alternative.
That’s because you can purchase an STL pack that allows for unlimited downloads – forever! Start by purchasing an asset pack, which includes various assets in a certain category or theme.
That unlocks those assets in your library, and you can customize them to your wishes, downloading them an unlimited amount of times without ever having to pay again.
For example, the Fantasy Asset pack costs just $35, and it includes over 180 assets, such as NPCs and villains. The Druid asset pack costs just $15 and includes over 60 druid assets.
One of the cool things about purchasing an asset pack is that when new assets are added to the asset pack at a later date, you get automatic access to them and will not have to pay again.
The TitanCraft store also sells gift cards, which makes for the perfect gift opportunity for your loved one or friend. You can select a gift card amount (there are gift cards selling for $10, $25, $50, and $100, but you can also enter a custom amount).
The recipient will receive a special gift card reward code via email, together with a customized message. They can then use that reward code to redeem purchases on TitanCraft, both for physical and digital purchases.
6. Hero Mini Maker
Hero Mini Maker, available for download on Steam, is an app that allows you to create custom miniatures. With over 800 parts to choose from, the miniatures are highly customizable, with a wide range of characters and options.
You can create male and female characters and customize the hair, arms, legs, shoulders, hips, facial hair, and more. SImilarly, you can add a variety of items, such as hats, masks, weapons, helmets, and other accessories to make your character more unique.
After you have finished creating your miniature, simply export it as an STL file and print it yourself. If you don’t want to go through that process, don’t worry – Hero Mini Maker has partnered with various third-party printing partners.
You can have one of those printing partners print your 3D miniature for you and then ship it to you, for a fee. Pricing may vary based on the miniature you create and the printing partner you choose.
Hero Mini Maker itself costs $59.99. You should have a Windows 7, 8, or 10 with a 64-bit processor to download and use the software.
One of the advantages of Hero Mini Maker is that you can buy a one-time license and then create an unlimited number of miniatures, downloading an unlimited number of STL files with no further costs.
Another big reason to choose Hero Mini Maker over Hero Forge is that it offers a separate commercial license for an extra $39.99. Hero Forge does not allow commercial use – it is for personal use only, as clearly stated in its terms and conditions.
In other words, if you want to create miniatures for a game that you are selling, Hero Forge is not a viable option.
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7. MakeTabletop
MakeTabletoip is an interesting alternative to Hero Forge. It has plenty of ready-made miniatures for you to download as STL files, saving you the work of creating a custom mini by yourself.
If you are looking for specific packs and themes, you’re in luck as well. For example, the Gloomhaven Monster printable pack has over 30 different monsters.
Another cool page is the Builds page, where you can find builds that you can print out if you are interested in building creatures yourself. It will give you all the files you need and tell you what other equipment or materials you might need as well.
The site is crowdsourced, with files uploaded by various people. While it is free to use, you can support the project by subscribing to a Patreon package.
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Where to Print Your STL Files?
Photo by Lucie Siegelsteinová/Pexels
In this article, I have gone over many platforms that offer the option to download your creations as STL files and then print them yourself.
Hero Forge allows you to do this too, although it’s a bit expensive. Many options I just listed allow you to do this at a lot cheaper or for free or allow you to get an unlimited number of STL downloads for a one-time fee or a monthly subscription.
But, where can you print your 3D STL files?
Buy a 3D Printer
Yes, you can buy a 3D printer for your own home. 3D printers range in price greatly, with some costing just a couple of hundred dollars and others costing a few thousand dollars (we’re not talking about industrial 3D printers, which will likely cost over $10,000).
The price depends on the precision. More expensive 3D printers will be able to print with greater precision, while cheap printers might have a precision of just 100 microns (the lower, the better).
If you have some technical know-how, you can buy a 3D printer for less than $200, although it might require some assembling. These 3D printers tend to be smaller, but if you are only using them for miniature figures, that might not be a problem for you at all.
You may also be able to find a used 3D printer for just a couple of hundred dollars online.
In either case, it may come out cheaper than continually ordering from sites like Hero Forge. If you are paying $20 per mini, plus shipping (if applicable, depending on the site you are ordering from and your location), it could quickly add up.
In the long run, you may save money by investing in a quality 3D printer.
However, you also have to factor in the cost of the materials. LIke a regular printer, which requires paper, a 3D printer requires materials to print action figures or anything else.
Finally, a 3D printer can use up quite a bit of electricity, so make sure to factor in that cost as well.
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Check Your Nearest Public Library or School
These days, a lot more public libraries or libraries at schools or universities have 3D printers. Just like in the old days, when many people who did not have computers or printers at home would go to public libraries to use the facilities there, people can now find 3D printers at many public libraries.
If there is no library that has one, there might be a university or school that has one.
Access may be free, especially if you have a membership at the library. However, you may have to pay a small fee to use the printer, such as a couple of dollars per print, but that’s still a lot cheaper than paying a company to print it for you.
Just download the STL files (which you can do for free) and then use the printer at your nearest public library or educational institution to print it out.
If you don’t know how to use the printer, they may be able to show you how to do so.
Find a Store that Offers It
Do you have a UPS Store or a Staples near you? It might just offer 3D printing.
3D printing is available at around 20 UPS Store locations across the nation. It’s not much, but it’s coming to more UPS Stores soon.
Staples was also working on offering 3D printing services, allowing people to upload files online and then choose a location near them where to pick up the printed version. However, it’s not clear if that service has been discontinued or is still in operation.
Ask a Friend
Post on your Facebook page to see if any of your friends has a 3D printer. 3D printers are becoming more popular, and more and more American households are buying them.
They are actually not as big as you think (of course, industrial 3D printers are pretty large, but there are many non-industrial printers that are pretty small).
If you have friends who share your interests, some of them may have 3D printers that they use to print miniatures. They would probably be happy to let you use the printer, although if you need to print many minis, they might want you to help with the expenses of the materials.
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Wrapping It Up
I found Eldritch Foundry the best of all Hero Forge alternatives. It uses high-quality materials and has tons of customization options.
It also offers affordable STL downloads – you will save a lot of money by signing up for a plan that allows unlimited STL downloads.
Finally, it is working on releasing merchant licenses, which is another plus.
