In 3D printing, there are many ways to optimize your prints. Some people upgrade the extruder or tune the bed-leveling, while others focus on adjusting print settings like retraction and speed. However, often both can be achieved by choosing the right slicer.
Two of the most popular slicers have significant user bases, and this comparison delves into features and user interface perks to help you decide your camp.
Bambu Studio
Bambu Studio, developed by Bambu Lab, is based on PrusaSlicer and has recently extended its printer profile to include Creality, Voron, and other big names. However, the slicer still works best with Bambu Lab printers.
Orca Slicer
SoftFever developed Orca Slicer as a fork of Bambu Studio by adding more printer presets, detailed print settings and advanced tools for 3D printing. Orca Slicer is similar to Bambu Studio but still has many differences with recent updates.
User Interface
User interface of a slicer can save you time, help you manage multiple prints, and utilize slicer features that produce the best results.
Bambu Studio UI
Bambu studio has a modern user-friendly user interface with the main sections being [Home], [Prepare], [Preview], [Device], [Project] and [Calibration]. The left panel allows users to select printer and filament with a clear layout for print settings.
A toolbar provides quick access to model manipulation with tools like cut, and intersection operations. You can even emboss text on models with a single click, the ‘Text Shape’ button.
Project Management
Bambu Studio is great at managing workflows. The UI is designed to navigate you from adding the model, to preparing the model for print with parameter adjustment, and finally previewing it on the plate just before printing.
The preview mode is quite useful as it takes care of any avoidable errors like print wrapping, orientation, positioning, and overflow. You can also add plates to set up prints for later or use them to organize a complex part.
The sidebar allows you to tap into the necessary settings by default. Here you can adjust settings like layer height, spacing, shells, and a few other basic adjustments to support.
You can toggle the advanced switch and adjust slice gap, ironing, line width and many other expert tweaks to get the result you want. You can save your settings for future prints and get consistent results.
Orca Slicer UI
Orca Slicer has a user interface which mirrors Bambu Studio. For people transitioning from one slicer to the other, the UI familiarity makes the switch easy.
By default, the advanced features are off and the most notable addition is the comprehensive calibration menu. You can find flow rate calibration, tolerance testing, maximum speed tests, and many other tests before starting your print.
The sidebar has more setting tweaks and control over printing parameters, but other than that, the user interface is quite similar.
Slicing Features
Both slicing software offer similar cutting and layering options. You can find the strong suits of both below.
Bambu Studio has a robust support generation option. You can provide tree supports, paint over supports, and use Arachne wall generation. It also supports different types of infill patterns, which you can use to strengthen your print and optimize material usage, including support for materials like PEEK with ideal properties compared to standard ABS and PLA.
Orca Slicer excels at wall control. You can fine-tune the space between inner and exterior walls, enhance model consistency and customize these walls for ABS prints. It also allows you to adjust seam gaps which directly affects print quality by reducing blobs on the surface of a 3D print.
Orca Slicer and Bambu Studio both identify overhangs and manage them well, with Orca’s slicing engine reducing drooling by adjusting print speeds.
Printer Ecosystem
Bambu Studio works effortlessly with Bambu Lab printers like the X1 carbon. You can use network printing for Bambu Lab printers without having to use USB transfers.
There’s also a built-in camera with AI features that monitor prints in real-time, through which you can detect layer shifts. There’s also the Bambu App, which allows you to start and stop prints, queue 3D prints and install firmware updates.
It offers well-integrated software for Bambu Lab printers, but most of the network features are restricted to other printers.
Orca Slicer offers greater flexibility while still supporting Bambu Lab printers. This is great for users with a Bambu Lab printer and another printer like Creality to manage both using the same slicer.
It offers network printing for Bambu Lab, but some deep network features are still restricted to Bambu Studio only. For other FDM printers, it offers various profiles and multiple brand support.
For advanced users, you can print through Klipper or OctoPrint and Obico users can also take advantage of Orca Slicer. Orca Slicer has custom profiles and a wider range of material support unlike Bambu Studio which is optimized for the Bambu Lab AMS (Automatic Material Support).
Exclusive Features
| Bambu Studio | Orca Slicer |
|---|---|
| Bambu Cloud Integration | Manual Calibration Tools |
| Bambu Mobile App | Compatibility With Non-Bambu Printers |
| AI Failure Detection | Advanced Slicing Features: jerk settings, cancel selective objects on the plate, hide seam lines |
| Printer Optimization Updates for Bambu Lab | Open Source |
| AMS support | Wider Material Support |
| PrintMon AI 3D Model Generator | Experimental features |
Community Support
Bambu Studio
Bambu lab has a growing community, which primarily has Bambu Lab users. There are official forums that users find useful for troubleshooting printers, and recently Bambu Lab has launched an AI model generator that creates a 3D model file using a prompt.
- Reddit group
- Discord server
- GitHub source code
Orca Slicer
Orca has always been open source and the community actively adds features, removes bugs, experiments with features, which allows anyone to contribute to Orca Slicer. It has a more active community and a wider audience from different 3D printer brands.
- 3D print blogs
- Reddit and Discord groups
- GitHub for core changes
- DIY tutorials
Final Thoughts
Both Bambu Studio and Orca Slicer are great for 3D printing and the final choice largely depends on what printer you own and how much control you need over printing. For beginners and Bambu Lab printer owners, the Bambu Studio is optimized, user-friendly, and a home choice.