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AstroPrint vs Polar Cloud: catalog facts
AstroPrint	Polar Cloud
Best for: Schools and print farms that want cloud slicing and shared print queues	Best for: Schools and makers managing several 3D printers from one web dashboard
Paid Offered through plans listed on its Plans and Pricing page.	Free + paid options Free for personal home use; education plans start at $199 per year and enterprise pricing is by quote.
Web	Web
Browser-based slicing from any device Cloud file library with remote monitoring All 4 strengths for AstroPrint Browser-based slicing from any device Cloud file library with remote monitoring Shared print queues and user permissions for teams Connects through an OctoPrint plugin among other options	Works with printers from many brands, OctoPrint and Klipper Cloud slicing and job queues in one place All 3 strengths for Polar Cloud Works with printers from many brands, OctoPrint and Klipper Cloud slicing and job queues in one place Classroom controls for managing student prints
Depends on a cloud service and an internet connection Plan details and limits are only on the pricing page	Depends on a cloud service and an account Free plan is limited to home use and 500 MB of storage All 3 limitations for Polar Cloud Depends on a cloud service and an account Free plan is limited to home use and 500 MB of storage Fleet features require paid plans
Web application, Hosted service	Hosted service
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Account needed	Account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for AstroPrint astroprint.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Polar Cloud polar3d.com Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.