Looking for SpoolEase alternatives?
SpoolEase is a free, source-available, fully local filament manager for Bambu Lab printers. It's a genuinely clever project: build a little ESP32 NFC console (and, optionally, a load-cell scale), and it reads your AMS, tracks each spool's weight and keeps everything offline, on your own hardware, with no account and no cloud. If you own a Bambu printer, like soldering and want everything local, it's a neat build.
But SpoolEase only works with Bambu Lab, and getting it running means sourcing parts and assembling a DIY device. SimplyPrint's filament manager takes the opposite approach: it's brand-agnostic and needs no hardware at all. It reads the G-code of every print and deducts filament automatically, on any printer you already own, with NFC, AMS auto-import and an open database, free on every plan. Here's a fair, side-by-side look, first purely as a filament manager, then as the whole platform.
There's a lot more to the SimplyPrint filament manager
Automatic usage tracking, NFC across every standard, Bambu & Creality AMS auto-import, direct Dymo & Zebra label printing, drying, storage locations, a mobile app and the Open Filament Database. See it all, with screenshots, on one page.
Explore the filament manager
Compare SpoolEase vs SimplyPrint:
SpoolEase is a free, source-available (Apache 2.0 + Commons Clause), fully local filament manager for Bambu Lab printers, built around a DIY ESP32 NFC console (an optional load-cell scale adds real measured weight). It's a clever, offline-first build for solder-capable Bambu owners, and it's a very new (2025), single-developer project.
SimplyPrint is a brand-agnostic filament manager with nothing to build: it reads the G-code of every print and deducts filament automatically, on any printer you already own, with no console, no scale and no soldering. It adds native NFC read/write from your phone, browser or a USB reader, Bambu and Creality AMS auto-import, direct Dymo and Zebra label printing, the open Open Filament Database (174 brands and growing), and a whole platform around it, and the filament manager is free on every plan. It's also a company-backed product that's been running print operations since 2020. If you want local, scale-accurate, Bambu-deep tracking and enjoy building hardware, that's SpoolEase; if you want tracking that just happens across any printer brand with nothing to solder, that's SimplyPrint.
Comparing purely as a filament manager, the deep, head-to-head view.
Any printer, no hardware to build
This is the heart of it. SpoolEase works with Bambu Lab printers only, and getting it running means building a DIY ESP32 device. SimplyPrint is brand-agnostic and needs no extra hardware at all.
NFC, AMS and an open database, without the DIY console
SpoolEase does real NFC and deep Bambu AMS work, but it all runs through the console you build. SimplyPrint does it natively, from devices you already have, plus an open filament database.
Where SpoolEase is the better pick
SpoolEase is a clever, well-made project, and for the right setup it's the right call. Credit where it's due:
SpoolEase does one job, Bambu filament tracking, and does it locally and well. SimplyPrint includes a brand-agnostic filament manager and surrounds it with the rest of a print operation: a print queue, a full cloud slicer, AI failure and bed detection, a maintenance system, teams and permissions, mobile apps and more, in one hosted platform that's free to start, and works with the printers you already own, not just Bambu. In the table below, SpoolEase's column is its Bambu filament tool; ours is the whole platform.
The same filament comparison, plus everything else SimplyPrint does that a single-purpose Bambu filament tool doesn't.
Any printer, no hardware to build
This is the heart of it. SpoolEase works with Bambu Lab printers only, and getting it running means building a DIY ESP32 device. SimplyPrint is brand-agnostic and needs no extra hardware at all.
NFC, AMS and an open database, without the DIY console
SpoolEase does real NFC and deep Bambu AMS work, but it all runs through the console you build. SimplyPrint does it natively, from devices you already have, plus an open filament database.
Where SpoolEase is the better pick
SpoolEase is a clever, well-made project, and for the right setup it's the right call. Credit where it's due:
SpoolEase and SimplyPrint comparison
Nothing is black-and-white, and there are always pros and cons to consider when choosing a 3D printing cloud solution!
And we're not here to simply tell you, that SimplyPrint is the best - we want you to make an informed decision, and of course there are pros of using SpoolEase as well!
Pros of using SpoolEase
SpoolEase has real strengths, and they're worth being honest about:- Fully local and offline by design: runs on your own ESP32 hardware with no account, login, subscription or cloud, a real plus if you want everything off the internet.
- Real measured weight: the optional load-cell scale physically weighs each spool, which is more accurate than any pure-software estimate.
- Deep Bambu Lab integration: AMS slot auto-config (material, colour, K-factor), Bambu factory RFID reading, live AMS weight, even a Bambu Studio fork that surfaces spool ID and net weight in the slicer.
- Free and source-available: the whole project (Apache 2.0 + Commons Clause) costs only the price of the DIY parts if you can solder, and you can use it in a commercial setting.
- Genuine NFC, on built hardware: the console reads and writes NTAG and Mifare tags and imports Bambu factory RFID, with a real nested storage-location system.
- Actively maintained: a solo developer shipping in a hard stack (Rust, Slint, embedded ESP32), not abandonware.
Cons of using SpoolEase
Where SpoolEase falls short if you want tracking that just happens:- Bambu Lab only: it works with Bambu printers and AMS exclusively. There's no support for Creality, Anycubic, Prusa, Klipper or any other brand.
- You build the hardware: getting started means sourcing parts, 3D-printing a case and soldering a DIY ESP32 NFC console (the load-cell scale is a second optional build). No assembled kit is sold.
- Tracking depends on the hardware running: usage is read by live-monitoring Bambu jobs, so the console has to be on and watching, and prints from the printer's internal memory or "Print Again" can be missed.
- NFC is console-only, and there's no shared database: NFC works through the built console reader, not from a phone, browser or USB, and there's no shared, browsable filament database, no documented label printing and no documented camera or barcode scanning.
- A very new, single-developer project: it started in 2025 and is maintained by one person, where SimplyPrint is a company-backed platform running print operations since 2020.
SpoolEase vs. SimplyPrint
Side-by-side list comparison of details and features in SpoolEase and SimplyPrint
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|---|---|---|
| Filament management | ||
| Available since | 2025 | 2020 |
| Free to use | ||
| Open-source / self-hostable ? | Source-available (Apache 2.0 & Commons Clause), not OSI open source | |
| Filament database ? | Open Filament Database | |
| Connects directly to your printer ? | Bambu only; live-monitor, needs hardware running | |
| Automatic usage tracking (no manual subtracting) ? | Bambu only; hardware-dependent live monitor | |
| AMS auto-import (Bambu / Creality / Anycubic) ? | Bambu AMS only | Bambu, Creality, Anycubic + more |
| Read filament NFC tags | Console reader only | |
| Write filament NFC tags | Console reader only | |
| Label printing (direct to Dymo / Zebra) | Dymo & Zebra | |
| Barcode / QR scanning | ||
| Drying tracking | ||
| Storage locations | Nested rack > bay > shelf > position | |
| Cost & spend tracking | ||
| Custom fields | ||
| Mobile app (iOS & Android) | ||
| Multi-user / team access | ||
| Import your existing spools ? | CSV export + backup/restore | |
| Developer API for filament data ? | ||
| Dedicated hardware (scale / reader / dryer) ? | ||
| Compare | Learn more | Learn more |
SimplyPrint prices are shown in USD; see our pricing page for your local currency. Competitor prices are shown as they publish them.
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|
|---|---|---|
| Filament management | ||
| Free to use | ||
| Open-source / self-hostable ? | Source-available (Apache 2.0 & Commons Clause), not OSI open source | |
| Filament database ? | Open Filament Database | |
| Connects directly to your printer ? | Bambu only; live-monitor, needs hardware running | |
| Automatic usage tracking (no manual subtracting) ? | Bambu only; hardware-dependent live monitor | |
| AMS auto-import (Bambu / Creality / Anycubic) ? | Bambu AMS only | Bambu, Creality, Anycubic + more |
| Read filament NFC tags | Console reader only | |
| Write filament NFC tags | Console reader only | |
| Label printing (direct to Dymo / Zebra) | Dymo & Zebra | |
| Barcode / QR scanning | ||
| Drying tracking | ||
| Storage locations | Nested rack > bay > shelf > position | |
| Cost & spend tracking | ||
| Custom fields | ||
| Mobile app (iOS & Android) | ||
| Multi-user / team access | ||
| Import your existing spools ? | CSV export + backup/restore | |
| Developer API for filament data ? | ||
| Dedicated hardware (scale / reader / dryer) ? | ||
| General | ||
| Available since | 2025 | 2020 |
| Has free plan | ||
| Free printers | 2 | |
| Max cost | Free (DIY hardware) | Free, or from $4/printer/mo |
| Free cloud storage | 1GB | |
| Usage based cost | ||
| Unlimited printing | ||
| Supports all printers | ||
| Features | ||
| Remote access | ||
| Knows your printer | ||
| Cloud files | ||
| Print queue | ||
| Livestream | ||
| Gcode analysis | ||
| A.I failure detection | ||
| AI Bed Check (is the bed clear?) | ||
| AutoPrint / continuous printing | ||
| Maintenance & servicing system | ||
| Custom fields | ||
| Staggered Start (for power draw) | ||
| Schedule prints | ||
| Print job history | ||
| Print remotely | ||
| Built-in slicer | ||
| Multi-printer friendly | ||
| Multi-print | ||
| Multi-stream | ||
| Statistics | ||
| API | ||
| Slicer smart-rotation | ||
| Smart filament change | ||
| Bed level helper | ||
| Organization | ||
| Multiple users | ||
| User groups / ranks | ||
| User permissions | ||
| School plan | ||
| Shared files & folders | ||
| Shared slicer profiles | ||
| Hub | ||
| Custom domains | ||
| SSO (single sign-on) | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Email notifications | ||
| Push (mobile / app) notifications | ||
| SMS / text message notifications | ||
| Apps | ||
| Android app | ||
| iOS app | ||
| "PWA" (installable web-application) | ||
| Security & privacy | ||
| Account 2-factor authentication | ||
| Privacy-minded analytics & data-gathering ? | ||
| Support | ||
| Live-chat support | ||
| Phone support | ||
| Email support | ||
| Firmware & gateway support | ||
| OctoPrint install | ||
| Native Moonraker support | ||
| Mainsail install | ||
| Fluidd install | ||
| Klipper support | ||
| Duet3D integration | ||
| Direct Prusa support (MK4, XL and up / new main boards) | ||
| Direct Bambu Lab printer integration | ||
| Support for custom integrations | ||
| Enterprise & partners | ||
| OEM | ||
| Partner program (reseller / distributor) | ||
| Affiliate program | ||
| On-prem / self-hosting ? | Contact us | |
| Compare | Learn more | Learn more |
SimplyPrint prices are shown in USD; see our pricing page for your local currency. Competitor prices are shown as they publish them.
Contact us if you think we made a mistake in our comparison!
SpoolEase vs. SimplyPrint: frequently asked questions
Is SimplyPrint or SpoolEase better for filament tracking?
Does SpoolEase work with non-Bambu printers?
Do I have to build hardware to use SpoolEase?
Is SpoolEase open source?
How does SpoolEase track filament usage?
Does SpoolEase read NFC and AMS tags?
Can I import my SpoolEase spools into SimplyPrint?
Do I have to run a server or device to use SimplyPrint?
Conclusion
Why SimplyPrint is the Top SpoolEase Alternative
We made SimplyPrint due to the fact, that nothing else on the market quite fit our needs. We wanted a platform that was easy to use, but still had all the features we needed. We wanted a feature-rich platform, intuitive and easy to use, with a great user experience and actual innovation within the 3D print management software space.
In summary, we - humble and unbiased as we are 😉 - believe that the SimplyPrint platform is a great SpoolEase alternative!
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