I've posted my designs to a number of 3d model warehouses. Here is a summary of my experience with each as a designer.

• Owned by Makerbot then Stratasys and now Ultimaker.
• OG 3d printing model warehouse
  • was the first to exist at large scale
• Has makes as the primary means to verify that a model is printable.

• All models are free.
• You do not need to log in to download models.
• Largest respository of models.
• Allows you to post external links.
• Large user base?

• Interacting with the site always makes me a little sad.
  • I just want it to work.
  • The site is so fiddly to use they have to be shedding users like crazy
• Has models that are not printable without cleanup
• Has weird pop up ads.
• Has questionable terms of service.
• Some days you can't reliably log in.
• The site is the most jank
  • I have had numerous models fail upload.
  • My least favorite site to work with.
  • Because of the number of models involved thingiverse uses database sharding / replication.
    • Sometime when you make changes it takes time for the update to propogate. i.e. Where you save something and and where you view is not always in sync.
• Thingiverse has had databreaches leaking user data and passwords.

• Owned by Prusa
• Has Gamification
• All models are free but has paid communities.
• Have do not have be logged in to download.
• Users seem to be the most critical, but also the most earnest
  • They tend to be overly reliant on build supports
  • Users will post makes, reviews and comments
• Allows you to post external links.
• Allows setting prices for models minimum of 5 dollars USD
• Has club membership program which is sort of like patreon lite
• Creators can upload m3f file with print profile like settings doesn't allow just anyone to upload print profiles.

• It works
• Heavier focus of functional prints
• Most models are printable
• Has a dark mode theme

• Smallest community for wargaming terrain
• Overall the gamification features are weak.
• More favorable to europeon users less so for international users due to shipping.
• Small user base

• Points are earned for your model downloads on a monthly basis.
  • If you down get a enough downloads over specified time period they do not matter.
• Rewards are weak
• Roughly 10 points equals $1 dollar in store credit.

• Independently owned
• Models are paid and free
• Allows you to post external links.
• Have to log in with an account to download.
• Has makes but no one uses them.

• It works
• Favorable audience for wargaming terrain
• Has a decent email notification system for when something happens with your models.
• Allows setting prices for models as well as variable open pricing
• Allows creating discount codes
• Has a dark mode theme

• has a mixed history of paying creators.
• Some creators have outright been slighted money owed to them.
• Known as the "purple site" or "he whose name shall not be spoken".
  • Mention of cults3d is banned on r/3dprinting
• Also under the watchful eye of Games Workshop paid models can't use any games workshop related tags.
• no mentions of 40k, necromunda, warhammer, or any related keyords
• Image previews can be jank

• Owned by Bambu lab
• Has Gamification
• Models are free
• Favorable audience for wargaming terrain
• Have to be logged in to download unlimited models.
  • Can download individual files; download all only works if you are logged in.
• Heavy emphasis on print profiles
• Has Makes via comments and reviews the feature is kind of used.
• Allows you to post external links.

• It works
• Has a decent email notification system for when something happens with your models.
• Decent user base
• Has support for dark mode theme

• Under the watchful eye of bambu lab. All of the prints are monitored via the cloud platform.
  • A lot of the gamification is tied to monitored prints. For example a user can earn boost points to reward to creators if they use bambu printers. A monitored print that lasts at least 30 minutes is worth two downloads for earning points.
• Licensing for exclusive models is oppressive, does not allow you to post to patreon.
  • Makerworld Exclusive Model Policy
  • Oppressive is my opinion. Nothing I do works with their exclusive model program because of their terms. I make open source parametric models that are made available as early access on patreon. Their terms would not allow for any of that.
  • On a good note you do not have to make your uploaded models exclusive.

• Points are earned for your model downloads
• Allows bambu printer owners to boost models
• Rewards are ok
• 12.15 points equals $1 dollar in store credit

New features have been added since but this All3dp article will give a general idea of their points system.

• owned by Anycubic
• Has gamification
• Have to log in with an account to download.
• Heavy emphasis on print profiles
• I think they are honestly trying, I don't think the site has found it's identity yet.
• Allows you to post external links.
• Maker Online is very conscientius of uploading duplicate files. Any modul upload that contains a file from another upload triggers a manual review.
  • For example anytime I edit my pipe terrain triggers a manual review because of shared files with power station

• It works

• A lot of the feature set of the site is a clone of Maker World
• Makerworld bans any mention of makeronline because they spam their users
• Small user base
• When editing an existing model on save the model is moved to the top of your uploaded model list.
  • This is a quirk counter to how all of the other upload sites work. I have to be a bit mindful when updating existing models.

• Points are earned for your model downloads
• Rewards seem watered down
• Wants you to do a daily check-in
• 20 points equals $1 dollar in store credit

• Owned by Creality
• I have the least experience with this service
• Has gamification
• Primarily seems to focus on paids models via the gamification of points
• All models are reviewd to verify that they meet terms of service before they are mode available to the public.
• Have to log in with an account to download.
• Heavy emphasis on print profiles the creation of them is dumb.

• It works

• the verfification process is hit or miss and inconsistent.
• Depending on the reviewer will get you different verification results.
• Their terms of service is cryptic and you aren't always given reason for why a model is rejected.
• Does not allows you to post external links for paid models and sometimes for free models.
  • The policy does not seem to be consistent.
• Small user base

• You do not get points when your models are downloaded
• Most obtuse reward menchanism
• Wants to do a daily check-in, as well as a number of other dailies
• Doing dailies is obtuse and doesn't always reward points.
• Rewards aren't very good

• Aggregated search engine of the the other model stores
• Also allows you to host models on thangs
• To download thangs models, requires an account to log in
• I do not have an account with thangs

• Aggregated search engine of the the other model stores
• I do not have an account with yeggi

• Requires a monthly paid account to have a storefront
• Shows ads on your storefront
• I do not have an account with MyMiniFactory

• Open Source and federated roll your own model hosting service.
• Allows you to roll your own hosting service.
• Want to have a hosting service on your hosting service?
• I do no have a hosted instance of manyfold