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Shap-E

Free demo of OpenAI's 2023 Shap-E model that turns a text prompt or a picture into a rough GLB mesh

Shap-E is a free browser tool for quick free text-to-3D tests of simple shapes. Free on shared Hugging Face ZeroGPU hardware; visitors without an account get about 2 minutes of GPU time a day, a free account 5 minutes. Exports GLB. Last checked 26 September 2026.

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At a glance

Price: Free on shared Hugging Face ZeroGPU hardware; visitors without an account get about 2 minutes of GPU time a day, a free account 5 minutes
Runs on: Browser
Exports: GLB
Multicolor: No, single color
Account: Not needed
Open source: Yes
Skill level: Easy: a few settings to tune
Best for: Quick free text-to-3D tests of simple shapes
Selling prints: Allowed The Shap-E weights and the demo code are MIT licensed, which allows commercial use, but OpenAI's model card advises against commercial use.
How we checked: Opened the generator Loads without an account: Text to 3D and Image to 3D tabs, 9 example prompts, seed, guidance and step sliders, GLB viewer
Last checked: 26 September 2026

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Sources: Shap-E demo on Hugging Face, OpenAI Shap-E model card, Hugging Face ZeroGPU usage quotas (checked 26 September 2026)

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What is Shap-E?

Shap-E is a free browser tool that runs OpenAI's 2023 text-to-3D and image-to-3D model on Hugging Face, so you can turn a short prompt or one picture into a 3D mesh without an account. In the Text to 3D tab you type something like a penguin or a birthday cupcake and press enter; in the Image to 3D tab you upload a picture and click Run. The result appears in a 3D viewer you can rotate and download as a GLB file, with seed, guidance and step sliders under Advanced options.

Shap-E is from 2023, older than the engines most makers use in 2026, and it shows. Shapes come out soft and toy-like with little fine detail, and OpenAI's own model card warns that results can have rough edges, holes and blurry surfaces. OpenAI only evaluated the image model on synthetic renders, so real photos tend to give weaker results. The mesh is only about two units across with colors stored per vertex, so convert it to STL, scale it up and check for holes before slicing.

The demo is maintained by Hugging Face developer hysts and runs on shared ZeroGPU hardware with a small daily GPU allowance. The model and the demo code are MIT licensed. It suits curious makers who want a quick, free way to turn an idea into a rough shape.

What you can make

Simple objects from a text prompt
Rough 3D shapes from a single picture
Toy-like animals, food and props
Vertex-colored GLB meshes

How to use Shap-E

Open the Shap-E Space on Hugging Face
Type a short prompt in the Text to 3D tab, or upload a picture in the Image to 3D tab
Rotate the preview and run it again with a new seed if you want a variation
Download the GLB, convert it to STL, scale it up and repair any holes before slicing

What you'll need to print it

Filament and parts that suit what you make with Shap-E.

Matte PLA

Resin

Siraya Tech Fast ABS-like Resin (affiliate link) Siraya Tech
Siraya Tech Blu Tough Resin (affiliate link) Siraya Tech

Multicolor PLA

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Shap-E pros

Works from a text prompt or a single picture, with no account needed
Free, and both the model and the demo code are MIT licensed
Nine example prompts plus seed, guidance and step sliders for quick variations

Shap-E cons

Blobby, low-detail results, and OpenAI notes meshes can have rough edges and holes
GLB only, at a tiny scale, so you convert it to STL and scale it up
Small daily GPU allowance and a shared queue on the free demo