Best Self Hosted Alternatives to 3DPrinterOS

CNCjs is a web-based user interface and server for controlling CNC machines by streaming G-code to common firmware such as Grbl, Marlin, Smoothieware, and TinyG/g2core. It runs on a computer like a Raspberry Pi or laptop and connects to the controller over a serial link (USB, Bluetooth serial, or serial-to-WiFi).

Key Features

• Supports multiple CNC firmware targets including Grbl/Grbl-Mega, Marlin, Smoothieware, TinyG, and g2core
• G-code sender with real-time status, console, and 6-axis digital readout (DRO)
• Toolpath visualization with 3D preview
• Multi-client access to the same machine session (multiple HTTP connections)
• Responsive interface suitable for tablets and small touch displays
• Extensible UI with customizable workspace, widgets, and “pendant” remote-control UIs
• Watch-directory workflow to automatically detect and load new files
• Macros, command buttons, events, and features like Z-probe and tool-change workflows

Use Cases

• Running a CNC router or mill from a Raspberry Pi connected via USB serial
• Setting up a shop-floor touchscreen “pendant” interface for jogging and job control
• Managing CNC job preparation with file drop/watch-directory and repeatable macros

CNCjs is a practical choice when you want a browser-based control panel for hobbyist and prosumer CNC controllers, with visualization, extensibility, and multi-device access built in.

Spoolman is a web service for tracking and managing physical 3D-printer filament spools. It provides a central database for filaments, vendors and individual spools, offers a web client for manual management and exposes a REST API and WebSocket updates for integrations and automation.

Key Features

• Filament and spool inventory: store manufacturers, filament types, spool metadata and custom fields for precise tracking.
• REST API: a documented HTTP API to read and modify application data for automation or third-party integrations.
• Real-time updates: WebSocket notifications and live spool-weight updates during prints for immediate feedback.
• Integrations: designed to integrate with popular 3D printing frontends and ecosystems for automatic weight tracking and multi-printer support.
• Label and QR generation: print labels with QR codes for easy spool identification and scanning workflows.
• Multi-database support: works with SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL (and compatible engines) for flexible deployment options.
• Monitoring support: integrates with Prometheus to export metrics for historical analysis and alerting.

Use Cases

• Centralized filament inventory for makerspaces or multi-printer setups to prevent runouts and track stock.
• Automated workflows where printer frontends update spool weights in real time and other systems consume that data via the REST API.
• Production or hobbyist monitoring where Prometheus collects usage metrics for capacity planning and reporting.

Limitations and Considerations

• Ecosystem coverage: first-class support is centered on the Klipper/Moonraker ecosystem; support for other ecosystems (for example OctoPrint) may be incomplete or rely on third-party plugins.
• HTTPS requirement for some browser features: browser security constraints (e.g., QR code behaviors) require serving the web client over HTTPS; a reverse proxy may be needed to enable secure access.
• Runtime requirements: the backend targets modern Python tooling and the frontend expects Node.js 20+ for development; deployment workflows use Docker for convenience.

Spoolman is intended as a focused tool for filament inventory and usage tracking. It combines a programmable API, live updates and monitoring hooks to fit into automated 3D-printing workflows while providing a user-facing web client for administration and label printing.