This guide is for orthodontists, orthodontic labs and students who want to digitise study models, measure cases or design aligners without committing to a large purchase on day one. The short answer: fully free orthodontic software is rare. What you can realistically get for free is a viewer, a model archive or a demo case. Planning and exporting aligner models for production is almost always paid, either by licence or per case.
Below we compare the orthodontic programs we have checked against their developers’ own sites, explain what each one is actually for, and show where the free part ends.
The short list
| Program | Best for | Licence | Platforms | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maestro 3D Ortho Studio | In-house aligners, bonding trays and appliances from third-party scans | Shareware (conditionally free): free Viewer and one demo case | Windows 11, 64-bit | Maintained; manual lists version 7.00.00.30000 |
| 3Shape Ortho Analyzer | Model analysis in labs and practices already on 3Shape | Commercial (shareware category); no public trial; 3Shape Ortho Viewer is free | Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit | Latest listed release 2023.1 (June 2023); not sold in some regions |
| OrthoModel | Digital archive of study models with basic 3D measurements | Free (closed source) | Desktop PC; OS not published | Official site appears unmaintained; no version history |
| Blue Sky Plan (not in our catalogue) | Aligner and ortho planning on a pay-per-export model | Free download; STL exports are paid | Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit | Current free download |
Maestro 3D Ortho Studio: the most complete conditionally free option
Maestro 3D Ortho Studio is the orthodontic module of Dental Studio Expert from AGE Solutions in Italy. It imports STL, PLY and OBJ scans from intraoral and desktop scanners, repairs them, segments and numbers the teeth, and builds a virtual setup with staging, attachments and IPR. From there you export printable transition models, or use the add-on modules for indirect bonding guides, directly printed aligners and appliances.
The free part is real but narrow: a Viewer for reviewing cases and a Pay-Per-Use licence that opens with one pre-loaded case. Every further case, or the full Expert licence, is paid. It needs Windows 11 and a dedicated NVIDIA card. The vendor states that AI-labelled features are not intended for medical use, so check every segmentation. Pick it if you plan to produce aligners in-house and use a non-3Shape scanner.
3Shape Ortho Analyzer: for 3Shape workflows only
3Shape Ortho Analyzer is the analysis program inside 3Shape Ortho System. It measures digital study models from TRIOS and 3Shape lab scanners, runs guided Bolton, overjet/overbite, space and occlusion analyses, imports DICOM to combine CBCT with surface scans, and exports study models as STL.
It is commercial. There is no “Lite” edition and no public trial; demo systems go to resellers and education licences to schools. The latest release on 3Shape’s update page is 2023.1 from June 2023, and 3Shape’s site says Ortho System products are no longer sold in some regions, so confirm availability with a reseller before planning around it. The free piece is 3Shape Ortho Viewer, which 3Shape support describes as a free standalone application for viewing model sets, distributed through the 3Shape Partner Portal. Pick Ortho Analyzer only if your lab already runs 3Shape.
OrthoModel: a free archive, not a planning tool
OrthoModel from Orthomodel Inc. in Istanbul is free software for replacing shelves of plaster casts. Each patient card holds the 3D models, photos, X-rays and notes. The program shows a model in six views at once and measures tooth widths, distances, angles and arch lengths, writing analysis results back to the card.
The limits are significant. It was built around the developer’s own model-digitising service, the installer is given only to registered users, and the developer publishes no version number, changelog or system requirements. The official site appears unmaintained, with a 2007 copyright line, so treat long-term support as uncertain. It has no virtual setup or aligner tools. Pick it only for a simple digital archive, and keep your models backed up in an open format. Do not confuse it with Delcam’s OrthoModel, which designs foot orthoses.
Other orthodontic software worth knowing
Blue Sky Plan
Blue Sky Plan from Blue Sky Bio is best known for implant planning, but it also covers orthodontics and aligners, with automatic tooth segmentation and digital aligner design. The program is a free download for Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit); macOS is not supported. You pay only when you export STL files for printing, bought as export credits inside the program. Blue Sky Bio states that new users receive two free aligner cases, with additional free cases for dental students. It is the most practical way to try full aligner planning before spending anything.
OnyxCeph³
OnyxCeph³ from Image Instruments (Germany) is a Windows network application that uses 2D and 3D image data for measurement, consultation, documentation and processing in orthodontic workflows. It is sold as PRO, LAB and EDU editions; the EDU edition is for training institutions. There is no free edition. The vendor says non-productively activated installations are only for familiarisation and testing.
How to choose
- Decide what you actually need to do. Viewing a case from a lab, archiving study models, measuring and analysing, and producing aligners are four different jobs. Most practices only need the first two.
- If you only need to view scans, do not buy anything. 3Shape Ortho Viewer opens Ortho System model sets, the Maestro 3D Viewer opens Dental Studio cases, and general free viewers such as 3Shape Communicate and exocad webview handle shared scans and STL files. See our guide to free dental CAD viewers.
- If you want a digital model archive, check first whether your scanner software already stores models with the patient. OrthoModel only makes sense if its service-based workflow suits you.
- If you want to plan aligners in-house, try Blue Sky Plan with one of your own scans, using the free aligner cases new users receive, and work through the pre-loaded demo case in Maestro 3D Ortho Studio. That shows you segmentation quality, setup tools and export options before you pay.
- Check the scanner fit. 3Shape labs get the most from Ortho System; mixed-scanner labs need a program that imports STL, PLY and OBJ reliably.
- Check the hardware. Every planning tool here is Windows-only. Ortho Analyzer and Ortho Studio both ask for a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card and at least 16 GB RAM. On a Mac you need a separate Windows PC.
- Plan the per-case cost before you commit. “Free to download” often means paid exports. Estimate your monthly case volume and ask each vendor how exports are charged.
FAQ
Is there free orthodontic software?
Free viewers and archives exist: 3Shape Ortho Viewer, the Maestro 3D Viewer and OrthoModel. For planning, Blue Sky Plan is a free download with paid exports, and Maestro 3D Ortho Studio gives one free demo case. We did not find a fully free, maintained program that plans and exports aligners with no charge per case.
Is 3Shape Ortho Analyzer free?
No. Ortho Analyzer is licensed through 3Shape resellers and there is no Lite or trial edition. The free 3Shape tool for opening orthodontic model sets is Ortho Viewer. “Free download” copies on third-party sites are not official.
What is OrthoStudio?
In dental software, OrthoStudio usually means Maestro 3D Ortho Studio by AGE Solutions, a Windows program for segmentation, virtual setups and aligner model export. Several clinics and companies also use the name Ortho Studio; they are unrelated to the software.
Is OrthoModel still available?
The developer’s site still describes the free program and its registration process, but it shows no version history and appears unmaintained. Contact the developer before relying on it, and confirm it opens your scanner’s files.
Can I design clear aligners with free software?
You can try it. Blue Sky Plan is free to download and gives new users two free aligner cases; Maestro 3D Ortho Studio includes one pre-loaded demo case. After that, exporting production models is paid in both.
Does orthodontic software run on Mac?
None of the planning programs in this guide has a macOS version: Ortho Analyzer, Ortho Studio, Blue Sky Plan and OnyxCeph³ are Windows programs. On a Mac, use a browser-based viewer such as 3Shape Communicate to review cases, and a Windows PC for planning.
Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Dents-Soft editorial team. Licence, version and platform details are checked against each developer's official documentation; none of the tools listed here should be treated as a certified medical device unless its vendor says so.
