Ridzwan Normahazan
written on 13 May 2026
Why Some Advanced Users Are Criticising Bambu Lab Ecosystem Direction
Over the past few years, Bambu Lab has become one of the most influential companies in the consumer 3D printing industry. Their printers such as the X1 series, P1 series and more recently the X2D managed to push consumer 3D printing into a much more user-friendly direction.
However, recently there has been another discussion growing within the maker community. This time, the topic is not about print quality, speed or hardware performance, but about software ecosystem, cloud control and open-source philosophy.
Last night, Jeff Geerling, a well known creator within the tech and maker community with more than 1 million subscribers, uploaded a video criticising Bambu Lab’s ecosystem direction. The video quickly gained significant attention, reaching around 250,000 views in less than 10 hours.
What is The Criticism?
In the video, Jeff criticised Bambu Lab’s increasing control over its software ecosystem and its relationship with third-party open-source developers.
According to him, one of the biggest concerns is how Bambu Lab handles cloud connectivity and third-party software interaction, especially involving community-developed slicers such as Orca Slicer.
He also criticised Bambu Lab’s response toward a developer connected to an Orca-related fork, claiming that the company used legal pressure instead of working more openly with the community.
Overall, the video sparked discussion about a larger question within the 3D printing community:
how much control should a company have over the printers that users already purchased?
The Main Issue Is Not The Printer Hardware
Interestingly, Jeff himself admitted that he still uses his Bambu Lab P1S printer regularly.
However, he explained that he intentionally:
- blocks the printer from internet access
- enables developer mode
- avoids using official Bambu software
- prefers using Orca Slicer instead
According to him, the reason is because he wants full control over the machine that he purchased, without depending heavily on Bambu Lab’s cloud ecosystem.
This highlights an important point:
the criticism is not necessarily about the printer being “bad”.
In fact, many critics still acknowledge that Bambu printers offer very strong hardware performance and ease of use compared to many competitors.
Why Orca Slicer Became Part Of The Discussion
One of the central topics in the discussion is Orca Slicer.
For those unfamiliar, Orca Slicer is a community-developed slicer that originated from:
- Slic3r
- then PrusaSlicer
- then Bambu Studio
- then Orca Slicer
This chain is important because all of these projects are connected to open-source software development.
Some advanced users feel that Bambu Lab benefits heavily from open-source software, while at the same time becoming increasingly restrictive about how users interact with their printers and ecosystem.
The recent controversy became larger after discussions about:
- cloud-based printing systems
- API restrictions
- third-party software interaction
- legal pressure involving a developer connected to an Orca-related fork
began spreading within the community.
Cloud Convenience vs User Control
One reason why this discussion became complicated is because many normal users actually enjoy Bambu Lab’s ecosystem.
Features such as:
- remote printing
- cloud monitoring
- printer management through apps
- easy multi-device syncing
make the printers extremely convenient for beginners and casual users.
For many users, this convenience is more important than concerns about ecosystem openness.
However, more advanced users sometimes prefer:
- offline printing
- local network control
- open APIs
- community-developed software
- minimal cloud dependency
This creates a divide between users who prioritise convenience and users who prioritise ownership and flexibility.
A Discussion Bigger Than 3D Printing
The debate surrounding Bambu Lab is actually similar to discussions happening across many technology industries today.
Examples include:
- smartphone ecosystem restrictions
- right-to-repair debates
- cloud-dependent smart home devices
- locked-down hardware ecosystems
Some users are comfortable with tightly integrated ecosystems if the experience is smooth and reliable.
Others prefer systems that remain fully open even if they require more technical setup.
At the moment, both sides of the argument continue to exist within the 3D printing community.
Bambu Lab Is Still Extremely Popular
Despite the criticism, Bambu Lab remains one of the fastest growing brands in consumer 3D printing.
Many users still consider their printers among the easiest and most reliable plug-and-play machines currently available on the market.
At the same time, discussions like this show that as the industry matures, users are beginning to look beyond only print speed and hardware specifications.
Topics such as:
- software freedom
- long-term ecosystem control
- privacy
- repairability
- community development
are becoming part of the conversation as well.
For now, it will be interesting to see how Bambu Lab responds to these concerns moving forward, especially as more competitors continue entering the high-speed consumer 3D printing market.