MakerWorld plans to overhaul how MakerLab Credits are billed starting in late June 2026, according to a community announcement from Bambu Lab. The update changes AI-powered design tools from “pay on export” to “pay on generation” and replaces the monthly free-credit allowance with limited, non-renewing trial uses.
What This Means for Bambu Lab Users
Anyone using MakerWorld’s generative tools — including Image to 3D and Make My Statue — will be charged Credits as soon as a result is generated, not only when it’s exported or downloaded. That means experimenting with multiple generations to find the right output will now cost more, since every attempt consumes Credits regardless of whether the result is kept. Credit consumption for some features will also be adjusted to reflect actual compute cost, so prices for individual tools may change.
Key Changes at a Glance
- Billing timing: generative features move from charging on export to charging on generation
- Free Credits: the fixed monthly free-Credit allowance is replaced with a limited number of account-level feature trial uses that do not refresh monthly and won’t recover once used
- Points exchange rate: the 1:10 Points-to-Credit rate is discontinued; the new rate is 80 MakerWorld Points for 600 MakerLab Credits
- Direct purchase: buying MakerLab Credits directly goes live and becomes the primary way to acquire Credits for frequent users
Transition Period and Refunds
Bambu Lab says a refund portal will open for Credits that were previously exchanged from Points under the old 1:10 rate, allowing users to recover value lost to the rate change. Going forward, Points-to-Credit exchange remains available but is described as a supplementary benefit for active community members, while direct purchase becomes the main route for users who rely on MakerLab features regularly.
What’s Next
The announcement has drawn over 150 comments on MakerWorld, with many community members concerned about higher effective costs for casual users who previously relied on free monthly Credits. Bambu Lab has not yet published an exact launch date beyond “late June 2026”— FilamentPicks will follow up once the new billing rules go live and pricing for individual MakerLab tools is confirmed.
Source: MakerWorld