Convert STL to PLY online
Drop an STL file below and get a PLY back. It runs entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer and never touches a server. No upload, no account, no waiting on a queue.
STL to PLY is a straightforward geometry conversion: the triangles in your STL become a mesh in a PLY file that point- and mesh-processing tools like MeshLab and CloudCompare read natively.
How it works
Good to know
FAQ
Will my PLY have color after converting from STL?
No. PLY is capable of storing per-vertex color and other properties, but STL files contain only geometry, with no color or material data. There is nothing for us to carry over, so the PLY comes out as a plain, untextured mesh. Any tool that claims to add color during an STL to PLY conversion is inventing it.
Why convert STL to PLY at all?
PLY is the friendlier format for mesh- and point-cloud processing. Tools like MeshLab and CloudCompare read PLY natively and let you clean, decimate, align, or color a mesh. Converting your STL to PLY gets your geometry into those workflows without changing the shape.
Does the conversion change the size or scale of my model?
No. STL and PLY both store raw coordinates with no built-in unit (neither format records millimeters vs inches). We pass the exact numbers through unchanged, so a 50 mm part stays 50 mm. If a model looks the wrong size in another program, that is the program guessing units, not the conversion altering them.
ASCII or binary PLY, and does it matter for file size?
Binary PLY is smaller and loads faster; ASCII PLY is human-readable but larger. We default to a compact PLY so big meshes stay manageable. Either way the geometry is identical; the only difference is how the numbers are stored on disk.
Can I send the converted PLY straight to a 3D printer?
Usually not directly. Most slicers (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) prefer STL or 3MF, so PLY is the wrong direction for printing. PLY to STL is the conversion you want for the printer. STL to PLY is for editing and inspecting the mesh, then exporting back out when you are done.
Is my file actually private?
Yes. The conversion happens in your browser using your own machine's processing, and the STL is never sent anywhere. You can confirm it by turning off your internet connection after the page loads, the converter still works.