CHITUBOX Dental vs PreForm
Verdict. PreForm leads on the overall Data Index (8.4 vs 6.8). On the 4 axes where both have evidence, CHITUBOX Dental wins 0, PreForm wins 2 and 2 are tied. Clearest gaps: features (PreForm 10.0 vs 7.8) and vendor stability (PreForm 8.0 vs 6.0).
Table view
| Axis | CHITUBOX Dental | PreForm |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 7.8 | 10.0 |
| Integrations | no data | no data |
| Pricing clarity | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Support | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Vendor stability | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| User rating | no data | 9.6 |
Axis by axis
- Features 7.8 vs 10.0 PreForm
- Integrations – vs – no data
- Pricing clarity 10.0 vs 10.0 tie
- Support 4.0 vs 4.0 tie
- Vendor stability 6.0 vs 8.0 PreForm
- User rating – vs 9.6 no data
CHITUBOX Dental or PreForm: which should you choose?
The choice is decided by your printer. PreForm is free, but it works only with Formlabs printers such as the Form 4B and Form 4BL. If you own one, use PreForm: it has dental presets, automatic orientation and supports, and Dashboard for managing several printers remotely.
CHITUBOX Dental is for open resin printers. It supports more than 160 models with dental profiles, automates orientation, hollowing, drilling and nesting of models, and costs $229 a year, $24.99 a month or $499 for three years per computer, with a 30-day trial. If you print models only occasionally, the free CHITUBOX Basic may be enough.
For devices that go in the mouth, either way, use a resin whose manufacturer validates it on your printer with stated settings.
Reviewed under the standards of our Editorial Board
What our reviews say
CHITUBOX Dental
A dental-focused slicer that automates orientation, hollowing, drilling and nesting for 160+ resin printers, from $229 a year. Worth it over free CHITUBOX Basic if you print models every day.
Strengths- Published price: $229 a year, $24.99 a month or $499 for three years
- 30-day free trial
- Automatic orientation, hollowing, batch drilling and compact nesting
- One computer per licence
- Auto-renewing subscription
- No public user reviews on the major directories
PreForm
Formlabs' free print-preparation software: automatic orientation, supports and layout with dental presets, plus remote fleet management through Dashboard. Excellent, but only for Formlabs printers.
Strengths- Free to download and use
- Automatic layout, orientation and supports
- Dental presets and custom presets by material, layer height and supports
- Works only with Formlabs printers
- Open Material Mode shifts validation of intraoral devices to you and the resin maker
- Few public reviews: 11 on G2
Side by side
| CHITUBOX Dental | PreForm | |
|---|---|---|
| Data Index | 6.8 | 8.4 |
| Category rank | #3 of 9 · Dental slicers | #1 of 9 · Dental slicers |
| User rating | — | 4.8 / 5 |
| Review count | — | 11 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | — |
| Pricing transparency | Full public pricing | Full public pricing |
| License | Subscription | Free |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop |
| HIPAA claim | — | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| In market since | 2024 | — |
| Company size | 201–500 | 750+ |
| Data completeness | 72% | 89% |
Features
2 of 9 tracked capabilities differ. Only PreForm: open resins and denture base.
| Capability | CHITUBOX Dental | PreForm |
|---|---|---|
| Open resins | ? | ✓ |
| Auto supports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto orientation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hollowing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Model preset | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splint preset | ✓ | ✓ |
| Denture base | ✕ | ✓ |
| Surgical guide | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aligner model | ✓ | ✓ |
Choose CHITUBOX Dental if…
- Practices and labs printing aligner and study models in volume
- Owners of open resin printers without a good dental slicer
- Teams new to printing who want one-click preparation
Choose PreForm if…
- Practices and labs that own Form 4B, Form 4BL or Form Auto
- Teams that want one-click setup for models, guides, dentures, crowns and temporaries
- Labs managing several Formlabs printers remotely
- you need open resins
- you need denture base
FAQ
Is CHITUBOX Dental better than PreForm?
PreForm leads on the overall Data Index (8.4 vs 6.8). On the 4 axes where both have evidence, CHITUBOX Dental wins 0, PreForm wins 2 and 2 are tied. Clearest gaps: features (PreForm 10.0 vs 7.8) and vendor stability (PreForm 8.0 vs 6.0).