Here’s why everyone is mad at Bambu Lab (again)

Published May 15, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. Bambu Lab is the biggest name in 3D printing right now. Not content with making the hobby accessible to a more casual audience, the company frequently flirts with controversy and finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons. A recent decision to pursue legal threats has sparked backlash online, particularly among open-source advocates. Here’s what it’s all about. Understanding the context To understand why Bambu Lab is drawing the ire of so many, a bit of context is necessary. The latest controversy concerns a fork of an open-source tool called OrcaSlicer. This slicer is an application that prepares and sends models to a 3D printer. In open-source parlance, “forking” is the term used to signal that the code from one project has been adopted and used to create something new. In the beginning, there was Slic3r, which was forked and used to create PrusaSlicer. Bambu Lab then forked PrusaSlicer and used it to create Bambu Studio, its in-house slicer. From here, OrcaSlicer was created as a fork of Bambu Studio. Last year, Bambu Lab made changes to its printer firmware, which limited access to its cloud services. The update required users to use Bambu Studio alone in order to take advantage of the company’s cloud services. At the same time, the company left an offline workaround in the form of Developer Mode, which communicates locally with printers like OrcaSlicer. Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek Bambu Lab now requires that third-party slicers like OrcaSlicer that want to retain cloud functionality can do so by implementing the Bambu Network Plug-in, which has since been added to OrcaSlicer as an optional extra you can install when you first run the app. Since OrcaSlicer is also open-source, it too can be forked into new projects. One of these projects is OrcaSlicer-bambulab, which describes itself as “OrcaSlicer with restored BambuNetwork support for Bambu Lab printers, with full internet access and printing just like before.” This fork didn’t use the Bambu Lab Network Plug-in to do this, which drew the attention of what is arguably the world’s largest and most controlling 3D printer manufacturer. Legal threats and the AGPL Bambu Lab issued legal threats against the project author, Paweł Jarczak. Bambu Lab accused him of impersonating Bambu Studio, bypassing technical limitations, injecting falsified metadata, creating infrastructure problems comparable to service overload, and violating the Terms of Use. With no intention of getting into a legal dispute, Paweł took down the project. The company has published a lengthy blog post outlining why it took these actions, claiming that “a license for code is not a pass to our cloud infrastructure.” The post goes on to tell its users that “the very features that define your Bambu experience” are threatened by a fork like this that “creates structural vulnerability.” Despite taking down the project, Paweł challenges Bambu Lab’s claims. He notes that the technique he used relies on code that is directly present in Bambu Studio's open-source code. The aforementioned slicer projects are all released under the GNU Affero General Public License, or AGPL. This is a “copyleft” license designed for software that is used to provide service over a network. The term “copyleft” simply means that any forks or derivatives must also be released under the same license. Bambu Lab is skirting the AGPL’s terms, keeping its optional network plugin separate from code distributed under the AGPL. Paweł claims that his workaround only uses code that the company itself released. The fallout so far The latest move has reignited debate about whether or not Bambu Lab’s network plugin falls under the AGPL, with many commenters noting that the AGPL should indeed include additional modifications like the plugin. Bambu Lab has shown no sign of backing down. This has had something of a Streisand Effect, signal-boosting the drama and leading many to weigh in. The r/BambuLab and r/3Dprinting subreddits have been awash with hot takes, memes, and debates for weeks. Open-source software advocate and author Jeff Geerling declared that he will never buy another Bambu Printer again and that Bambu Lab is abusing the open-source social contract. Louis Rossmann, who is perhaps best known for his YouTube channel dedicated to consumer rights, has issued an open-threat to Bambu Lab by reposting the code that kicked this all off. The drama has even spilled over into other spaces, with YouTube channels like Gamers Nexus weighing in and pledging an alliance to Prusa for future purchase. What does this mean for Bambu Lab printer owners? If you’re somebody who uses Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer with the Bambu Lab Network Plug-in, nothing changes. Bambu Lab hasn’t announced any shake-ups, and only a single fork has so far been targeted. How you feel about how Bambu Lab has acted, and its approach to open-source licenses like the AGPL is another matter entirely. Bambu Lab P2S Build Volume 256x256x256mm Printing Speed 600mm/s The Bambu Labs P2S 3D printer is ready to go out of the box and can have you printing within 15 minutes. It features up to 20-color printing with the AMS unit, has an upgraded built-in camera for remote monitoring and time lapses, and has an enclosed body for printing even high-temperature filament. Prusa CORE One+ Available in a kit or preassembled, the CORE One+ is a fully enclosed CoreXY 3D printer with active temperature control designed for top print quality and speed. Easy to set up and made to last, this rugged machine is perfect for beginners and professionals alike. The latest drama comes not a month after the last time Bambu Lab was in the news for launching the surprisingly affordable X2D dual-nozzle printer.