Independent LAN versus Handy. When free Bambu software is enough. No shop coupon on this page.
Updated: 2026-08-22
These are not twins.
Bambu Farm Manager is Bambu Lab's own Windows Server + Client. Printers live on your LAN. The software is free. Official blog (3 Jul 2025): current features stay free. Enough if the farm is all-Bambu, you are on site, and you will pick a printer and click Start.
SimplyPrint is a farm OS you pay for: shared queue, browser slicers, AI failure detection, mixed brands, phone app. Use it when Farm Manager's ceiling is the job.
We are not painting a winner. The cards below are equal.
Who it's for
An all-Bambu room that wants jobs and status on the LAN, with no per-printer fee.
Who it's not for
Anyone who needs Bambu Handy on those machines, a browser, a phone, a mixed fleet, or an Etsy importer.
Price (USD, Bambu, 22 Aug 2026)
Free to download and use. No sourced per-printer fee. You supply a Windows 10+ x86_64 PC on the LAN.
The useful part
Made by Bambu. Local commands and files. Staggered power-on. Batch firmware. Wiki: Server on the LAN, Client on the LAN.
The gap
Bambu wiki FAQ — once a printer is on Farm Manager it does not talk to Bambu Cloud, so Handy cannot control it. Wiki setup: unbind from Handy first, and set the printer's own LAN-only toggle OFF. Farm Manager is its own LAN path. Windows only today. macOS/Linux are on their roadmap, not a ship date we will print.
Who it's for
A farm that needs the queue, a phone, AI, or a second brand next to the Bambu rack.
Who it's not for
A one-site Bambu-only shop that is happy to lose Handy and click Start.
Price (USD, vendor page, 22 Aug 2026)
Free: $0. Basic: $5.99. Pro: $9.99 (+$4 extra printer). Print Farm: $39.99. Enterprise: $299. Yearly: unknown.
The useful part
Browser. iOS and Android. Mixed brands. AutoPrint. AI failure detection. Client can run on a Pi or PC you already own.
The gap
Cloud farm OS. Not air-gapped the way Farm Manager is. No built-in Etsy importer (their farm docs). SimplyPrint's own comparison page is sales copy. We use it for their prices and feature list, not as a lab test.
| Feature | Bambu Farm Manager | SimplyPrint |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your LAN. Windows Server + Client. | Cloud. Client or native connection on the printer side. |
| Handy | Official FAQ: not at the same time. Printers leave Bambu Cloud. | Handy is not the product. You use SimplyPrint's app. |
| Remote | No native off-site. You bring your own VPN if you need it. | Remote is the product. |
| Brands | Bambu only | 140+ brands |
| Feature | Bambu Farm Manager | SimplyPrint |
|---|---|---|
| Queue | Yes. You pick and Start. | Yes. 1-Click and AutoPrint. |
| Lights-out | Not the product. | AutoPrint, with a bed-clear method you provide. |
| AI failure | No | Yes |
| Cloud slicer | No | Yes |
| Etsy / Shopify | No | No importer. API / n8n if you build it. |
| Staggered power | Yes | Yes, Print Farm and up |
All-Bambu. One building. You already slice. You will stand there and click Start. You accept that those printers drop Handy.
A second brand. A phone. Shop orders. Lights-out. AI. Off-site.
Stay on LAN and stay free: Bambu Farm Manager, and give up Handy. Pay for a farm OS: SimplyPrint, at the prices above.
Free
Free to $299
From vendor pages, Aug 2026. Not a live bill.