Raspberry Pi Cases: 10 Best 3D Printable Designs

One of the first things most makers print after getting a 3D printer is a Raspberry Pi case. It makes sense, the Pi is a bare circuit board that needs protection, and 3D printing lets you create exactly the enclosure you need for your specific project. No compromises, no settling for whatever Amazon has in stock.

I've printed dozens of Pi cases over the years, and these 10 designs stand out as the best combination of functionality, print quality, and clever design. All are freely available on Printables or Thingiverse.

Before You Print: Material and Settings

The 10 Best Designs

1. Argon ONE-Style Active Cooling Case

This design mimics the popular Argon ONE commercial case, full aluminum-style look with an integrated 30 mm fan duct that channels air directly over the CPU. Print it in silver or gray PETG for the aluminum aesthetic. The snap-fit lid makes the Pi accessible without screws, and GPIO pins are routed to a top-mounted header.

Best for: Desktop servers, media centers, always-on Pi setups that need sustained cooling.

2. The Minimal Snap Case

Sometimes you just need the simplest possible protection. This two-piece snap-fit case is literally two flat pieces that click together around the Pi. No screws, no supports needed, prints flat in 25 minutes. I keep a stack of these on hand for every new Pi project's prototyping phase.

Best for: Quick projects, prototyping, when you need a case right now.

3. NAS Tower Enclosure (4-Bay)

This is the showpiece of functional Pi case design. A four-bay hard drive enclosure that fits four 2.5" SATA drives connected via USB 3.0 adapters, with the Pi 5 mounted in the base. Each bay has individual airflow channels and the whole tower is held together with M3 heat-set inserts. Print it in PETG for the heat resistance near spinning drives.

Best for: Home NAS builds, media servers, backup storage solutions.

4. Retro Console Shell (SNES Style)

A miniature SNES-shaped enclosure for RetroPie builds. The cartridge slot is a functional SD card access port, and the power/reset buttons actuate through printed linkages to the Pi's GPIO pins. Print in gray and purple PLA for authentic colors.

Best for: Retro gaming setups, display pieces, gifts for gaming enthusiasts.

5. DIN Rail Mount Case

If you're using a Pi for home automation (Home Assistant, Node-RED, MQTT broker), this DIN rail mount case lets you install it right in your electrical panel or server rack. Standard 35 mm DIN rail clip, ventilation slots on all sides, and a removable cover for GPIO access.

Best for: Home automation, industrial IoT, server closet installations.

6. 1U Rack Mount (Dual Pi)

A standard 19" 1U rack mount that holds two Raspberry Pi units side by side with individual 40 mm fans. Network ports face the rear, power and SD slots face the front. Uses M3 hardware throughout. Print in black PETG for that professional datacenter look.

Best for: Homelab setups, Kubernetes clusters, network monitoring stations.

7. Camera Module Enclosure

A compact case designed around the Pi Camera Module v3 with an adjustable tilt mechanism printed in one piece (print-in-place hinge). The camera lens sits behind a press-fit acrylic window, and the whole unit mounts on a standard tripod thread. Includes cable management for the ribbon cable.

Best for: Security cameras, timelapse rigs, machine vision projects, print monitoring setups.

8. Portable Battery Pack Case

This case integrates the Pi with a standard 18650 battery holder and charge controller for a fully portable, self-contained Pi unit. Room for a 3.5" touchscreen on top. The whole assembly is about the size of a deck of cards. Two 18650 cells give roughly 4-6 hours of runtime.

Best for: Mobile projects, field data collection, portable retro gaming.

9. Desktop Tower (Mini PC Aesthetic)

A vertical tower case that makes the Pi look like a miniature desktop PC. Features a mesh front panel with a 40 mm fan, rear I/O cutouts for all ports, and an internal mounting bracket for an M.2 NVMe SSD via USB adapter. Print it in two colors for a professional look, black body with white accent panels.

Best for: Desktop replacement Pi setups, home offices, living room PCs.

10. Cluster Stack (Stackable)

Modular interlocking plates that let you stack multiple Pi units vertically with 40 mm spacing between each board. Each layer has its own fan mount and the design supports 2-8 Pi units. M2.5 standoffs hold the boards, and the interlocking mechanism is tool-free, just press down and twist to lock.

Best for: Pi clusters, parallel computing projects, educational setups.

Printing Tips for the Best Results

• Orientation matters. Print cases with the opening facing up. This puts the best surface finish on the visible exterior.
• Use PETG for functional cases. If your Pi runs hot (media transcoding, NAS), PLA can warp near the CPU. PETG's 80°C glass transition gives you safety margin.
• Heat-set inserts over self-tapping screws. M2.5 brass inserts give you reliable, reusable threads in printed cases. A soldering iron tip sets them in seconds. Our functional prints guide covers the technique.
• Test fit before final printing. Print just the bottom 5 mm first to verify mounting hole alignment. A quick test saves hours of reprinting.