Looking for Warhammer 40k alternative miniatures? Here are 50 proven third-party companies to replace GW models with style, from physical kits to STLs. Updated 2026.
Sick of paying premium prices for plastic? You are not alone. If your backlog is bursting and your wallet’s whimpering, it may be time to start looking beyond Games Workshop miniatures.
To keep this list actually useful (and not just “here’s fifty links, good luck”), we leaned on a few simple filters:
- What they sell: full minis, conversion bits, upgrade kits, terrain, or STLs.
- Practical fit: are they clearly aimed at futuristic sci-fi armies and hobby projects that sit nicely next to 40k collections?
- Buying reality: availability, shipping region, and whether you prefer printed resin in hand or files for your printer.
Who this is for: kitbashers, painters, narrative gamers, role-players, and anyone hunting Warhammer 40k alternative miniatures that look cool on the table without taking out a small loan.
Who this is not for: players in strict events that require official kits only, or folks who want one brand to do everything for every faction.
The third-party scene is absolutely stacked with options for Warhammer 40k alternative models and Age of Sigmar-style projects, from bits and upgrade kits to full-blown miniatures, terrain, and more. If you are filling out an army or just hunting something fresh for your next project, these are the alternative miniatures for Warhammer that will have you reaching for your hobby knife.
Best Warhammer 40k 3rd Party Models & Upgrades
Updated on March 6, 2026, by Rob Baer with new Warhammer 40k alternative models and links.
If you are new to third-party hobby shopping, use this list like a menu:
- Want easy wins? Start with bits and upgrades first.
- Have a printer? Look for STL-friendly creators that match your style.
- Want 40k alternative models ready to build? Stick to physical kits and printed resin.
Warhammer 40k Alternative Miniatures By Brand:
Land Raider Upgrades by The Custom Bit
40k Alternative Model Bits & Upgrades (conversion parts, accessories, and “make it yours” kits)
- Best for: Conversion kits and upgrades when you want a signature vehicle or unit that stands out.
- First buy: One upgrade kit for a single tank or transport to test fit and style.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
- Best for: Conversion bits that instantly “this is my army” your squads without rebuilding half your backlog.
- First buy: Shoulder pads, helmets, or icon sets for one unit, then expand into matching bits once you like the fit.
- STL or physical: Sells STL files.
- Best for: Detail upgrades for AT and AI, plus plenty of bits that still work nicely for 40k and Heresy projects.
- First buy: One small upgrade set for a single vehicle or walker before you decide to bling the whole motor pool.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
- Best for: Bits and acrylic game aides that add polish to your army and your table.
- First buy: One practical game aid or accessory you will actually use every game.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
Imperial Knight Upgrades by Taro Modelmaker
- Best for: High-quality resin bits for Knight-style walkers and other mechanical projects.
- First buy: One upgrade set for your biggest model, because that is where it shows the most.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Knight upgrades, especially helmets and weapons that help your big walkers look unique.
- First buy: A helmet set, because it is the fastest “new identity” upgrade you can do.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Alternate kits and parts for Imperial and Chaos Knights, including big statement options.
- First buy: One armor kit or weapon option for a single Knight to test build fit and style.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
Full Minis & Characters (standalone models, squads, and centerpiece sculpts)
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Spikey Bits may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details here: qualifying purchase.
Kroot alternative from Wargame Exclusive
- Best for: Alternate character sculpts and faction-flavored stand-ins across a bunch of sci-fi armies.
- First buy: One hero or showcase model that matches your army theme, then branch into their faction range if you like the scale and style.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures & STLs.
- Best for: Ork-flavored alternate sculpts and characterful minis with a lot of attitude.
- First buy: A character or “signature” model to check scale and style next to your current army.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
Liber Daemonica Dreadnought bits
- Best for: Stylish resin upgrades and full kits when you want your army to look custom, not cookie-cutter.
- First buy: Heads or shoulder upgrades for one unit, then scale up if the look clicks.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Fantasy minis and terrain that kitbash well into grimdark projects.
- First buy: A small kit or terrain piece you can repurpose into bases, scatter, or narrative board flavor.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures & STLs.
- Best for: Futuristic soldiers and bit packs for building your own sci-fi force from the ground up.
- First buy: A head and weapon bundle to remix an existing squad before committing to a whole new range.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures & STLs.
- Best for: Unique sculpts for narrative armies and “where did you get that” models.
- First buy: One character or specialist mini as a style and scale check.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
High-quality miniatures: SpaceNam Plastics from Wargames Atlantic
- Best for: Affordable plastics and big boxes when you need a lot of troops without the premium price tag.
- First buy: One troop box that fits your army concept, then expand once you like the scale.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Great games with minis that also make solid painting and kitbash projects.
- First buy: A starter set or small faction box for the line you like most.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Big, dramatic daemon-style sculpts that make killer centerpieces.
- First buy: One large model you genuinely want to paint, because these are commitment pieces.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Scrappy, characterful alternative minis for fantasy and futuristic games.
- First buy: A character or small squad pack you can paint fast and actually finish.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
Puppets War – Ork Predator (printed or STL)
- Best for: Alternative soldiers and elites with sharp details and clean sci-fi styling.
- First buy: One squad kit or a character model, then add bits to unify the army look.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Highly detailed, dynamic character models with lots of personality.
- First buy: A character or small set that matches your army theme, then branch out if you love the style.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
Victoria Miniatures free mini of the month
- Best for: IG-style troops, heads, and bits for building a regiment with a distinct identity.
- First buy: A head swap pack or one squad, then expand into full units once you love the look.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Chaos-themed minis and demons when you want maximum grim.
- First buy: One daemon or elite model to see if the sculpt style matches your army.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
Artel “W” Miniatures Wolves Chapter Master
- Best for: Premium alternative sculpts that make leaders and elites stand out.
- First buy: A hero model (chapter master style, squad leader, or centerpiece character) since those get noticed first.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
Games With Usable Minis (full game lines that also scratch the sci-fi itch)
Halo Flashpoint Minis from Modiphus
- Best for: Halo fans who want a tabletop game with great-looking minis right out of the gate.
- First buy: Spartan Edition, then decide if it is a game night staple or a pure painting project.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: A fun sci-fi game line with minis that can pull double duty in other systems.
- First buy: A starter box so you can actually play, then add factions if you get hooked.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Star Wars minis with strong table presence and tons of range support.
- First buy: A core set so you get a playable start plus a pile of paint projects.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Sharp futuristic sculpts that make excellent elite units and character stand-ins.
- First buy: A small faction starter or a couple of hero minis to see if you love the style.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Classic Skirmish games like Warmachine, Hordes figures, and everything Iron Kingdoms.
- First Buy: New Warmachine starter set for the updated edition
- STL or physical: STLs & traditional miniatures.
More Bits, Minis, and Hobby Staples (the “you will bookmark this” pile)
- Best for: Muzzle flashes, smoke, and scenic add-ons that make models look like they are mid-action.
- First buy: A weapon effect set for one squad or one vehicle, then match it with basing bits if you want the full scene.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
- Best for: Laser-cut terrain and one-off minis that levels up your board fast.
- First buy: One set that matches your table theme, then add scatter once you know your layouts.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Space Marine-style bits and designs when you want custom armor details.
- First buy: One accessory set for a single unit, then spread the theme across the army.
- STL or physical: 3D prints & STLs.
- Best for: Futuristic bits, monsters, vehicles, and all the extra greebles your models “totally need.”
- First buy: A small bit pack you can use across multiple squads for maximum impact.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Smaller-scale tanks and weapons, plus side projects that scratch the “new system” itch.
- First buy: A vehicle pack or weapons set to test scale and detail.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Conversion heads and hobby tools that make kitbashes look intentional.
- First buy: A head set for your most common infantry squad.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Fantasy minis and busts when you want something different to paint between army projects.
- First buy: A bust or single character model to see if you like the sculpting style.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Full kits, upgrades, decals, and “a little bit of everything” hobby shopping.
- First buy: One upgrade set for the army you actually play most.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
Kromlech Seraphim Knights Primary Conversion Bits
- Best for: Chunky conversion bits and alternate models for just about any setting.
- First buy: A bits pack for your main faction, then a character or squad once you know the scale works.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Alternate minis and upgrades that help your army avoid the “same pose, same gear” look.
- First buy: A weapon or head set you can spread across multiple squads.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Futuristic sci-fi models with a different silhouette than the usual big ranges.
- First buy: One small kit or character as a scale check.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: A huge wall of conversion bits when you want options, not excuses.
- First buy: A mixed bits pack you can use across multiple unit types.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Dark sci-fi STL ranges and conversion bits with a strong, consistent vibe.
- First buy: One squad pack or head set to test the look against your current army.
- STL or physical: STLs.
- Best for: Alternate character minis when you want HQs that do not look like everyone else’s HQs.
- First buy: One character model as a paint project and scale check.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Magnet kits that help you future-proof loadouts when the rules change again.
- First buy: A magnet kit for your most-swapped unit, usually vehicles or big weapons.
- STL or physical: Physical kits and upgrades
- Best for: Bits and upgrades that add detail fast without turning into a month-long conversion saga.
- First buy: A small upgrade set that works across multiple units.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Historical kits and games, plus plenty of bodies and bits for kitbash projects.
- First buy: One infantry box you can convert into sci-fi troops with the right heads and gear.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Characterful minis that shine in narrative play, skirmish games, and RPG tables.
- First buy: A character pack you can use immediately, then add small units if you want a full force.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Heads, gear, and accessories that give standard infantry a fresh look.
- First buy: A sampler pack of heads or kit packs for your most common troop type.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Fantasy minis that kitbash well into sci-fi warbands and narrative forces.
- First buy: One character mini you can convert into a cult leader, underhive boss, or weird inquisitor type.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Soldier minis and variety packs that make great kitbash bodies.
- First buy: A trooper pack you can mix in as specialists, objective crew, or narrative civilians.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Character alternatives and unique sculpts for narrative play.
- First buy: One character model as a scale and detail check.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Classic character minis when you want something different than the standard range poses.
- First buy: One character blister that can double for RPGs or narrative leaders.
- STL or physical: Traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Futuristic tanks and battlefield hardware that can fill roles across a lot of sci-fi armies.
- First buy: One tank kit as a centerpiece “counts as” project, then add variants if it fits your force.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: Historic soldier options that make great bodies for kitbash regiments.
- First buy: One infantry pack to test scale with your preferred heads and weapons.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
- Best for: WWII vehicles and armor that kitbash nicely into sci-fi columns with the right extra bits.
- First buy: One vehicle kit you can “future up” with greebles and faction details.
- STL or physical: 3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures.
Editor Picks & Quick Starting Points
- Taro Modelmaker: If you are messing with Knight-style walkers, the resin upgrade bits are the whole point.
- Deadly Print Studio: want your models to look like they are actually firing? Accessories and effects are their lane.
- Pop Goes the Monkey: If you like printing your own conversion bits, this is an easy first stop.
- Wargames Atlantic: affordable plastics that make great “build a pile of troops” hobby projects.
- Artel “W” Miniatures: for characterful, premium-looking alternative sculpts.
Terrain For Warhammer 40k Alternative Miniatures
If you’re already shopping for alternative minis, terrain is the other half of the hobby table. This section is here to help you finish the look, not replace the model list above. If you don’t care about terrain, just keep scrolling.
Sector 13 from Frontline Gaming
- Frontline Gaming has all kinds of pre-made and pre-painted terrain made for tournaments, saving you a ton of time!
- War Scenery has tons of wild 3D STL sets that can kit out an entire table.
- Tabletop Terrain has tons of full-size kits for specific factions that you can’t really find anywhere else.
- BW Terrain and Forge have a bunch of terrain, bits, and everything you need to enhance your games!
- Squad Marks has a terrain system that fits an entire table of terrain in a single box!
Imperial Terrain from War Scenery
- Snot Goblin – recently released a LEGO-style setup to make games easy and future-proof.
- J15 Games – has perfect terrain and accessories for Warhammer 40k.
- Jucoci – has great pre-painted terrain that saves you tons of time on building and painting, leaving you more time to play!
- Micro Art Studio – sells great terrain for multiple different game systems and environment types from city to hills.
- Imperial Terrain – (3D prints, STLs & traditional miniatures) offers a wide variety of terrain options, from futuristic battle zones and town buildings to overgrown temples and ancient ruins.
- Game Mat EU – (terrain & mats)
Full pre-painted terrain from Juccoci
- Corvus Games Terrain
- 3D Alien Worlds
- Asgard Rising (fantasy terrain)
- Kromlech (HDF and resin terrain)
- Archon Studios
- Tinker Turf – Terrain and display board spice that makes your army photos look better immediately.
Final Thoughts On Warhammer 40k Alternative Miniatures
So, there you have it, our updated list of some of the best independent company 3rd party models that make perfect Warhammer 40k alternative miniatures and the tabletop hobby in general.
If you’ve made it this far, congrats. You now know just how crazy the selection can get. Between resin wizards, STL slingers, and bits barons, the alternate 40k models scene is absolutely stacked.
There’s no shortage of amazing sculpts, creative designs, or wallet-friendly options out there. Because let’s face it, half the fun is watching someone ask, “Wait, where’s that model from?” and knowing you’ve got the coolest army on the table.
Practical takeaway: if you’re not sure where to start, grab one upgrade kit (shoulder pads, heads, weapons, or greebles) and one squad-scale purchase (printed or plastic). That combo gives you a fast win without committing to a whole new range on day one.
đź”— Related Reads: Third-party Warhammer 40k Alternative Miniatures by Faction
- Third-party Alternative Necron Miniatures (if you want robot-flavored swaps and bits)
- Best Imperial Guard Alternatives (for infantry-heavy hobby projects)
- The Best Leagues of Votann Alternatives to Games Workshop (if you are building stout sci-fi forces)
- Third-Party Imperial & Chaos Knights Alternatives (conversion parts and big walker energy)
- Best Alternative Miniatures & Companies to Forge World (for the “resin, but make it spicy” crowd)
What do you think about these models and miniatures that are a great alternative to Games Workshop and Warhammer systems, like 40k or Age of Sigmar? Do you have a “go-to”?
