Shapeways is similar to other print on demand services. The designer uploads a file. The designer determines what materials they want to offer it in. Shapeways provides a base cost for each material. The designer can then provide a markup on the item per material.
Say a part is 20 base price. I as a designer will add 5 dollars (this is up to each designer but if there is a large community of designers making items we all keep in the same ball park).
The product is put in the cart shapeways will add a processing fee depending on what turn around you choose
Shapeways will add shipping and taxes/vat depending on what the customer chooses
Once the product is printed and shipped shapeways pays the markup to the designer and takes a markup fee of around 3-4%
FOr the digital download 19.99. I was in the pilot group and I dropped. 19.99 was a blanket price and lookingat sites like cults, thangs, my mini factory you might get items for 2.50. Another issue is the digital file is what the designer gave shapeways to print. home users will have a different technology with FDM or Resin. I got too many people contacting that they couldnt print. Well its a sprue with multiple items. This was another reason I took my top sellers and made unsupported stls so the customer could print it according to your needs.
For customers, Shapeways pricing has always been high. I always said it was a issue on customer versus speed. In the gaming world. people still do resing casts. but they have long turn arounds. Versuss d printing can be shipped out in a week. If you have an issue with a print shapeways will reprint it.
I have been doing this since 2019 there are others who have been around double that. In the beginning Shapeways was the main game in town.
The big difference is as I mentioned above is consistency the same people are making your product same material same machines. Another pro is there marketplace the other solutions out there either dont have a marketplace or they have a marketplace but its made up of yoda headed buddhas (yes I know thats an exaggeration) and are not as prolific as shapeways across many product categories.