What Is the Gridfinity Storage System?

Gridfinity is a modular, open-source grid storage system for workshops and drawers, built around a base unit of 42 × 42 × 7 mm. You print bins, baseplates, and accessories that all share that grid, so anything you make fits with anything else. It's free, community-maintained under the MIT license, and almost entirely 3D printable — which is why it's become a common way to organize tool drawers and workbenches.

The core idea: one grid unit

The entire system is defined by a single measurement: 42 × 42 × 7 mm. As the wiki puts it, "the best things in life are integer multiples of 42x42x7mm."

That means:

• A 1×1 bin occupies one grid cell.
• A 2×3 bin occupies two cells one way and three the other.
• Baseplates are sized in the same multiples, so bins drop into place without measuring anything.

Because everything is an integer multiple of the same unit, you can rearrange, expand, or mix components from different designers and they still interlock. The 7 mm height is the base profile that lets bins stack and seat into baseplates.

Why people use it

The wiki frames Gridfinity as a way to "keep you productive, organized, and safe" in a workshop. In practice, that translates to a few concrete benefits:

• Consistency — every bin, holder, and plate follows one standard, so a drawer layout stays coherent as it grows.
• Customization — you generate exactly the bin sizes and tool holders you need instead of buying fixed organizers.
• Repairability and expansion — if a part breaks or your needs change, you print a replacement or an addition.
• Low cost of entry — the designs are free and open source, and the parts are printable on a typical FDM printer.

How to get started

You don't need CAD experience to begin. The wiki points to several online generators that produce ready-to-print files:

A practical starting sequence:

1. Plan the drawer with a layout tool so you know how many grid cells you have.
2. Generate a baseplate sized to that footprint.
3. Generate bins for the items you're storing, or use a photo-tracing tool for odd-shaped tools.
4. Print and test-fit — start with one baseplate and a couple of bins before committing to a full drawer.

If you'd rather write code

The system is open enough that developers generate components programmatically. The wiki lists libraries across several CAD frameworks:

• Build123d — PaulBone/gfthings, Ruudjhuu/gridfinity_build123d, moritzmhmk/gridfinity-build123d
• CadQuery — kmeisthax/gridfinity-cadquery, michaelgale/cq-gridfinity
• OpenSCAD — vector76/gridfinity_openscad, ostat/gridfinity_extended_openscad, kennetek/gridfinity-rebuilt-openscad

These let you produce parameterized baseplates and boxes, or reproduce the original bins with added features.

Where it came from

Gridfinity was created by Zack Freedman and first released in the video "Gridfinity: Your Ultimate Modular Workshop is FREE!" as a framework for the community to extend, under the MIT license. It was partly inspired by Alexandre Chappel's Assortment System (licensed CC-BY-NC-SA). Today it's maintained and adapted by a large community, which is why so many generators and code libraries exist.

What to check before you commit

• Printer size — baseplates are printed in sections, so confirm your bed can fit the plate sizes you plan to use.
• Tolerance — printed parts need a well-calibrated printer to seat cleanly; expect to tune your first prints.
• License terms — the core system is MIT, but some inspired or derivative works carry different licenses (for example, CC-BY-NC-SA), so check before redistributing.
• Storage type — Gridfinity is designed for drawers and flat surfaces; it isn't a wall-mount or shelving system on its own.