# Sketch 3D vs Charcoal Studio

The clearest difference is update cadence: Charcoal Studio at every 3 days against Sketch 3D's every 3 months. Sketch 3D's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketch 3D sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Charcoal Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sketch 3D ships an update every 3 months, Charcoal Studio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketch 3D | Charcoal Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.9 (443 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-3d/id1029907300/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **443** | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 187 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Ng](https://appshunter.io/developer/720041134) | [Digital Hole Pvt. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/917701060) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketch 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-3d/id1029907300)

Create and animate 3D models with intuitive touch controls. Import various file formats, apply video textures, and capture animations. Share your creations with a community of designers.

**Highlights:** Design 3D models with touch, Apply video as model texture, Create 3D model animations, Import various 3D file formats, Capture movie from 3D scenes, Use True Depth Camera for face models, Share designs with community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Keyframe Editing | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Video Capturing | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Powerful 3D modeling and animation capabilities
- 🚀 Impressive features for a free app
- 👍 Potential to be a leading 3D modeling tool on iPad

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Extremely confusing and difficult to use interface
- 🤔 Lack of tutorials and instructions
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 👎 Steep learning curve for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to load or save projects
- Texture and color issues when importing models
- Unresponsive controls and buttons

**Requested features**

- In-app tutorials and video guides
- Improved user interface and controls
- Support for importing custom 3D models
- Ability to save and load projects reliably


### Charcoal Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal-studio/id6821034945)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketch 3D free?

Sketch 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Charcoal Studio free?

Charcoal Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Sketch 3D or Charcoal Studio have ads?

Neither Sketch 3D nor Charcoal Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sketch 3D or Charcoal Studio?

Sketch 3D ships an update every 3 months, and Charcoal Studio every 3 days. Most recently, Sketch 3D was updated on November 1, 2026 and Charcoal Studio on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*