[3D] Preview vs 3D & STL Model Viewer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
[3D] Preview
View and interact with 3D models and animations on your iPhone and iPad. Supports various file formats and offers advanced debugging tools for troubleshooting scenes. Enjoy smooth performance with HDR and Metal 2 optimization.
- Display complex 3D objects and scenes
- High frame rate viewing (up to 120 FPS)
- Free-moving camera with touch controls
- Scene graph visualization
- Debug settings for troubleshooting
- HDR and wide color display support
- Metal Shading Language support
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Display 3D objects, scenes, and animations on your iPhone and iPad. The document-based user interface for opening documents is beautiful and easy to use. You can access files that are stored locally, on iCloud Drive, and other cloud storage services. Key features: • Display simple or complex 3D objects and scenes on your iOS device • View your content with up to 120 FPS on devices with ProMotion display (otherwise in 60 FPS) • Choose your point of view by using the free moving camera with touch controls • Display the scene graph of your scene to see what objects are present (grouped by their categories and parent-child relationships) • Choose from various debug settings to help trouble shoot your scene (e.g., display wireframes, bones, cameras) • Color accurate presentation of your content with support of HDR on devices with wide color displays • Support for vertex and fragment shaders written in the Metal Shading Language • Extremely fast as the app is based on Metal 2 and uses heavily multi-threading for various tasks • Native iOS app, which is entirely written in Swift 5 Supported document types: • SceneKit (.scn) • Alembic (.abc) • Universal Scene Description (.usd, .usda, .usdc) • Universal Scene Description Mobile (.usdz) • Polygon (.ply) • Wavefront Object (.obj) • Standard Tessellation Language (.stl)
3D & STL Model Viewer
Easily view, inspect, and explore 3D models on your device. Supports common file formats and offers intuitive touch controls for rotation, panning, and zooming. Visualize models in AR and capture snapshots for sharing.
- Import 3D files (STL, GLB, OBJ, USDZ, etc.)
- Intuitive touch controls for rotation, pan, zoom
- Mesh-based preview and rendering
- Wireframe mode and background customization
- Local model library
- Snapshot export
- AR View integration
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Open and inspect STL, STEP, 3MF, OBJ and other 3D files right on your iPhone and iPad. Mes3D is a fast 3D model viewer. Rotate, zoom, look inside with a section view, check dimensions and try edits for free. Mes3D Pro adds measuring, AR, full print analysis and export. OPEN 3D FILES - STL, STEP, STP, 3MF, OBJ, glTF, GLB, USDZ, USD, USDA, USDC, PLY, OFF, AMF, 3DS, DAE, 3DM, ABC and ZIP - Open files from the Files app, cloud storage or other apps with Share / Open in - Select an OBJ with its material and texture files, or open them as one ZIP, to keep colors and textures - On iPad, drag and drop files into the app VIEW AND NAVIGATE - Rotate, pan and zoom with simple gestures - One-tap front, back, left, right, top and bottom views - Perspective or orthographic projection, wireframe and auto-rotate - Original colors and textures, or preset model and background colors DIMENSIONS AND UNITS - Width, height and depth at a glance - mm, cm, m or inches; set the file's units and get a hint when a file looks like it was saved in inches SECTION VIEW - Slide a cutting plane along X, Y or Z to see inside the model, and flip it to view the other side EDIT TOOLS - Resize to exact dimensions, rotate in 90° steps and cut with a plane, with the option to fill the cut surface - Undo, redo or revert to the original - Edits are free to try; exporting or saving the edited model requires Pro MODEL ANALYSIS - Volume, surface area, triangle count and a quick print-readiness check - With Pro: estimated print weight (PLA, PETG, ABS, resin), wall thickness, overhang area, detailed checks for open edges, non-manifold edges, flipped normals and degenerate triangles, and color overlays that highlight issues on the model LIBRARY - Models you open are saved to your library with thumbnails - Organize them into collections and sub-collections PREVIEWS IN THE FILES APP - See thumbnails of STL, 3MF, OBJ, PLY, OFF, glTF and GLB files in the Files app and preview them without opening Mes3D SNAPSHOTS - Save images of your model to Photos, copy or share them. Free snapshots include a Mes3D watermark. MES3D PRO - Point-to-point distance and angle measurement - View models in AR at real-world scale on supported devices - Full model analysis: weight, wall thickness, detailed printability checks and overlays - Export edited models as STL, 3MF or OBJ, or save a copy to your library - Unlimited library. The free version keeps up to 3 of your own models; the included sample models don't count. - Custom model and background colors - Watermark-free snapshots You can try every Pro tool on the included sample models before you decide. Mes3D Pro is available as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Available plans, prices and any free trial are shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; renewal is charged within the 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. PRIVACY Your 3D files are opened and processed on your device. Mes3D does not upload your models. The app collects app usage and diagnostic data to improve Mes3D, as described in the Privacy Policy. GOOD TO KNOW - Mes3D displays models as meshes. Animations, advanced materials and complex scene hierarchies may not appear in full for every format. - Measurements and analysis depend on the units and quality of the source file. Print weight is an estimate that assumes 100% infill. - Available in 35 languages, with a language setting inside the app. Terms of Use: https://www.notion.so/Mes3d-Terms-of-Use-33f686c61ac4802e8635e101e12ef136 Privacy Policy: https://www.notion.so/Mes3d-Privacy-Policy-33f686c61ac480a4ac4edf69c42488d9
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: 3D & STL Model Viewer at 50% against [3D] Preview's 0%. 3D & STL Model Viewer also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (4.7 vs 3.0). [3D] Preview's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
3D & STL Model Viewer is free to download; [3D] Preview costs $4.99 up front. 3D & STL Model Viewer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. [3D] Preview asks for nothing beyond the download.
3D & STL Model Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D & STL Model Viewer has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of [3D] Preview's written reviews are positive against 50% of 3D & STL Model Viewer's.
[3D] Preview ships an update every 6 weeks, 3D & STL Model Viewer weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | [3D] Preview | 3D & STL Model Viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.7 (22 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 22 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #96 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | designmatic | ONNEX YAZILIM ANONIM SIRKETI |
Customer experience
[3D] Preview
3D & STL Model Viewer
In-app purchases
[3D] Preview
No in-app purchases
3D & STL Model Viewer
- Mes3D Weekly PRO$4.997 Days
- Mes3D PRO Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
- Mes3D Weekly PRO Subscription3 Days trial$6.997 Days
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- Mes3D Monthly PRO Subscription$9.991 Month
- Mes3D PRO Annual Subscription$14.991 Year
- Mes3D Annual PRO High$29.991 Year
- Lifetime Pro Mes3D$29.99
- Mes3D Lifetime Premium$49.99
Questions
Is [3D] Preview free?
Is 3D & STL Model Viewer free?
Which has better reviews, [3D] Preview or 3D & STL Model Viewer?
Do [3D] Preview or 3D & STL Model Viewer have ads?
Which is updated more often, [3D] Preview or 3D & STL Model Viewer?
Other comparisons
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