3D Modeling, Design vs Shapely 3D
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
3D Modeling, Design
This app offers intuitive 3D modeling tools for creating detailed models on mobile devices. It's suitable for beginners, kids, and professionals, with features for game development and 3D printing. Export your designs for use in popular game engines or to bring them to life with a 3D printer.
- Intuitive 3D modeling tools
- Sculpting capabilities
- 3D model export (OBJ, STL)
- Game development asset creation
- 3D printing model preparation
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Model library for printing
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Try the subscription-based 3D modeling app Shapeyard! Whether it’s 3D modeling on iPhone or 3D modeling for iPad – Shapeyard lets you create detailed 3D models using easy and intuitive tools that simplify 3D modeling for beginners and even make it accessible for kids. Shapeyard’s 3D modeling tools are perfect for 3D modeling for games. If you’re wondering how to make a game, start modeling with Shapeyard and export 3D models into Roblox Studio, Unity, and Unreal Engine through the OBJ or STL formats. Elevate your 3D printing endeavors with Shapeyard, the premier mobile iOS app designed to bring your creations to life. Seamlessly create intricate 3D models for 3D printing using our intuitive tools. Unleash your imagination and explore a world of possibilities as you discover an array of 3D models that you can readily download and print in 3D. Shapeyard empowers both beginners and experts to craft the best 3D prints, providing a platform to turn 3D printing models into tangible reality. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just embarking on your 3D printing journey, Shapeyard offers an extensive selection of 3D printing ideas and files, catering to your every need. With Shapeyard, the world of 3D printing is at your fingertips – explore, create, and print with unparalleled ease. Easily create and 3D print your models. Shapeyard allows you to export your creations into slicers and seamlessly transition to 3D printing for tangible results with unparalleled ease. Terms of Use: https://www.shapeyard.org/info/terms_of_use Privacy Policy: https://www.shapeyard.org/info/privacy_policy
Shapely 3D
Create and sculpt 3D models directly on your iPad. Build scenes from primitives, refine them with intuitive tools, and export your creations for printing or digital use. Unlock advanced features with a Pro upgrade.
- Sketch and sculpt 3D models
- Build scenes from primitives
- On-screen gizmo for manipulation
- Configurable grid and measurement tools
- Export USDZ for AR and Quick Look
- Advanced Pro features (CSG, STL export, smoothing)
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Shapely 3D is a fast, native 3D modeling app built for iPad — sketch, sculpt, and export real 3D models with just your finger or Apple Pencil. Build scenes from simple primitives, then move, rotate, and scale them with an on-screen gizmo. Snap to a configurable grid, measure distances as you work, and use the orientation cube to jump straight to any view. Shapely 3D saves your work as a native document you can open again anytime, right where you left off. Before you print, tap View in Room to see the model on your desk at its actual size, through the camera, or export a USDZ for Quick Look and any USD tool. Apple Pencil Pro's squeeze switches sketch modes mid-drawing and hover shows where the next shape will land. Every project is in Spotlight, Siri and Shortcuts. Shapely 3D Pro unlocks: • CSG boolean operations — union, subtract, and intersect shapes to build more complex forms • STL export — send your models straight to a 3D printer or another CAD tool • Sketch & Extrude — draw a 2D profile and pull it into a solid • Smoothing — round any object with adjustable, non-destructive subdivision • Cut tool — slice objects apart along a face or a drawn line • Edit Faces — move, extrude, and reshape the individual faces of any object, and give any face a color of its own • Repair — find the holes, stray faces, and inside-out faces a slicer would trip on, see them in red, and fix them before you export Whether you're prototyping a part, teaching geometry, or just enjoy building things in 3D, Shapely 3D keeps the fundamentals simple and gets out of your way.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shapely 3D at 100% against 3D Modeling, Design's 35%. Shapely 3D also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). 3D Modeling, Design's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. 3D Modeling, Design sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Shapely 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
3D Modeling, Design holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Modeling, Design has 5.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of 3D Modeling, Design's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shapely 3D's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
3D Modeling, Design ships an update every 10 days, Shapely 3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 3D Modeling, Design | Shapely 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (5.7K ratings) — better | 2.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 34.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.7K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 115 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Magic Unicorn Inc. | Fabrizio Brancati |
Customer experience
3D Modeling, Design
Shapely 3D
Bugs and requests
3D Modeling, Design
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when trying to create models
- Inability to save progress
- Unreliable face tracking and scanning
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to customize avatars
- Improve sculpting and modeling tools
- Integrate with other 3D platforms
- Provide more free content and features
- Improve stability and reduce bugs
Shapely 3D
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
3D Modeling, Design
- Pro Version$2.997 Days
- Pro Version7 Days trial$5.997 Days
- Pro Version3 Days trial$5.997 Days
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- Pro Version$5.997 Days
- Pro Version3 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Pro Version2 variants$14.991 Month
- Pro Version$29.991 Year
- Pro Version3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Pro Version$49.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$99.99
Shapely 3D
- Shapely 3D Pro$4.99
Questions
Is 3D Modeling, Design free?
Is Shapely 3D free?
Which has better reviews, 3D Modeling, Design or Shapely 3D?
Do 3D Modeling, Design or Shapely 3D have ads?
Which is updated more often, 3D Modeling, Design or Shapely 3D?
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