# Shade vs Forma3D

The clearest difference is price: Forma3D at Free against Shade's $19.99. Forma3D also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Shade's advantage is ratings volume (126 vs 6) and chart position (#172 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Forma3D is free to download; Shade costs $19.99 up front. Shade sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Forma3D sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Forma3D holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shade has 126 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Shade's written reviews are positive against 100% of Forma3D's.

Shade ships an update every 6 weeks, Forma3D every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shade | Forma3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shade/id1402522815/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma3d-3d-modeling-and-print/id6762095429/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **126** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#172** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Two Lives Left](https://appshunter.io/developer/335953314) | [Denis Vazyulya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892873021) |

## What reviewers say

### Shade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shade/id1402522815)

**Currently charting:** #172 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Design complex visual effects with a node-based shader editor. Create and render real-time shader graphs with intuitive controls and extensive node options. Export your creations for use in game development and other applications.

**Highlights:** Node-based shader graph creation, Real-time rendering preview, Connection stacking and automatic swizzling, Over 100 shader nodes, Drag-and-drop image import, AR previews including Face AR, Export to Unity 3D and Codea

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Shade Pro | Free | one-time |
| Shade Pro Upgrade | Free | one-time |
| Shade Standard | $15.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Amazing app for shaders
- 💡 Commendable bringing shaders to iPad
- 👍 Intuitive and useful
- 🚀 Great for sketching shaders on the go
- 🌟 High quality visuals on iPad

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Generates significant heat
- 💸 Requires payment to create/export
- ❓ Unclear pricing and trial information
- 📉 Export options limited

**Reported bugs**

- Curvature node crashes the program
- Closing function node crashes and saves incorrectly
- Failed to create new shaders
- iOS 17 crashes the app
- App crashes when opening most shaders

**Requested features**

- Edit shader code manually
- Add Mac support
- Port Blender to iOS
- Add UE4 support
- Add light node (direction, position)


### Forma3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma3d-3d-modeling-and-print/id6762095429)

Create and edit 3D models directly on your iPhone or iPad. Prepare designs for 3D printing with precise tools and export to common formats. Ideal for beginners and experienced users alike.

**Highlights:** Create primitive 3D shapes, Precise transformation controls, Boolean operations (union, subtract), Mesh editing (vertices, edges, faces), STL and 3MF import/export, Beginner-friendly interface, X-Ray mode for transparency

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forma3D subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Forma3D - Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime access to Forma3D | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shade free?

Shade costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Forma3D free?

Forma3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shade or Forma3D?

Forma3D is rated higher. Shade averages 4.3 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Forma3D averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Shade or Forma3D have ads?

Neither Shade nor Forma3D shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shade or Forma3D?

Shade ships an update every 6 weeks, and Forma3D every 3 days. Most recently, Shade was updated on October 25, 2026 and Forma3D on October 25, 2026.

---

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