# STL Simple Viewer vs 3D Cost

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 3D Cost at 75% against STL Simple Viewer's 17%. 3D Cost also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 20 months). STL Simple Viewer's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.3 vs 1.0). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

STL Simple Viewer is free to download; 3D Cost costs $0.99 up front. STL Simple Viewer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. 3D Cost asks for nothing beyond the download.

STL Simple Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STL Simple Viewer has 866 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of STL Simple Viewer's written reviews are positive against 75% of 3D Cost's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 20 months, 3D Cost every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STL Simple Viewer | 3D Cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (866 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-cost/id6504573310/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **866** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 17.2% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 19 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) | [Marcos Roberto Hohl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752898920) |

## What reviewers say

### STL Simple Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400)

Easily view and interact with 3D STL CAD models. Supports various file types and offers advanced rendering options for detailed analysis. Get model information and explore interiors with clipping planes.

**Highlights:** View ASCII and Binary STL files, Load STL from ZIP, Rotate, pan, and zoom, Orthogonal and Perspective modes, Model info (triangle count, bounding box), Rendering options (faces, edges, transparency), Clipping plane for interiors

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro version (1 week plan) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro version (1 month plan) | $1.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Export to OBJ, DAE, DXF, PLY | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive viewer
- 👍 Useful viewing options
- 💡 Supports multiple file formats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚨 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🔍 Limited functionality for larger files

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening larger STL files
- Inability to open some file formats
- Ads continue to appear even after paying for ad removal

**Requested features**

- Add ability to save color/lighting settings
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Provide an ad-free paid version


### 3D Cost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-cost/id6504573310)

Calculate the true cost of your 3D prints with this intuitive calculator. It helps enthusiasts and professionals determine production expenses and set profitable selling prices by analyzing filament, print time, and energy consumption.

**Highlights:** Detailed cost calculation, Comprehensive cost reports, Selling price suggestions, Cost simulation, Printer registration and management, Calculation history

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is STL Simple Viewer free?

STL Simple Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 3D Cost free?

3D Cost costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, STL Simple Viewer or 3D Cost?

STL Simple Viewer is rated higher. STL Simple Viewer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 866 ratings, while 3D Cost averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do STL Simple Viewer or 3D Cost have ads?

Both STL Simple Viewer and 3D Cost show ads.

### Which is updated more often, STL Simple Viewer or 3D Cost?

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 20 months, and 3D Cost every 6 weeks. Most recently, STL Simple Viewer was updated on September 26, 2026 and 3D Cost on September 21, 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.*