Comparison

STL Simple Viewer vs BrushForge

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

STL Simple Viewer

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
Read full description

STL Simple Viewer is a great app to quickly view 3D STL & 3MF files and export them to the most commonly used CAD formats. Features: - Supports STL files both ASCII and Binary formats. - Supports 3MF files. - Load STL and 3MF files directly from ZIP archives. - Export to DXF, OBJ, DAE, PLY and USD. - Rotate, pan, and zoom models with intuitive touch controls. - Measure distances between points within your model. - Configure rendering options: faces, edges, points, background and transparency. - Render using a clipping plane (useful for viewing model interiors). - View models in Orthographic or Perspective mode. - Obtain model information including triangle count, bounding box, surface area, and volume. Privacy Policy: https://www.boviosoft.com/apps/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ For support or questions: support@boviosoft.com

About

BrushForge

This app helps miniature painters organize their paint collections, convert colors between brands, and build custom color palettes. It offers AI-powered suggestions and works offline, allowing users to focus on their creative projects.

Highlights
  • Instant color conversion across dozens of brands
  • Scan paint rack to inventory collection
  • Track owned paints and create wishlists
  • Build custom painting recipes and palettes
  • Check model contrast with black & white view
  • AI-powered color suggestions
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

BrushForge – Complete Miniature Painting Toolkit BrushForge helps miniature painters track their paint collection, compare colors across brands, build palettes, save recipes, and plan painting sessions with less guesswork. Use it for Warhammer, tabletop, RPG miniatures, scale models, and hobby projects of every size. Key Features: Paint Converter Find close paint matches across popular miniature paint brands including Citadel, Vallejo, The Army Painter, Scale75, and more. Paint Collection Tracker Track the paints you own, mark wishlist paints, add custom or mixed paints, and keep notes on your collection. Photo Paint Import Take a photo of your paint rack and let BrushForge help identify paints. Review matches before adding them to your owned list. Recipes & Palettes Create step-by-step painting recipes, save project notes, and build custom color palettes for your models. Color Harmony Tools Explore palette ideas with harmony-based color tools and build stronger color schemes for your miniatures. Primed Photos Save photos of primed models and review contrast, lighting, and value placement while planning your paint scheme. AI-Powered Suggestions Get optional AI help for paint matching and recipe ideas while staying in full creative control. Offline-Friendly Your paint library, collection, recipes, palettes, and core tools are available offline. AI and purchase-related features require an internet connection. Feedback & Support Send feedback, request features, or get help directly through the app. Why BrushForge? • Match paints across brands with less guesswork. • Keep your paint library, recipes, and palettes in one place. • Plan projects faster and spend more time painting. BrushForge is free to use. Optional premium features unlock expanded limits and AI-powered tools while supporting ongoing development. Download BrushForge and focus on what matters most: bringing your miniatures to life. Links: Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Custom Terms of Use: https://brushforgeapp.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://brushforgeapp.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

STL Simple Viewer4 screens
BrushForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

STL Simple Viewer and BrushForge both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of BrushForge's written reviews are positive against 17% of STL Simple Viewer's. BrushForge also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 20 months). STL Simple Viewer's advantage is ratings volume (866 vs 12). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. STL Simple Viewer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and BrushForge sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for STL Simple Viewer against 4.4 for BrushForge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STL Simple Viewer has 866 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 17% of STL Simple Viewer's written reviews are positive against 67% of BrushForge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 20 months, BrushForge every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
STL Simple Viewer versus BrushForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSTL Simple ViewerBrushForge
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (866 ratings)4.4 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.2% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings866 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB43 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperVictor BovioBastiaan Mahieu

Customer experience

STL Simple Viewer

All ratings866 ratings
Positive80.4%
Neutral4.5%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive17.2%
Neutral10.8%
Negative72.0%

BrushForge

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

STL Simple Viewer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

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

BrushForge

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

STL Simple Viewer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro version (1 week plan)$0.997 Days
  • Pro version (1 month plan)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time2
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Export to OBJ, DAE, DXF, PLY$3.99
6 purchases

BrushForge

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Monthly2 variants$2.991 Month
One-time5
  • Tip – Small2 variants$1.99
  • Tip – Medium2 variants$9.99
  • Premium Lifetime2 variants$14.99
Show 2 more
  • Tip – Large$17.99
  • Tip – Large$19.99

Questions

Is STL Simple Viewer free?
STL Simple Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BrushForge free?
BrushForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge?
BrushForge is rated higher. STL Simple Viewer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 866 ratings, while BrushForge averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.
Do STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge have ads?
Both STL Simple Viewer and BrushForge show ads.
Which is updated more often, STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge?
STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 20 months, and BrushForge every 6 weeks. Most recently, STL Simple Viewer was updated on September 23, 2026 and BrushForge on September 15, 2026.

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