STL Simple Viewer vs BrushForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | STL Simple Viewer | BrushForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (866 ratings) | 4.4 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.2% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 866 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Victor Bovio | Bastiaan Mahieu |
Customer experience
STL Simple Viewer
BrushForge
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
STL Simple Viewer
- Pro version (1 week plan)$0.997 Days
- Pro version (1 month plan)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Remove Ads$2.99
- Export to OBJ, DAE, DXF, PLY$3.99
BrushForge
- Premium Monthly2 variants$2.991 Month
- Tip – Small2 variants$1.99
- Tip – Medium2 variants$9.99
- Premium Lifetime2 variants$14.99
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- Tip – Large$17.99
- Tip – Large$19.99
Questions
Is STL Simple Viewer free?
Is BrushForge free?
Which has better reviews, STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge?
Do STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge have ads?
Which is updated more often, STL Simple Viewer or BrushForge?
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