# STL Simple Viewer vs BrushForge

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | STL Simple Viewer | BrushForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (866 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400/reviews) | **[4.4 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushforge/id6749896227/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **866** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 17.2% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) | [Bastiaan Mahieu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819867426) |

## 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


### BrushForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushforge/id6749896227)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Tip – Small | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip – Medium | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |
| Tip – Large | $17.99 | one-time |
| Tip – Large | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

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