# STL Simple Viewer vs STEP Viewer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: STEP Viewer at none against STL Simple Viewer's 4. STEP Viewer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months). On price and device support 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. STEP Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 5 months, STEP Viewer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STL Simple Viewer | STEP Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (909 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **909** | — |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) | [Smart Cube Labs Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456342688) |

## 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 Pack | $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


### STEP Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/step-viewer/id6756539299)

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

**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 STEP Viewer free?

STEP Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do STL Simple Viewer or STEP Viewer have ads?

STL Simple Viewer shows ads; STEP Viewer does not.

### Which is updated more often, STL Simple Viewer or STEP Viewer?

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 5 months, and STEP Viewer every 5 days. Most recently, STL Simple Viewer was updated on October 14, 2026 and STEP Viewer on October 4, 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.*