# STL Simple Viewer vs Polar Cloud

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Polar Cloud at 100% against STL Simple Viewer's 18%. Polar Cloud also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). STL Simple Viewer's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (920 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases 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 and Polar Cloud sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

STL Simple Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STL Simple Viewer has 920 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of STL Simple Viewer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Polar Cloud'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 5 months, Polar Cloud every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STL Simple Viewer | Polar Cloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (920 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-cloud-3d-printing/id6768322087/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **920** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 19 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) | [Polar Cloud](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896560495) |

## 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


### Polar Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-cloud-3d-printing/id6768322087)

Monitor and manage your 3D printers remotely from your mobile device. View live camera feeds, start prints, and upload files from anywhere. This app streamlines 3D printing workflows for hobbyists, educators, and print farm operators.

**Highlights:** Remote printer monitoring, Live camera feeds, Print job management, File uploading (STL, OBJ, 3MF, G-code), Cloud-based slicing, AI photo to 3D model conversion, Multi-printer management

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is STL Simple Viewer free?

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

### Is Polar Cloud free?

Polar Cloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, STL Simple Viewer or Polar Cloud?

STL Simple Viewer is rated higher. STL Simple Viewer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 920 ratings, while Polar Cloud averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do STL Simple Viewer or Polar Cloud have ads?

STL Simple Viewer shows ads; Polar Cloud does not.

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

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 5 months, and Polar Cloud every 2 months. Most recently, STL Simple Viewer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Polar Cloud on October 28, 2026.

---

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