# STL Simple Viewer vs Plotava

The clearest difference is rating: Plotava at 5.0 against STL Simple Viewer's 4.3. Plotava also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months). STL Simple Viewer's advantage is ratings volume (909 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 Plotava sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Plotava holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STL Simple Viewer has 909 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 5 months, Plotava every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STL Simple Viewer | Plotava |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (909 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stl-simple-viewer/id1493598400/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotava-pdf-and-document-maker/id6800150073/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **909** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 19 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Victor Bovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/327627515) | [Charged Alpha](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789744884) |

## 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


### Plotava

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotava-pdf-and-document-maker/id6800150073)

Organize field data with linked records and plans. Import or sketch plans, add detailed points with media and GPS context, and create professional markups. Export organized packages for seamless office-to-field communication.

**Highlights:** Import PDF plans or sketch new ones, Add numbered field points with photos and notes, Create detailed markups with dimensions and shapes, Export professional PDF packages, Offline functionality, Local-first data storage

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plotava Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plotava Pro Annual | $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 Plotava free?

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

### Which has better reviews, STL Simple Viewer or Plotava?

Plotava is rated higher. STL Simple Viewer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 909 ratings, while Plotava averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

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

STL Simple Viewer shows ads; Plotava does not.

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

STL Simple Viewer ships an update every 5 months, and Plotava every 3 days. Most recently, STL Simple Viewer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Plotava on September 29, 2026.

---

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