Comparison

ArmorPaint vs Valence 3D

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ArmorPaint

This 3D painting software allows users to create PBR textures for 3D models with instant visual feedback. It features a node-based workflow for procedural materials and brushes, and is GPU-accelerated for a smooth 4K painting experience on iPad.

Highlights
  • PBR texture painting
  • Node-based material creation
  • Procedural brushes
  • GPU-accelerated viewport
  • Instant baking of texture maps
  • Path-traced viewport rendering
Features
Read full description

ArmorPaint is in active development. Please report any issues you may encounter. For the best experience Apple Pencil is recommended. Mouse, keyboard and pencil hover is supported. --- 3D Painting Software ArmorPaint is a software for PBR texture painting. Import your 3D models and start painting. Receive instant visual feedback in the viewport as you paint. Node Based Work fast with the convenience of nodes. Paint with fully procedural materials. Build fill layers with material nodes. Use brush nodes to create patterns and procedural brushes. GPU Accelerated ArmorPaint is designed from scratch to run completely on the GPU. This results in a smooth 4K painting experience on your iPad. Baking Bake texture maps for high-poly models instantly on your iPad device. Hardware accelerated ray-traced baking is available on supported iPads. (M1 or newer, A13 or newer) Path-Traced Viewport Paint models in a viewport with true light simulation. Path-traced viewport rendering is available on supported iPads. (M1 or newer, A13 or newer)

About

Valence 3D

This app is a powerful yet user-friendly 3D modeling and design tool for iPad and iPhone. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for creating, importing, editing, and exporting 3D models, suitable for both beginners and professionals across various industries.

Highlights
  • Extensive primitive shapes library
  • Import and export various 3D file formats
  • Advanced modeling and mesh operations
  • Non-destructive mesh modifiers
  • Intuitive navigation and context-aware tools
  • Automatic saving and iCloud syncing
Features
Read full description

Valence 3D is a powerful, beautiful & easy-to-use 3D polygon modeling design tool built from the ground up for iPad & iPhone. No matter whether you're learning 3D modeling for the first time or a professional working in design, construction, gaming, web dev, digital fabrication, architecture, or spatial computing, Valence 3D has what you need to get started! CREATE, IMPORT, EDIT & EXPORT 3D MODELS • 25 primitive shapes are built-in & ready to help you start modeling: plane, box, sphere, squircle, rounded box, arc, circle, cylinder, tube, cone, capsule, torus, icosphere, pipe, revolve, helix, voronoi, text, super shape, noise surfaces, torus knot, faceted gem & tube. • Import existing models, reference images, lidar scans and room plans • Imports: OBJ, STL, USD, USDZ • Exports: PNG, SVG, OBJ, STL, USD, USDZ, GLTF, GLB • Knife tool to create complex and detailed geometry • Move, Rotate, & Scale gizmos make it easy to transform nodes, faces, edges & vertices • Powerful modeling gizmos for extruding, insetting, beveling, poking, creasing & cutting • Multiple selection & automatic loop selection help accelerate your modeling • Tap on one of the gizmo handles to bring up an input field for precise transformations & mesh operations • Robust snapping & alignment commands • Selection operations: grow, shrink, select shell & deselect • Mesh operations: duplicate, instance, set / center pivot, trim by plane, boolean, apply transform & subdivide • Face operations: separate, combine, bridge, extract, poke, collapse, delete, dissolve, harden & soften • Edge operations: extrude, insert vertex, collapse, dissolve, bridge, harden & soften • Vertex operations: insert edge, dissolve, delete & merge • Non-destructive & configurable mesh modifiers: mirror & subdivision • Apply complex transformations using different gizmo pivot points & orientations EASILY NAVIGATE & STAY IN FLOW WHILE DESIGNING • Carefully crafted & fully optimized for iPhone & iPad • Designed to minimize cognitive overload by only showing tools & commands that are contextually relevant • Easily navigate to any part of your model by dragging and pinching: two finger pinch to zoom and roll, and one finger drag to rotate • Pop into the standard orthographic views by tapping one of the handles of the orientation gizmo • Use two & three finger tap gestures to undo & redo • Select components by dragging or using the rectangular selection mode • Your work is saved automatically every two minutes and every time you go back to the gallery • Get an overview of your scene’s structure from the Outliner • Long press on a node in the Outliner to easily rename, duplicate, instance, delete, parent & reorder any object in your scene • Precisely adjust any node’s position, rotation & scale with the Inspector • Adjust material properties, display & modifier options with the Inspector STAY ORGANIZED ACROSS ALL YOUR DEVICES • Preview, share, duplicate, delete & rename your models from the gallery • iCloud syncing keeps all your models up to date, private & accessible across all your devices PREVIEW, MEASURE, & RENDER YOUR CREATIONS • 6 powerful rendering modes: Matcap, Modeling, Wireframe, Physically Based, X-Ray & Path Traced • Export renders in any aspect ratio & scale • Preview your model in AR in two taps • Export your scene as a USDZ & be confident it’ll look consistent on all Apple devices • Tweak your model’s material & see changes in real-time • Tweak-able scene settings: camera field of view, background type, blurriness, intensity & rotation • Get model measurements in one click • Add persistent dimensions between any two surfaces in your scene PURCHASE & COMPATIBILITY • One time purchase unlocks both iPhone & iPad versions • Apple Pencil supported on select iPads • 120 FPS supported on devices with ProMotion displays • Path Tracing is supported on iPads with M series chips & iPhones with A15 Bionic & later • Lidar Scan & Room Plan is supported on devices with a lidar sensor

Screenshots

ArmorPaint4 screens
Valence 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Valence 3D at 60% against ArmorPaint's 14%. Valence 3D also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.1) and chart position (#47 vs unranked). ArmorPaint's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 11 days) and price ($17.99 vs $19.99). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ArmorPaint costs $17.99 and Valence 3D $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Valence 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 116 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of ArmorPaint's written reviews are positive against 60% of Valence 3D's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArmorPaint ships an update every 5 days, Valence 3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
ArmorPaint versus Valence 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArmorPaintValence 3D
Price$17.99 — better$19.99
Rating2.1 (27 ratings)4.2 (116 ratings) — better
Positive reviews14.1% of reviews60.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27116 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#47 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB195 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLubos LencoHi-Rez, LLC

Customer experience

ArmorPaint

All ratings27 ratings
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive14.1%
Neutral21.9%
Negative64.1%

Valence 3D

All ratings116 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral13.8%
Negative11.2%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral16.2%
Negative23.4%

Bugs and requests

ArmorPaint

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Valence 3D

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Saved files not loading properly
  • Unreliable vertex/edge/face selection
  • Mesh corruption and data loss
  • Gizmo and navigation issues

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add boolean operations
  • Improve selection and navigation tools
  • Implement curve/spline primitives
  • Add more modeling modifiers (bevel, subdivision, etc.)
  • Provide more detailed documentation and tutorials
Show 3 more
  • Improve performance and stability
  • Add UV editing and texture support
  • Implement keyboard shortcuts and power user features

In-app purchases

None

ArmorPaint

No in-app purchases

None

Valence 3D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArmorPaint free?
ArmorPaint costs $17.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Valence 3D free?
Valence 3D costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ArmorPaint or Valence 3D?
Valence 3D is rated higher. ArmorPaint averages 2.1 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Valence 3D averages 4.2 from 116 ratings.
Do ArmorPaint or Valence 3D have ads?
Neither ArmorPaint nor Valence 3D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArmorPaint or Valence 3D?
ArmorPaint ships an update every 5 days, and Valence 3D every 11 days. Most recently, ArmorPaint was updated on September 23, 2026 and Valence 3D on September 24, 2026.

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