Shade3D mobile vs PocketCAD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shade3D mobile
View and present your 3D models on the go with intuitive multi-touch gestures. Easily manage and transfer files from various sources, and even set up automated rotations for dynamic presentations.
- 3D model viewing with multi-touch gestures
- File transfer and management
- Automated model rotation
- Capture model positions as photos
- Supports .shd files from Shade3D
- Cloud service integration
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Show Your 3D Work Wherever You Go! Using iPad’s 360 degree multi-touch gestures, it’s possible to view your 3D models in Shade3D mobile, from any and every side! Use Shade3D mobile to display your 3D projects for work, or for pleasure. 100% free Shade3D mobile turns your iPad into your 3D presentation tool. Includes 5 Shade3D scene models and 5 sample images! You can do it with Shade 3D mobile: ◆Presentations in 3D With the flick and pinch functions, 3D configurations can be viewed quickly through Shade3D mobile. Shade3D mobile supports flick and pinch gestures for rapid manipulation of 3D files. With iPad, use Shade3D mobile to video mirror onto monitors or HD television for impressive presentations. Set automated rotation for a complete, turn table view of your models from all angles. Set up Shade3D mobile to capture model positions as photos. ◆Easily Transfer Your 3D Models Shade3D mobile makes file transfer and management a snap! ・manage multiple files from within the iTunes document folder ・open and read .shd files attached to email ・read files saved in cloud services such as the Dropbox ◆Expand Possibilities with Shade3D and iPad/iPhone Shade3D mobile supports the Shade scene (.shd) file format created with Shade3D, the most popular 3D software product from Japan. Shade3D allows easy file exchange with Wavefront OBJ, DXF and SKP (SketchUp). Find Shade3D today on shade3d.jp/en site! You don’t need Shade3D to use Shade3D mobile though.
PocketCAD
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PocketCAD opens DXF drawings on iPhone and iPad so you can review them, add quick markups, check shapes in 3D and share them as PDF. FREE BASIC FEATURES DXF/pcad viewing, drawing and editing, 3D views of shapes you create, and DXF/PDF export are free. - OPEN DXF AS IS - Open DXF files from Mail, Files and other apps - Japanese text (Shift_JIS / UTF-8) is supported - Entities that could not be read are listed with the reason - Your original DXF file is never overwritten - QUICK MARKUPS Lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, splines, rectangles, regular polygons, polygons, text and leaders. - Tap to place a point, or keep your finger down and drag to explore: the shape and the snap target are shown while you move - An option offsets the point above your finger so it is never hidden - Snap to endpoints, midpoints, centers, intersections and the grid; ortho mode; numeric input (length, angle, coordinates) - Move, copy, rotate, scale, mirror and grip editing - EDIT LIKE CAD - Offset, trim (drag across to trim several at once) and extend - Fillet and chamfer, including "All Corners" to round every corner of a rectangle at once - Dimensions: linear, aligned, radius and diameter. Tap a line to dimension it end to end - SEE IT IN 3D - Extrude closed shapes into prisms, pyramids or frustums - Revolve a shape around an axis - Values you cannot point at, such as a box height, are entered right next to the shape; confirm to reuse the last value - Orbit shapes you create with one finger - SEND IT BACK AS DXF OR PDF - Export DXF (AutoCAD 2018 format, UTF-8) to hand your drawing back to other CAD apps, Japanese text included. The AutoCAD 2000 format is available for older CAD apps - For PDF, choose paper size, orientation, scale and line weights, preview, then share. Monochrome output is available - NO ACCOUNT No sign-up or sign-in. Drawings are stored only on your device or in your own iCloud Drive. PRO FEATURES (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) The following features require PRO. Existing PRO owners get them at no extra charge. - Drawing sheets and title blocks: save paper, orientation, scale and region settings, then create a multipage PDF - Import JWW/JWC/JWK, STL, OBJ/MTL, static GLB/glTF and 3MF - Check model dimensions, surface area, closed-mesh volume and vertex distances - Numeric transforms, annotations and approximate section drawings - Register and place parts, edit attributes and export a bill of materials as CSV - Export STL, GLB and 3MF - Remove ads and restore your purchase FREE PRO EXPERIENCE (WITH LIMITS) Explore measurements, sections, transforms, parts, sheet settings and PDF preview with original samples. Saving and export are unavailable during the experience. Check a non-interactive overview and import diagnostics for your own JW and 3D files. Zoom, pan, rotate and work on them after purchasing PRO. Some data within supported formats may be unsupported. See in-app help for JWK units and text settings, mesh approximations and unsupported extensions or presentation features. DWG files are not supported; export them to DXF first. You can remove ads with the one-time PocketCAD Pro purchase. The app is available in English and Japanese.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shade3D mobile at none against PocketCAD's 1. Shade3D mobile also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). PocketCAD's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months). On price and device support 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
Both are free to download. PocketCAD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shade3D mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shade3D mobile ships an update every 7 months, PocketCAD weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shade3D mobile | PocketCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 25.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shade3d Co.,Ltd. | Naoki Chiba |
In-app purchases
Shade3D mobile
No in-app purchases
PocketCAD
- PocketCAD Pro$6.99









