ZBrush vs 3D Printing Aid
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ZBrush
Create detailed 3D models and digital sculptures on your iPad. This app offers industry-leading sculpting tools, advanced detailing, and seamless integration with desktop versions for professionals and hobbyists alike.
- Digital sculpting and 3D painting
- 200+ pressure-sensitive brushes
- Sculptris Pro & Dynamic Tessellation
- Live Boolean modeling
- 3D Layers for non-destructive editing
- Seamless desktop interoperability
- Direct export for 3D printing
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ZBrush for iPad. Create stunning 3D models, digital sculptures, concept art, and detailed characters with ZBrush for iPad—the award-winning, industry-leading digital sculpting app trusted by professional artists across film, AAA games, collectibles, toy design, jewelry, illustration, and 3D design. ZBrush for iPad brings unrivaled desktop-grade digital sculpting and 3D painting power into an intuitive, touch-first mobile environment optimized for Apple Pencil. Take complete creative freedom on the go with high-poly mesh density, proprietary digital clay brushes, procedural detailing, and seamless cross-platform interoperability. Subscribers to Maxon One or ZBrush desktop can download the iPad app and sign in to activate full access instantly. A comprehensive free tier is also available to start sculpting immediately. NEW FOR IPAD • Spotlight Integration: Seamlessly load reference images directly onto the canvas, apply projection painting and texture mapping across complex mesh surfaces, and extract custom 3D geometry from 2D source imagery. • 3D Layers: Store high-resolution sculpting details, PolyPaint color channels, and masking non-destructively. Effortlessly toggle layer visibility, blend sculpt deformations, and refine feature intensity with precise slider controls. CORE SCULPTING & MODELING FEATURES • 200+ Sculpting Brushes: Pressure-sensitive digital brushes engineered for Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, supporting squeeze, roll, hover, double-tap gestures, and haptic feedback. • Sculptris Pro & Dynamic Tessellation: Add local mesh detail on the fly without manual topology management. • DynaMesh Digital Clay: Re-topologize mesh density evenly during early concept exploration. • ZRemesher: Industry-standard automatic retopology for clean, optimized edge flow. • Live Boolean: Non-destructive real-time union, subtraction, and intersection modeling. • PolyPaint: High-resolution 3D painting directly on vertex geometry without preliminary UV unwrapping. • Advanced Detailing: VDM Brushes, Surface Noise, Retopo Brush, Subdivision Modeling, NanoMesh, and ArrayMesh. DESKTOP INTEROPERABILITY & EXPORT • One-Click GoZ: Seamless transfer of ZTool and ZProject files between iPad and desktop ZBrush. • 3D Print Hub: Direct export for additive manufacturing and 3D printing workflows. HIGH-PERFORMANCE HARDWARE OPTIMIZATION Handles up to 90+ million polygons per mesh on M4 iPad hardware. Optimized for multi-touch gestures, custom hotkey bars, rapid undo/redo touch shortcuts, and real-world photogrammetry base mesh imports for high-end digital asset creation. TARGET CREATIVE USE CASES 1. Game Developers: Hero character modeling, creature design, and environment asset creation. 2. Collectibles & Toy Designers: High-detail prototyping and precise 3D print preparation. 3. Film & VFX Artists: Production-grade concept sculpting and digital asset creation. 4. Industrial & Jewelry Designers: Precision organic detailing for consumer products, apparel, and hardware. 5. 2D Illustrators & Concept Artists: Fast 3D block-outs and visual design expansion. LANGUAGE SUPPORT English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, and Portuguese (BR).
3D Printing Aid
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The 3D Printing Aid is designed for people who 3D print. Features include: - No hidden features - No advertisements. - Add your print details - Set a notifications to let you know your print is finished. - Countdown to Print Completion - Add images to your Prints, Print Statuses, Faulty Print Issues, Printers etc. - Configure Slicer parameters per print. - Add URLs for STL files you downloaded from the internet. - All app features are editable. - Search facility on most features. - View statuses of prints and also historic prints. - Additions of a To Do List. - Fault Catalog to store print issues and solutions. - Store all your parts and supplier details. - Share your prints, slicer values, filament details, parts and suppliers etc with friends. - Add and store information to a basic diary. - Search your diary to filter your records. - Store useful site details for quick access and sharing. - Store all of your printers information. - View a list of active reminders / alerts. - And much more… This is the second version of the app and contains no advertisements or annoying pop-ups. It is a stand alone app without hidden features. Add a print or other information using your iPhone and access the same information on your iPad. With the app being in its infancy and going forward, any additions will be free of charge. Once I start getting feedback, the app will grow, having additional features in later releases.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ZBrush at Free against 3D Printing Aid's $2.99. 3D Printing Aid's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On ads 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
ZBrush is free to download; 3D Printing Aid costs $2.99 up front. ZBrush sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. 3D Printing Aid asks for nothing beyond the download.
ZBrush ships an update monthly, 3D Printing Aid every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZBrush | 3D Printing Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (265 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 265 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.1 GB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MAXON Computer GmbH | Alex Weir |
In-app purchases
ZBrush
- ZBrush Monthly$9.991 Month
- ZBrush Annual$89.991 Year
3D Printing Aid
No in-app purchases








