3DCDesign vs Tripo AI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
3DCDesign
Manage your 3D printing workflow locally. Track printer profiles, print jobs, materials, and customer records. Access resources for planning and troubleshooting prints, with tools for estimates and reports.
- Printer profile management
- Material inventory tracking
- Print job logging
- Cost and speed estimates
- Local gallery organization
- Printer references and guides
- Optional local printer connections
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3DCDesign is a print log, spool tracker and cost calculator for 3D printing at home. Your records are kept on your device, with no account, no ads and no tracking. If you start selling prints, it handles quotes, customers and invoices too. Start in three steps Choose your printer from more than 300 models and your filament from more than 60 brands, and say whether you sell prints. Or try a sample workshop first. Know when a print should be done Start a print with its time estimate and a Live Activity counts down on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. When the time is up, a notification lets you mark it done, mark it failed or snooze it. Home Screen widgets show the active print, today's list and low filament. Log every print Log a print in one quick sheet, or pick its sliced file (.gcode, .bgcode or .gcode.3mf) to fill in the time, filament and preview. Add photos and notes, and give a failed print a reason. Know every spool Stock goes down as you log prints, with a full history. Restock by filament, not by spool: group spools of one filament into a product with one total and one restock level. Planning a print checks there is enough filament, and 3DCDesign estimates how long each filament will last at your pace. Scan OpenPrintTag or OpenSpool NFC tags, import spools from a Spoolman export and print QR labels. Optional notifications tell you when a filament runs low or a spool may need drying. Know what each print costs Price a print from material, machine time, electricity, labor, packaging, shipping, fees and waste. Choose markup, target margin or a flat rate and see your cost floor. Measure STL, 3MF and OBJ models for size and estimated weight. Fix prints and learn Print Doctor has 25 guides for common filament and resin problems, with the slicer settings to change. Hobby calculators, a material guide and a 120-term glossary work offline. Look after your printers Keep maintenance schedules, service history and reminders for each printer. See status from your own Moonraker/Klipper, OctoPrint or PrusaLink host on your network; controls stay off until you turn them on, and every command is confirmed. Everything works offline too. Free backups that check themselves Creating, previewing and restoring backups is free, with or without your Gallery photos and videos. New backups test themselves, automatic backups can go to a folder you choose, and a restore keeps a safety copy you can go back to for 24 hours. When you start selling Choose selling in Settings and Home shows today's agenda, money owed and active prints. Quotes and invoices carry your business details, logo and a payment QR code. Free: receipts for invoice payments and deposits, invoice drafts with a watermarked preview, what-if pricing and up to 25 active customers. Emails and texts open in your own mail or messaging app; 3DCDesign never sends anything itself. Business Premium (optional subscription) A monthly or annual subscription for sellers that adds: - Issuing and correcting invoices - Purchase orders - Customer Pro tools: statements, price lists, follow-up templates and reorders - Accountant export, with QuickBooks Online, Xero and Wave layouts - Saved what-if scenarios - More than 25 active customers, for workspaces created after this limit began Backups and every record you make stay free. Private by design No sign-in, ads, analytics or tracking. Your records, photos and backups are not uploaded to us. They leave the app only when you export, share, back up, send an email or text from your own mail app, or connect to your own printer. Your phone's own device backup may also include them. Privacy Policy: https://3dcdesign.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Tripo AI
Transform photos or text into 3D models. Easily restyle, animate, and export your creations for games, animations, or 3D printing directly from your phone. Ideal for creators without extensive 3D software knowledge.
- Generate 3D models from photos
- Create 3D models from text descriptions
- Restyle and texture models
- Apply preset motions to characters
- Export in GLB and FBX formats
- Browse community creations for inspiration
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Turn a photo or a few words into a 3D model you can restyle, animate, and export. Snap a photo, pick one from your library, or describe what you want. Tripo AI builds the model, then lets you change its look, try motions on it, and export the model for your game or animation project, all from your phone. Made for game developers, animators, and anyone who wants 3D models without learning 3D software. HOW IT WORKS 1. Take a photo, choose an image, or type an idea. 2. Tripo AI generates your 3D model. You can leave and come back; it keeps working. 3. Change its textures or give it a motion. 4. Export it and bring it into your project. FROM PHOTO TO 3D MODEL Take a photo with your camera or choose an image from your library, and Tripo AI turns it into a 3D model. Spin it, zoom in, or tilt your phone to look around it. Switch lighting and display modes to check every detail. Want to change the photo first? Describe the edit, and Tripo AI updates the image before building the model. JUST DESCRIBE IT Prefer words? Type what you have in mind, like "a red toy car with four wheels", and Tripo AI builds the model directly from your text, with no image step in between. Not sure where to begin? Start from a template. MAKE YOUR CHARACTERS MOVE Pick a motion from the preset library and see your character move in 3D. Try a few and keep the one that fits. CHANGE ITS LOOK Your model is a starting point. Apply a preset texture style or upload a reference image to change its look without starting over. Split your model into parts, then select, hide, merge, or remove them. Rebuild the mesh with quads or triangles and set the face count you need. GET INSPIRED BY OTHER CREATORS See what other creators are making. Open any model to view it in 3D and find ideas for your own. Save the ones you like to your favorites. EXPORT IT FOR YOUR PROJECT Export your model for your game, animation, or 3D workflow. Supports GLB and FBX. Animated characters export with the motion you picked. Save the file to your phone or send it to another app. With a subscription, choose triangles or quads and set the face count before you generate. WHAT YOU CAN MAKE Want to see yourself in 3D? Turn a selfie into a character, give it a motion, and spin it around on your phone. Building an indie game? Get props, creatures, or characters to start from instead of a blank scene. Working on an animation? Turn a character idea into a 3D model and try different motions on it, right on your phone. Have a drawing or a piece of concept art? Take a photo of it and see your idea as a 3D model you can turn and inspect from every angle. Have a product idea? Test it in 3D before spending hours in modeling software. Want to hold it in your hands? Make a custom 3D model for 3D printing, a unique gift, or home décor. Stuck for ideas? Browse the community, find something you like, and make your own version from a photo or a prompt. GET STARTED Create an account and start making 3D models for free. No purchase is required to try Tripo AI. SUBSCRIPTIONS Some features require a subscription. Subscriptions are optional, and plans, benefits, and prices are shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: 3DCDesign at 5.0 against Tripo AI's 4.6. 3DCDesign also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Tripo AI's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. 3DCDesign sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Tripo AI sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
3DCDesign holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tripo AI has 2.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
3DCDesign ships an update every 2 months, Tripo AI every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 3DCDesign | Tripo AI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.6 (2.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 58.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 230 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Earl Hayes | Holymolly Limited |
Customer experience
3DCDesign
Tripo AI
In-app purchases
3DCDesign
- 3DCDesign App - Monthly$2.991 Month
- 3DCDesign App - Yearly$29.991 Year
Tripo AI
- Tripo 3D AI - Pro Plan$15.991 Month
- Tripo 3D AI - Pro Plan1 Month trial$19.991 Month
- Advanced Plan$38.991 Month
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- Ultimate Plan1 Month trial$89.991 Month
- Tripo 3D AI - Pro Plan$155.991 Year
- Tripo 3D AI - Max Plan$539.991 Year









