Comparison

Meshy AI vs Shapely 3D

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

Head to head
About

Meshy AI

Easily transform photos or text descriptions into 3D printable models. This AI-powered tool requires no prior 3D modeling experience and automatically repairs models for printing. Explore and share creations with a global community.

Highlights
  • Photo to 3D model generation
  • Text to 3D model generation
  • Automatic printability check and repair
  • AR preview for models
  • Export in multiple 3D formats (STL, 3MF, GLB, etc.)
  • Community library of 3D models
Features
Read full description

Meshy AI — the easiest way to create 3D models from photos and text. Bring your ideas to life, and into your hands. Snap a photo, upload a sketch, or describe your idea. Meshy AI generates a fully textured 3D model, built for 3D printing — no desktop software, no 3D modeling experience required. Trusted by over 10 million creators worldwide. CREATE Photo to 3D - Point your camera at anything, or upload any image, and Meshy's image to 3D engine turns it into a detailed 3D model. Works with real-world objects, product photos, hand-drawn sketches, and more. Text to 3D - No reference image? Describe your concept in words. Meshy AI generates a reference image first, then turns it into a 3D model automatically. Powered by Meshy 7, our most advanced AI 3D generation engine. HOW IT WORKS 1. Snap a photo or type an idea. 2. Meshy AI generates your 3D model in seconds. 3. Preview it in AR and let AI repair any printing issues. 4. Export STL, 3MF for print — or download GLB, FBX, OBJ and more. MAKE IT PRINTABLE AI-generated models often need cleanup before they can print. Meshy AI handles that for you, automatically: Printability Check - every model is automatically analyzed for printing issues before you hit print. AI Repair - one tap fixes broken meshes, thin walls, and geometry errors. No manual cleanup, no desktop tools. AR Preview - place your model in the real world at true scale and see exactly how the finished print will look on your desk. EXPLORE Discover a growing library of print-ready 3D models shared by creators around the world. Browse trending content and explore curated channels. Save what inspires you. Remix and build on other creators' work. Share your own creations with the community. VIEW, EXPORT, AND PRINT Rotate, zoom, and inspect every model with intuitive gesture controls. Every export format is clearly labeled, so you always know which file your printer or project needs. Export in industry-standard formats, including STL, 3MF, GLB, FBX, OBJ, USDZ and Blend. When you’re ready, send your model straight into your 3D printing workflow. YOUR ASSETS, EVERYWHERE Every model you create is saved to your Meshy account and synced across web and mobile. Access your full 3D library from anywhere, anytime. GET STARTED Sign up and receive complimentary credits to start generating 3D models right away. No purchase is required to create an account or use the included free credits. Whether you're a 3D printing enthusiast, a game artist, a hobbyist, a student, or simply someone with an idea worth making real, Meshy AI puts a complete 3D creation studio in your pocket. MESHY PRO Want to create more with Meshy? Upgrade to Meshy Pro, a paid subscription that provides additional generation credits and access to Pro features. Available subscription plans, benefits, billing periods, and prices are displayed in the app before purchase. If you choose to purchase Meshy Pro, payment will be charged to your Apple Account. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings after purchase. Join more than 10 million creators. Start building in 3D today. Privacy Policy: https://www.meshy.ai/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shapely 3D

Create and sculpt 3D models directly on your iPad. Build scenes from primitives, refine them with intuitive tools, and export your creations for printing or digital use. Unlock advanced features with a Pro upgrade.

Highlights
  • Sketch and sculpt 3D models
  • Build scenes from primitives
  • On-screen gizmo for manipulation
  • Configurable grid and measurement tools
  • Export USDZ for AR and Quick Look
  • Advanced Pro features (CSG, STL export, smoothing)
Features
Read full description

Shapely 3D is a fast, native 3D modeling app built for iPad — sketch, sculpt, and export real 3D models with just your finger or Apple Pencil. Build scenes from simple primitives, then move, rotate, and scale them with an on-screen gizmo. Snap to a configurable grid, measure distances as you work, and use the orientation cube to jump straight to any view. Shapely 3D saves your work as a native document you can open again anytime, right where you left off. Before you print, tap View in Room to see the model on your desk at its actual size, through the camera, or export a USDZ for Quick Look and any USD tool. Apple Pencil Pro's squeeze switches sketch modes mid-drawing and hover shows where the next shape will land. Every project is in Spotlight, Siri and Shortcuts. Shapely 3D Pro unlocks: • CSG boolean operations — union, subtract, and intersect shapes to build more complex forms • STL export — send your models straight to a 3D printer or another CAD tool • Sketch & Extrude — draw a 2D profile and pull it into a solid • Smoothing — round any object with adjustable, non-destructive subdivision • Cut tool — slice objects apart along a face or a drawn line • Edit Faces — move, extrude, and reshape the individual faces of any object, and give any face a color of its own • Repair — find the holes, stray faces, and inside-out faces a slicer would trip on, see them in red, and fix them before you export Whether you're prototyping a part, teaching geometry, or just enjoy building things in 3D, Shapely 3D keeps the fundamentals simple and gets out of your way.

Screenshots

Meshy AI4 screens
Shapely 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shapely 3D at 100% against Meshy AI's 46%. Shapely 3D also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Meshy AI's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Meshy AI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Shapely 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Meshy AI holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshy AI has 196 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Meshy AI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shapely 3D's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Meshy AI ships an update every 2 weeks, Shapely 3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Meshy AI versus Shapely 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeshy AIShapely 3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (196 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews46.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings196 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#99 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB20 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMeshy LLCFabrizio Brancati

Customer experience

Meshy AI

All ratings160 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.5%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive46.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative39.3%

Shapely 3D

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Meshy AI

Subscriptions2
  • Meshy Pro Monthly Plan1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Meshy Pro Yearly Plan1 Year trial$239.991 Year
1 purchases

Shapely 3D

One-time1
  • Shapely 3D Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Meshy AI free?
Meshy AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shapely 3D free?
Shapely 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Meshy AI or Shapely 3D?
Meshy AI is rated higher. Meshy AI averages 4.8 out of 5 from 196 ratings, while Shapely 3D averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Meshy AI or Shapely 3D have ads?
Shapely 3D shows ads; Meshy AI does not.
Which is updated more often, Meshy AI or Shapely 3D?
Meshy AI ships an update every 2 weeks, and Shapely 3D every 11 days. Most recently, Meshy AI was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shapely 3D on October 19, 2026.

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