Forma3D vs Orbit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Forma3D
Create and edit 3D models directly on your iPhone or iPad. Prepare designs for 3D printing with precise tools and export to common formats. Ideal for beginners and experienced users alike.
- Create primitive 3D shapes
- Precise transformation controls
- Boolean operations (union, subtract)
- Mesh editing (vertices, edges, faces)
- STL and 3MF import/export
- Beginner-friendly interface
- X-Ray mode for transparency
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Forma3D is a professional 3D mesh editor for iPad and iPhone — built for makers, 3D printing enthusiasts, and anyone who needs to fix or modify 3D models on the go. No laptop. No cloud. Everything runs locally on your device, offline, with desktop-grade mesh editing capabilities. ▸ FACE PAINT & MULTI-FILAMENT 3MF EXPORT Paint individual faces with different colors directly in the editor, then export a 3MF file with per-face color data ready for multi-filament 3D printing. Bambu Studio and Creality Print automatically assign filaments based on the embedded paint codes — no manual slicer setup needed. This is a desktop-only feature in slicer software, now available on mobile exclusively in Forma3D. ▸ MESH EDITING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Switch between Object Mode and Edit Mode. Select and edit individual vertices, edges, and faces with precision. Use Single, Rectangle, Oval, or Brush selection tools with Multi-select support. Move, rotate, and scale with an interactive transform gizmo or numeric input. ▸ PROFESSIONAL MODELING TOOLS • Extrude — push faces in or out with live preview and direction toggle • Inset — shrink or grow faces inward with adjustable depth • Bevel — round edges with custom segments and profile control (desktop-grade bevel algorithm) • Boolean Operations — Union and Subtract using Manifold CSG library • Manifold Cut — slice meshes with Line, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, or Freehand shapes • Mirror — symmetrically duplicate geometry across X, Y, or Z axis • Revolve — create lathe geometry by rotating a profile • Subdivide — add resolution where you need it • Simplify — reduce polygon count for lighter exports • Remesh — retopologize with uniform quad-dominant mesh • Vertex Sculpting — push and pull vertices with gesture-based brush • 3D Text — add extruded text to your scene • Color — paint all faces of a mesh with a single tap ▸ PRIMITIVES & IMPORT Start from built-in primitives: Cube, Soft Cube, Sphere, Soft Sphere, Cylinder, Torus, Pyramid, Plane, Tube, Bolt, Nut. Import STL and 3MF files. Export to STL, 3MF, or USDZ formats. ▸ 3D SCANNING (LiDAR) Capture real-world objects with your iPhone or iPad LiDAR scanner and edit the resulting mesh directly in the app — scan, fix, and print without switching apps. ▸ PRECISION & MEASUREMENT Ruler tool for measuring distances in millimeters. World grid with 20 mm squares for build-plate reference. Snap-to-grid for accurate positioning. Keyboard hotkeys for fast numeric input (move, rotate, scale by exact values). ▸ VISUALIZATION Orthographic view cube for standard projections (Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right). X-Ray mode to see through meshes and inspect internal geometry. Wireframe display with Triangles or Quads mode. Custom viewport colors, lighting controls, and world axes toggle. ▸ UNDO / REDO & PROJECTS Full undo/redo history. Save and load projects in native .forma3d format. Duplicate, delete, and organize objects in the scene with an objects list panel. ▸ APPLE PENCIL SUPPORT Hover tooltips with Apple Pencil. Precise vertex dragging and component selection optimized for Pencil input. ▸ MULTILINGUAL Now available in 16 languages: English, Deutsch, Français, 日本語, 简体中文, Español, Italiano, 한국어, Português, Русский, Nederlands, Polski, Türkçe, 繁體中文, Svenska, العربية. Forma3D is built on a custom mesh kernel with Manifold CSG boolean operations and a desktop-grade bevel algorithm — bringing professional 3D editing to your pocket. Whether you're preparing models for 3D printing, fixing scanned meshes, painting faces for multi-filament prints, or creating from scratch, Forma3D gives you the tools to get the job done — anywhere. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Orbit
Experience a serene, interactive 3D model of our solar system. Watch planets orbit, zoom in for detailed views using NASA-based maps, and explore celestial scales and distances. Enjoy a calming, ad-free, and offline visual journey.
- Interactive 3D solar system model
- NASA-based planet textures
- Accurate Kepler orbits (1800-2050)
- Adjustable time speed
- Scale comparisons (distance, size, sunlight)
- Offline functionality
- Ambient sound option
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Set your phone on the desk, turn it landscape, and let the solar system quietly come to life. The Sun breathes. The planets trace their orbits. The stars settle into the dark. Ten worlds, up close. The Sun, all eight planets, and the Moon — rendered from 2K NASA-based maps. Earth's drifting clouds and city lights, Saturn's shadowed rings, a living, glowing Sun. Drag to spin, pinch to zoom, and get close to each one. Orbits in motion. The planets follow JPL-based Kepler orbits across the years 1800 to 2050. Pause, play, or speed up time — from six hours to a full year every second — and watch the whole system dance. See the true scale. Line the planets up two ways: an easy-to-read layout, or their real average distances to scale in AU. Then compare sizes, the length of a year, and how long sunlight takes to reach each world. A quiet place to linger. Leave it running and, after a while, the controls fade away — just the planets, slowly turning. A single tap brings them back. An optional, softly synthesized ambient tone can play along, even with your phone on silent. Chinese & English. Switch languages anytime — the science, comparisons, and sources all come with you. No ads. No subscriptions. No account. Orbit runs fully offline and keeps nothing about you. The solar system, on your desk — quietly turning, always there.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Orbit at none against Forma3D's 3. On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Forma3D sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Orbit asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Forma3D | Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Denis Vazyulya | 想 李 |
Customer experience
Forma3D
Orbit
In-app purchases
Forma3D
- Forma3D subscription3 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Forma3D - Year3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Lifetime access to Forma3D$99.99
Orbit
No in-app purchases









