Comparison

Preview3D vs DotShake Brush Studio

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

Head to head
About

Preview3D

View and inspect a wide range of 3D file formats natively on your iPhone and iPad. Supports CAD, mesh, and 3D printing files with detailed information and AR capabilities. Offline functionality ensures privacy and speed.

Highlights
  • Native viewer for STEP, STL, 3MF, G-code, and more
  • Detailed model inspection (dimensions, volume, surface area)
  • Full-color 3MF rendering
  • Augmented Reality (AR) Quick Look integration
  • Offline functionality, no account or web uploads
  • Quick Look and 3D thumbnail support in Files app
  • Universal purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Read full description

Preview3D is a fast, native iPhone and iPad viewer for the 3D formats you actually use โ€” from CAD to mesh to 3D printing โ€” in one clean window. Open a STEP file from a vendor, a painted 3MF from your slicer, or an STL someone sent you, and see it instantly โ€” in the app, or right in the Files app with Quick Look and 3D thumbnails. No web uploads, no account, no clutter. SUPPORTED FORMATS โ€ข STEP / STP, STL, OBJ, PLY โ€ข glTF / GLB, USDZ / USD, COLLADA (DAE) โ€ข 3MF โ€” including painted multi-material prints โ€ข FBX, 3DS, X3D, LWO, MS3D, AC, AMF, OFF and more (via Assimp) โ€ข G-code and PrusaSlicer binary G-code (.bgcode) REAL STEP SUPPORT Preview3D reads STEP with a pure-Swift B-rep kernel: watertight tessellation and crease-aware normals straight from the exact geometry, so cylinders stay smooth and edges stay crisp. Files that carry colors (STYLED_ITEM) render each part in its assigned color. INSPECT Open the info panel for bounding-box dimensions, volume, surface area, watertightness and structure โ€” solids, faces, edges, triangles and vertices. 3D-PRINTING FILES Open your slicer's G-code or PrusaSlicer .bgcode, orbit the print toolpath in 3D, flip to the embedded preview image, and read the print stats โ€” time, filament, weight, layer height and material. 3MF, IN FULL COLOR Multi-material painting from PrusaSlicer and Bambu Studio is decoded and rendered in its filament colors โ€” including fine sub-facet brush detail โ€” so you can preview a finished multi-color print before it leaves the slicer. Colors written into a 3MF by CAD tools and converters show too. SEE IT IN YOUR ROOM View any model in AR with AR Quick Look โ€” place it on your desk or the floor and walk around it. SCAN A CODE, SEE THE MODEL A Preview3D QR code next to a printed model opens it in 3D and AR โ€” even for someone who hasn't installed the app, through an App Clip. Make codes for your own Printables models, free, at preview3d.xfanta.com/qr. QUICK LOOK & THUMBNAILS Preview supported files right in the Files app, and get real 3D thumbnails โ€” including STEP, painted 3MF, COLLADA (DAE), FBX and 3DS that iOS can't render on its own. Keep your models in the Preview3D folder in Files and reopen them anytime. SHARE Send a PNG snapshot of the current view to any app. Placing a model in AR? Share it as USDZ right from there. BUILT FOR IPHONE AND IPAD A real native app built on SceneKit and Metal โ€” quick to launch, quick to orbit. Fully offline: everything runs on your device, no account, no network. iOS and iPadOS 17 or later. BUY ONCE, USE EVERYWHERE Preview3D is a universal purchase: one purchase covers the iPhone, iPad and Mac apps. The Mac version adds PMI / GD&T (AP242) reading, assembly trees with per-part isolation, and one-click conversion to STL, OBJ, GLB and USDZ. Note: measurements are produced by automated tessellation and are provided for convenience โ€” always verify against your authoritative CAD source for manufacturing-critical work.

About

DotShake Brush Studio

Features
Read full description

DotShake Brush Studio is where DotShake's brushes are made. Start from a brush that already exists, tune it until it feels right, and save it as your own. A CABINET OF BRUSHES, EACH SHOWING ITS OWN STROKE Every row draws a real stroke, so you never have to open a brush to find out what it looks like. The categories are on the row too: Line, Dab, Airbrush, Oil Paint, Palette Knife, Liquid, Optical Glass, Liquid Metal, Halftone, Particles, Noise, Volumetric, Dynamic Field โ€” and a whole family of type that runs along the stroke. NOT JUST LINES Pencil, charcoal, marker, calligraphy, impasto, gouache and fan brush for the traditional hand. Then glass, liquid chrome, meteor and flame โ€” and butterflies, moths, clouds and maple leaves that chase the stroke. TYPE THAT FOLLOWS THE STROKE Kinetic type, pop type, glass type, falling poems, and leader brushes that trail a small shape behind them. EVERY BRUSH IS EDITABLE โ€ข Size and opacity, with the preview updating as you go โ€ข Customise the pressure curve so the tip answers to your hand โ€ข Enough parameters that there is a search field for them โ€ข Preview in light or dark, and reset in one tap โ€ข Save as a copy โ€” the original stays as it was IMPORT AND EXPORT Export the brushes you make, and import the ones other people made. Requires DotShake.

Screenshots

Preview3D4 screens
DotShake Brush Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DotShake Brush Studio at $0.99 against Preview3D's $9.99. DotShake Brush Studio also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Preview3D's advantage is chart position (#45 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Preview3D costs $9.99 and DotShake Brush Studio $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Preview3D ships an update weekly, DotShake Brush Studio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 5 level
Preview3D versus DotShake Brush Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPreview3DDotShake Brush Studio
Price$9.99$0.99 โ€” better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidโ€”
Best chart rank#45 โ€” betterโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size14 MB108 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichal FantaZhen Chen

In-app purchases

None

Preview3D

No in-app purchases

None

DotShake Brush Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Preview3D free?
Preview3D costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DotShake Brush Studio free?
DotShake Brush Studio costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Preview3D or DotShake Brush Studio have ads?
Neither Preview3D nor DotShake Brush Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Preview3D or DotShake Brush Studio?
Preview3D ships an update weekly, and DotShake Brush Studio every 3 days. Most recently, Preview3D was updated on October 18, 2026 and DotShake Brush Studio on October 15, 2026.

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