Shapely 3D vs CAD Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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)
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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.
CAD Studio
Create, edit, and view technical drawings on your mobile device. This professional 2D CAD tool offers a full drawing engine, multi-layer management, and precise snapping for engineers, architects, designers, and students.
- Full 2D drawing engine
- Multi-layer management
- Import DWG, DXF, and image files
- Precise snapping tools
- Built-in templates
- Export and share projects
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Professional 2D CAD drawing studio in your pocket. CAD Studio is a powerful mobile CAD tool for engineers, architects, designers and students. Create, edit and view technical drawings anytime, anywhere. KEY FEATURES: • Full 2D drawing engine — lines, arcs, circles, polylines, polygons • Multi-layer management with visibility and lock controls • Import DWG, DXF, and image files seamlessly • Precise snapping — endpoint, midpoint, intersection, grid • Built-in templates and sample projects • Export and share your projects instantly • Optimized for iPhone and iPad with Apple Pencil support PERFECT FOR: - Architecture floor plans and layouts - Mechanical engineering schematics - Electrical wiring diagrams - Landscape and interior design - Student coursework and technical education Download CAD Studio and turn your device into a professional drafting workstation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CAD Studio at 5.0 against Shapely 3D's 2.0. CAD Studio also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Shapely 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CAD Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.
CAD Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Shapely 3D ships an update every 11 days, CAD Studio every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shapely 3D | CAD Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fabrizio Brancati | 玉英 张 |
Customer experience
Shapely 3D
CAD Studio
In-app purchases
Shapely 3D
- Shapely 3D Pro$4.99
CAD Studio
No in-app purchases









