We’re truly lucky that phones and tablets have evolved to a point where they’re capable of 3D design, a task previously reserved for heavyweight desktop systems. Here, we’ve listed some stellar options for 3D modeling on mobile devices, and there are solutions for many different use cases.
But before jumping headlong into the world of mobile 3D modeling, it’s important to set some standards. Though we were told to scrap putting a selection committee together, we did take a few aspects into consideration when making our picks…
Considerations
A quick search will reveal that there are many mobile apps made for “3D design” out there. Finding one that’s reliable and productive is the tricky part, made more complicated by the fact that most 3D design apps are targeted towards visualization and fun rather than functional 3D models, whether for 3D printing or other applications.
Fortunately, we’ve cut this daunting task down to a shortlist of the best 3D design apps for mobile devices. Unfortunately for Android users, it’s a pretty iOS-heavy like, with the iPad and iPhone’s dominance in the cool-and-useful app space on full show. We have found some handy options, though, and keep in mind that there are full modeling applications that are browser-based and play nicely with mobile devices.
Below, we present our picks of the best mobile apps divided between modeling and sculpting categories.
3D Modeling
3D modeling is a term that encompasses many modeling techniques. The apps that fit this category all offer direct modeling, which means creating desired objects with splines, primitives, meshes, Boolean functions, or other methods that involve manipulating and creating various parts of a model.
Mobile devices are becoming more and more popular as 3D modeling tools for hobbyists and professionals alike, giving them the benefit of being able to create anywhere.
The apps in this category are best suited for designing functional objects and angular objects in general because creating organic shapes is difficult with direct modeling.
Onshape
Users with serious product development intent should definitely be interested in the Onshape 3D CAD design platform. The main app is very powerful and entirely browser-based, with dedicated iOS and Android apps taking this fully on the go. Both the Android and iOS versions of the app have precise multi-touch gesture controls that allow you to accurately interact with and edit your model.
The free plan, while sophisticated and easy to pick up, comes with the condition of non-commercial use only. Similarly, your limited number of designs are not private and open to the OnShape community. Pricing for paid plans, which include unlimited project space and more, begins at $1,500 per year.
SketchUp
As one of the most popular desktop 3D modeling applications, SketchUp is already an established option in the 3D modeling space. While the program is aimed at professionals with a lot of functionality for architects and interior designers, it’s also a handily accessible tool to sketch in 2D before expanding into 3D.
While there is a free browser-based app for SketchUp that you could attempt to use on any mobile device, the dedicated iPad app is only available to paid users on the SketchUp Go, Pro, or Studio plans, which start at $119 a year.
The app’s functionality includes sketching 3D models, marking them up, making textures with the camera, as well as bringing in site location to the model. The iPhone and Android SketchUp Viewer apps, while integrated with your projects in the cloud and allowing for analysis and AR viewing of your models, do not offer any 3D modeling functionality.
- Platform: iPadOS
- Price: From ~$120/year
Shapr3D
Shapr3D is a 3D modeling powerhouse powered by the same modeling engine as the professional modeling software SolidWorks.
It doesn’t take much browsing of its user interface and feature set to see that this app is targeted toward professional engineers and industrial designers. Shapr3D allows you to create concepts on the go, all of which can be exported to desktop software for more granular editing at any time. It’s also worth mentioning that there have been significant updates over the past few months to the visualization features of the app, including new material, lighting, and environment options.
History-based parametric modeling, which lets you adjust an aspect of your model with the change rippling out to subsequently affected properties, entered beta late in 2023 and is due to be released to all users early in 2024.
In a nutshell, if you’re looking for an app for even a semi-professional use case, look no further. Shapr3D is one of the most functional and reliable mobile apps out there.
- Platform: iPadOS
- Price: Limited free version, ~$300/year for a Pro subscription
Moblo
Moblo is a 3D modeling app made for DIY enthusiasts and hobbyists who are looking to design and visualize furniture and woodworking projects. It provides ready-to-use elements for you to manipulate and assemble into custom pieces, sort of like modeling with primitives.
As its target demographic isn’t professionals and artists, Moblo is easy to learn and use. A standout feature that takes full advantage of the mobile form factor is augmented reality, which allows you to place custom furniture designs in your own room.
Prisma3D
Prisma3D is a force to be reckoned with in the modeling space. While it’s a direct modeler, the feature set is skewed more towards motion animation, with a full rigging and rendering kit at your disposal. This lightweight app can import more than 45 types of 3D files and can export both OBJ and MP4, meaning you can continue your work in programs like Blender or Maya or even release it as a video – all from your phone.
Prisma3D is currently in version 2.0, but there’s an open beta for users to test v2.1, which introduces improvements to character rigging, including inverse kinematics and a simplified workflow.
- Platform: Android
- Price: Free for non-commercial use
Qubism
Qubism is a 3D modeling app that aims to provide a simple touch-centric modeling environment where you can manipulate “qubes,” which is what the app calls its geometric building blocks. Although the toolset is narrowly focused on a few types of shape transformations, Qubism is more than competent at sculpting simple and quick geometries once you get the hang of how the app works.
The user interface is less intuitive and sleek compared to some of the other apps on our list, but the free price tag offers a low barrier to entry for those willing to give it a try. Just keep in mind that you may need to convert the DAE or JSON output file from your device if you decide to transfer your model over to your PC.
One last cautionary note – Qubism hasn’t been updated since 2016; don’t expect it to be the smoothest experience using today’s smartphone screen sizes and aspect ratios or even Android versions.
- Platform: Android
- Price: Free
Tinkercad
Many of the well-known design elements of Autodesk’s Tinkercad, such as its simplicity and easy-to-use interface, have transferred over to the free-to-use iPad app.
Expect to see similar functionality to the browser-based platform but with full Apple Pencil and augmented reality (AR) support. While using AR to superimpose your 3D object is beneficial in limited use cases, being able to sketch using your finger or a stylus is what makes designing on tablets so great.
Helpfully, the Tinkercad iPad app fully integrates and syncs with all of your models in the Tinkercad platform, meaning you can work seamlessly across devices.
- Platform: iPadOS
- Price: Free
uMake
One app that always seems to make it onto a list of 3D design apps is uMake. Perhaps that’s because it takes a unique approach to modeling: touch input.
Though you mainly use 2D sketches to form 3D shapes, the experience somehow feels more like 2D drawing with an added dimension instead of traditional modeling with planes and sketches. It’s difficult to explain in words – you just have to try it yourself.
A nice bonus with uMake is the ability to view your 3D designs in augmented reality. You can literally project your supercar concept onto a live video view of your garage to see if it will fit (next to your imaginary Porsche 911).
However, a word of warning: Perhaps due to the way the interface is designed, uMake naturally invites the creation of organic shapes, even though it’s not a sculpting tool, per se. It’s more suitable for concept work and visualization rather than physical manufacturing with 3D printing.
Though you could export the 3D files you design with uMake to more sophisticated software like Fusion 360 and Meshmixer, the import options hint at a more artistic and design-centric (as opposed to manufacturing-centric) purpose. This includes files from popular 2D drawing programs such as Photoshop, Procreate, and Sketchbook.
- Platform: iOS, iPadOS
- Price: 14-day free trial, then ~$96/year
Makers Empire
Makers Empire offers a great way for kids to learn the ropes of 3D modeling. With a user-friendly and fun UI, it’s intuitive and easy to grasp, be it creating your own avatar, designing models, building mazes, or putting it all into practice with fun games. While it’s entertaining, there’s also plenty of learning along the way too, as young makers pick up on movement and rotation along different axes, for example.
For academic purposes, this is a whole system that offers lesson ideas, monthly competitions, and even a dedicated print service, Maker Shop, to bring creations to life. To further captivate young minds, AR is an option, too.
There are different subscription plans available depending on the size of the classroom, but the app is free and, from the positive reviews, a great way of getting started in 3D modeling.
- Platform: Android, iOS, iPadOS
- Price: Limited free version, subscription plans for education
3D Sculpting
3D sculpting is essentially clay modeling in virtual space. Models are created in a more artistic way by adding or subtracting material from a primitive shape. This works very well on mobile devices, as the input methods of the iPad and mobile phones feel more direct than a mouse and a computer monitor. The pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil makes the iPad an especially attractive option for 3D sculpting.
All the apps in this category offer the same functions on a basic level but differ in additional features. They’re most suited for creating character models and organic shapes. But keep in mind that models created with sculpting are usually high-resolution, which means a bigger file size.
3D Modeling: Design My Model
A simple but popular option, 3D Modeling: Design My Model is a direct modeling app that includes digital sculpting functionality. The app has a simple UI and is easy to get started on while still offering deep functionality and a lot of modeling possibilities, including material editing and detailed editing of planes and vertices.
It’s a versatile option for modeling on your iPhone or iPad. Take note that the free version of the app doesn’t allow for exporting models, so in a way, the free version is only a trial.
- Platforms: iOS, iPadOS
- Price: Limited free version, ~$35/year
Nomad Sculpt
Nomad Sculpt is one of the best options for 3D sculpting on the move. The software supports pressure-sensitive styluses, along with a host of other features.
What sets Nomad Sculpt apart from the others on this list is the quality of its built-in real-time rendering. This helps visualize the model while it’s being worked on. The app has a dedicated community with many tutorials available online to make learning Nomad Sculpt easier.
Forger
Made specifically for the iPad, Forger is a digital scultping app developed by Maxon, a giant in the 3D modeling space. It offers seamless integration with the company’s Cinema4D for an effective on-the-go workflow. Forger features an intuitive multi-touch interface as well as all the tools a creative modeler could need. As one of the oldest 3D sculpting apps, it has a large community and many resources to help you get up and running.
OBJ and alembic files can be imported and models can be exported in OBJ, STL, and USD. As 3D printed files are usually in the STL format, Forger is a great option for making 3D printable models.
- Platforms: iPadOS
- Price: Limited free version, ~$2/month, ~$15/year, or no extra cost for Maxon One subscribers
Putty
Putty is a sculpting tool that provides a cost-effective alternative to some of the other modeling apps out there.
Compared to some pricier alternatives (like Sculptura below), Putty’s modeling tools are slightly limited. However, you still get a mobile-optimized modeling experience, file export to desktop apps, and a clean user interface. If budget is a concern of yours, here’s your chance to work on those base meshes on the go.
Note that Putty hasn’t received an update in over four years, meaning compatibility issues may present themselves depending on your device and OS version.
- Platform: iOS, iPadOS
- Price: ~$5
Sculptura
What fun would a touch-centric operating system be without sculpting apps? That’s where Sculptura comes in: It’s an app that hopes to satisfy all your virtual clay-morphing cravings. Boasting an “advanced clay engine and artist-tested tools,” its strength lies in its ease of use.
Sculptura is also similar to Putty but with extra tools. It’s most suitable for creating base meshes, which are then exported to desktop modeling software for more granular edits. The interface is clean, and the performance is smooth. It’s a modeling experience clearly optimized for mobile, so if the functionality fits your workflow, you won’t be disappointed.
- Platform: iPadOS
- Price: ~$10
License: The text of "The Best 3D Modeling Apps in 2024 (iPad & Android)" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.