Most "STL editors" on iOS are just viewers. These are the tools that actually let you cut, repair, resize and reshape a mesh — compared honestly.
Updated November 8, 2026 · Published by Forma3D
We build this one, so judge it by the feature list: true Edit Mode with vertex/edge/face selection, extrude, inset, boolean union/subtract, Repair Model for broken meshes, split tools with alignment joints, face painting for multicolor 3MF, and threads/bolt generation. Imports STL/3MF/OBJ/USDZ, exports printer-ready files — all on-device, works on iPhone and iPad.
Free to download for viewing and inspection. Editing unlocks at $6.99/mo, $49.99/yr or $99.99 once. Best for: downloaded models, print prep, mechanical edits.
Nomad Sculpt ($19.99) is the strongest sculpting app on iPad: import an STL, voxel-remesh, and reshape it with real sculpting brushes. For characters, figures and organic forms it's arguably better than us. But it's a sculpt workflow — no precise face-level edits, no mechanical booleans for fit tolerances, no print-prep tooling like repair or split joints.
Shapr3D (from $25/mo) is excellent parametric CAD — but an imported STL lands as a "dumb" mesh body its sketch-and-constrain tools can't modify. If you're designing new parts from dimensions, it's the right app. If you're fixing a Thingiverse download, it isn't — see mesh editing vs CAD on iPad for the full breakdown.
Tinkercad runs in Safari and can boolean-combine STLs with primitives — useful for adding a base or a key, weak for real mesh edits. Online STL repair services (Netfabb-based) fix broken files without installing anything, but upload your model to someone's server. For quick looks, our STL viewer guide covers free inspection options.
For direct mesh editing — moving vertices, cutting, repairing — Forma3D is the only native iPad app with a full Edit Mode. Nomad Sculpt is better for organic reshaping via sculpting, and Shapr3D handles CAD-style work but treats STL as a dumb imported body.
Forma3D is a free download that opens and inspects STL files at no cost; editing tools unlock via subscription or a one-time purchase. Browser tools like Tinkercad also work on iPad but only do basic boolean edits, not real mesh editing.
Yes — it imports STL, lets you remesh and reshape with sculpt brushes, and exports STL. It's excellent for organic forms, but it's a sculpting workflow: no face-level precision edits, booleans for mechanical fits, or print-prep tools.
Barely. Shapr3D is parametric CAD — an imported STL arrives as a static mesh body that its sketch-and-constrain tools can't act on. For downloaded STL files you need a mesh editor, not CAD.
Available on iPhone and iPad
Forma3D