Once limited to desktop software, sculpting in three dimensions has found a home on tablets. Thanks to 3D sculpting apps for iPad, artists and hobbyists can create complex models with pressure-sensitive brushes, realistic materials, and seamless exports—all with just their Apple Pencil and creativity.
Key Takeaways:
With so many tools available, choosing the right iPad app for 3D sculpting can feel overwhelming. Some focus on organic clay-like workflows, while others lean toward technical precision. To help, here’s a breakdown of the top apps that balance features, exports, and usability
Nomad Sculpt is one of the most praised sculpting apps on iPad, offering a clean interface that makes tools easy to find without clutter. Its brush system includes clay, crease, trim, mask, and smooth, all of which can be tweaked with stroke falloff, alphas, tiling, and Apple Pencil pressure.
It also offers advanced features like multiresolution sculpting, voxel remeshing, dynamic topology, and decimation to balance detail with performance. Painting options allow you to change vertex color, roughness, and metalness. Finished models can be exported in OBJ, STL, PLY, or glTF, with colors and layers preserved.
Also Read: Best 3D Modeling Apps for iPad to Design Anytime, Anywhere
This app runs on a voxel-based engine, which allows you to sculpt with a smooth, clay-like feel while keeping high levels of detail. Sculptura 2 has its own Tool Factory system, letting artists design custom brushes that respond precisely to their style of work.
You can create on multiple sculpting layers, paint with vector-based strokes, and apply PBR materials for realistic effects. Rendering can be done in real-time or with path tracing for higher fidelity. Models export to OBJ, STL, or USD, with automatic UV unwrapping included.
Sculpt+ is a more lightweight but still flexible sculpting app for iPad. It offers custom brushes with adjustable alphas and stroke types, along with simple layer management for non-destructive editing.
Its main strength lies in being approachable and fast to learn, while still offering OBJ and STL export formats. Though not as feature-heavy as Nomad or Sculptura, it covers the essentials for sculpting and preparing models for printing or further editing.
Also Read: 2D vs 3D Animation Explained: Pros, Cons, and Best Uses
Forger once stood as the chosen one for mobile sculptors, offering customizable brushes, symmetry tools, and exports in OBJ and STL. It gained popularity for its balance of flexibility and accessibility.
However, the app is being phased out and will be removed from the App Store in September 2025. Artists who already use it can continue working with it, but newcomers are advised to look toward ZBrush for iPad as the supported successor.
This is the mobile release of the industry-standard ZBrush, giving tablet users access to professional features like ZRemesher and advanced subdivision workflows. Brushes are highly customizable with alpha textures and full Apple Pencil support.
This version is powerful enough to handle dense meshes and exports smoothly to formats such as OBJ and STL. Its downside is the subscription pricing and the need for newer iPads to run smoothly. For professionals who want desktop-level sculpting in a portable setup, it’s unmatched among 3D sculpting apps for iPad.
Also Read: Exploring 3D Art Styles for Games: From Realism to Stylized
Shapr3D is more CAD-focused than sculpting-focused. Instead of organic brushes, it offers precise parametric modeling tools, making it a top choice for engineers, architects, and product designers.
It’s built on the Parasolid engine and capable of formats like IGES, STEP, and STL output. While not designed for clay-like sculpting, it shines when accuracy and clean geometry are needed for technical projects.
Putty 3D delivers a straightforward sculpting experience with dynamic tessellation that adds detail automatically where needed. Brushes are simple but customizable, and export options include OBJ and STL, making it handy for quick ideas or basic 3D printing.
The 3D Modeling App by InfoTech leans more toward general modeling with some sculpting tools built in. It supports common export formats, making it a flexible choice for casual use or early concept development, though less advanced than the leading 3D sculpting apps for iPad.
Also Read: Where the Best 3D Billboards Blur Art, Tech, and Urban Life
No matter your skill level, the best 3D sculpting app for iPad is the one that encourages growth and experimentation. These apps open doors for beginners and professionals alike, proving that powerful sculpting doesn’t always require a desktop workstation.
If you’re exploring different iPad apps for 3D sculpting but also want ready-to-use resources to speed up your workflow, Tridimensi is worth checking out. Here, we offer sleek 3D animations, professional assets, and polished backgrounds that can complement your sculpting projects and bring your ideas to life faster.
No account yet?
Create an Account
