The iPad has quietly become a serious CAD machine: Apple-silicon performance, the Pencil, and 120 Hz displays make direct modeling feel better on a tablet than on a mouse. Here's the current landscape. (Pricing models change often — treat notes below as a snapshot and check each vendor.)
Solid modelers (exact B-rep geometry)
These produce real, manufacturable solids — the right category for functional parts.
- Shapr3D — the app that proved iPad CAD could be professional. Superb push/pull direct modeling on the Parasolid kernel, history-based parametric features, drawings, and visualization. Subscription-based, with a limited free tier for casual use.
- OpenShape3D — free and open source. Shapr3D-style sketching (with a real 2D constraint solver), push/pull with automatic booleans, fillet/chamfer, revolve/sweep/loft/helix, patterns, section views, and STL/OBJ/3MF/GLB/USDZ/DXF export — built on the OpenCASCADE B-rep kernel with a custom Metal renderer. Runs on iPad and iPhone. No account, no subscription; the entire codebase is on GitHub.
- Onshape — full parametric CAD (Parasolid) that runs in the cloud; the iPad app is a genuine client with assemblies and version control. Free tier makes your documents public; paid tiers for private work. Needs connectivity for real work.
- Fusion 360 (iPad) — primarily a viewer/markup companion to the desktop app rather than a full modeler on the tablet.
Concept & surface modelers
- uMake — sketch-based 3D concept modeling with curves and surfaces; leans toward industrial-design ideation. Subscription.
- Morphi — simple solid primitives aimed at education and beginners; popular in classrooms.
Mesh & sculpting tools (art-first)
Fantastic apps, but they model triangles, not exact solids — see mesh vs. solid modeling before choosing one for functional parts.
- Nomad Sculpt — the standard for sculpting on iPad; one-time purchase, tremendous value for organic work.
- Valence 3D — polygon box-modeling with a clean touch UI; one-time purchase.
- Shapelab / forger and others — additional sculpting options worth a look for character work.
Browser-based options on iPad
- Tinkercad — free, runs in Safari, great for kids and quick boolean mashups; limited precision workflow.
- Onshape (web) — the same cloud CAD, in the browser.
How to choose
| You want… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Professional direct + parametric, budget for subscription | Shapr3D |
| Free, open-source exact solids on iPad/iPhone | OpenShape3D |
| Cloud parametric with assemblies | Onshape |
| Organic sculpting for art or printing | Nomad Sculpt |
| Teaching a classroom | Tinkercad or Morphi |
If you're unsure, start free: you can learn every fundamental of solid modeling — sketching, constraints, extrudes, fillets, booleans — in OpenShape3D without a subscription, and those skills transfer directly to any professional package.