Forger

Forger is an iOS application for digital 3D sculpting and texture painting. Its mesh workflows include multiresolution sculpting, volume-based quad-dominant remeshing, auto-retopology, sculpt layers, masks, and vertex colors. Apple Pencil support includes pressure sensitivity and configurable input styles. The feature list says Forger imports OBJ, Alembic, and C4D files and exports OBJ, STL, USD, and C4D files; exporting a scene to Cinema 4D requires a subscription. The free version has no time limit, but it saves only three scenes and requires a subscription for scene export. Free users must register with Maxon after an initial 14-day grace period. Forger entered limited maintenance mode on September 10, 2025, after which Maxon said there would be no further updates, bug fixes, or changes. Technical support was available until that date, or through the end of an existing subscription term if later. Subscription users could re-download the app through the end of their then-current term by contacting support.

Forger has a broad set of sculpting tools and file formats, but the free version limits saving and export. Its limited maintenance status means prospective users should weigh the stated end of updates and support availability.

Forger may suit iOS users working on digital sculpting or texture painting who can work within its scene-saving and export limits. Its maintenance status matters to anyone considering it for ongoing work.

Forger is an iOS app for digital 3D sculpting and texture painting, aimed at artists who want a mobile mesh-shaping workflow. It is best suited to Apple Pencil users and occasional creators who can live with a small local scene allowance. The subscription is essential for practical export, while the software’s maintenance status makes it a difficult long-term choice for new projects.

Overview

Forger combines sculpting and texture-painting tools in a touch-first application. Its mesh workflow covers multiresolution sculpting, volume-based quad-dominant remeshing, automatic retopology, sculpt layers, masks and vertex colors. That combination supports both broad form development and more controlled surface work without requiring separate tools for every stage.

Apple Pencil support includes pressure sensitivity and configurable input styles, so the app is particularly relevant to iPad artists who prefer drawing-style control. A built-in render engine provides previews inside the app, and 3D-print export is part of the feature set. The important practical qualification is file handling: the free edition can hold only three saved scenes and cannot export scenes without a subscription.

Key features

Mesh and sculpting workflow

Multiresolution sculpting lets artists work from broad shapes toward finer detail, while volume-based quad-dominant remeshing helps rebuild topology during a sculpt. Automatic retopology is useful when a working mesh needs a cleaner structure, and sculpt layers, masks and vertex colors give non-destructive or selectively controlled ways to organize detail. These tools suit concept sculpting, character work and other artist-led modeling tasks more than simple polygon editing.

Input, rendering and files

Pressure-sensitive Apple Pencil input and configurable styles make Forger a natural fit for iPad-based drawing habits. The built-in renderer can show a result without another application. Forger imports OBJ, Alembic and C4D files, then exports OBJ, STL, USD and C4D files. STL support matters for 3D-print workflows, while the broad exchange list can connect the app with other modeling pipelines. Exporting a scene to Cinema 4D requires a subscription, however, so C4D support is not fully useful on the free plan.

Pricing

Forger Free

free. This is a permanent, non-time-limited free plan, but it saves up to three scenes and requires a subscription for scene export. Free users must register with Maxon after an initial 14-day grace period. It fits people evaluating the sculpting workflow or keeping a very small set of studies on the device, not users who need a dependable export pipeline.

Forger subscription

Price not listed. The subscription removes the three-scene save limit and enables scene export, including the Cinema 4D workflow. Subscribers must register to connect their subscription. Renewals were available only until September 10, 2025, so anyone considering the paid route should treat its availability as time-bounded rather than as a normal ongoing software commitment.

Platforms

Forger is available on iOS. Apple Pencil support makes it most compelling on compatible iPad hardware, although the platform listing itself is iOS.

Who it's for

Forger fits digital sculptors, texture artists, concept artists and visualization workers who want sculpting on an iOS device. It is also relevant to makers preparing models for 3D printing, provided they subscribe when export is needed. The free plan can serve as a low-commitment way to learn the tools, but the three-scene cap is restrictive for an active portfolio or production queue.

It is a poor choice for a new pipeline that depends on continuing updates, bug fixes or long-term support. Maxon placed Forger in limited maintenance mode on September 10, 2025, with no further updates, bug fixes or changes. Technical support was stated to continue only until that date, or through the end of an existing subscription term if later. Subscription users could re-download the app through their then-current subscription term by contacting support.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Serious sculpting depth on iOS: multiresolution tools, remeshing, automatic retopology, layers and masks cover more than basic mobile modeling.
• Apple Pencil control: pressure sensitivity and configurable input styles suit artists who work with a stylus.
• Broad file exchange: OBJ, Alembic and C4D imports plus OBJ, STL, USD and C4D exports support varied workflows.
• Built-in rendering and STL output: artists can preview work in-app and prepare files for 3D printing.

Cons

• Free export restriction: the free plan cannot export scenes and saves only three, limiting serious use without a subscription.
• Cinema 4D requires payment: the C4D scene workflow is not available as a free export path.
• Maintenance has ended: no future updates, bug fixes or changes reduce its suitability for long-lived production work.
• Subscription continuity is uncertain: renewals were available only until September 10, 2025.

Alternatives

Meshy is the better fit when you want iOS plus Android, web and API access, with a free plan offering 100 credits and 10 monthly downloads for Meshy 6 Lite models.

Blockbench suits users who want a free tool for any project across desktop, mobile and web, with no strings attached.

VRoid Studio is a free option for character creation on iOS, macOS and Windows, including VRM export.

Nomad Sculpt is the closer alternative for sculpting and painting with PBR rendering across Android, iOS, macOS and Windows; it offers a free trial.

Houdini is the choice for a broader desktop procedural-3D environment on Windows, macOS and Linux, with freemium and paid workstation plans.

Blender is preferable when you need a free, open-source 3D creation suite for Linux, macOS and Windows that works without registration or an internet connection.

Tripo AI fits web and API users who prefer credit-based generative 3D workflows, with a free plan capped at 200 monthly credits, one concurrent task, 15 exports and 10 stored models.

Bforartists provides another free, open-source 3D creation suite for Linux, macOS and Windows.

For broader comparisons, see Game 3D Modeling Software and 3D modeling software.

Verdict

Choose Forger if you specifically want Apple Pencil sculpting on iOS, built-in rendering and STL output, and you can work within a subscription-based export model. Look elsewhere if your projects need more than three free scenes, predictable paid renewals, ongoing fixes or a supported long-term pipeline; its end of updates is the decisive drawback.