Forger vs MeshInspector
Forger
maxon.net
MeshInspector
meshinspector.comSide by side
| Figure | Forger | MeshInspector |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · 3D modeling software | 7.8 (#96) | 9.0 (#12) |
| File formats | The feature list states that Forger imports OBJ, Alembic, and C4D files and exports OBJ, STL, USD, and C4D files. | Supported data includes STL, OBJ, PLY, 3MF, DICOM, E57, STEP, G-code and other mesh, volume and point-cloud formats. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Friedrichsdorf, Germany | Bothell, Washington, USA |
| Intended users | Maxon describes its software as serving artists and people working in areas including 2D/3D design, modeling, animation, filmmaking, digital sculpting, and visualization. | The site describes workflows for engineers, service bureaus, dental labs and scanning professionals, and identifies additive manufacturing, reverse engineering and digital dentistry as use cases. |
| Purpose | Forger is a digital 3D sculpting and texture painting application for iOS. | MeshInspector processes 3D data for mesh repair, scan transformation and quality inspection, including workflows for printing, simulation and manufacturing. |
| Support | Maxon said technical support would be available until September 10, 2025, or through the end of an existing subscription term if later. | Paid pricing includes premium support with an advertised priority response of approximately 12 hours, and support is also offered by email. |
Plans
MeshInspector
- CommunityFree
- Makers$300 a year
- Professional$790 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Forger
Forger is an iOS application for digital 3D sculpting and texture painting. Its mesh workflow includes multiresolution sculpting, volume-based quad-dominant remeshing, auto-retopology, sculpt layers, masks, and vertex colors. Apple Pencil input supports pressure sensitivity and configurable styles. 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 saves only three scenes and requires a subscription for scene export. Free users must register with Maxon after a 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. Support was available until that date, or through an existing subscription term if later. Subscription users could re-download it by contacting support.
MeshInspector
MeshInspector processes 3D data for mesh repair, scan transformation, and quality inspection in printing, simulation, and manufacturing workflows. It handles meshes, point clouds, volumetric data, lines, distance maps, and G-code, and supports model import and export. Tools include STL editing and repair, mesh conversion, inspection measurements, distance comparisons, segmentation, and CT/MRI scan inspection.
The free Community plan includes viewing, basic mesh and point-cloud editing, basic repair, and measurements. Makers costs $300 a year per user and adds one-click repair, advanced editing, basic inspection, and alignment tools. Professional costs $790 a year per user and adds batch repair, lattice generation, point-cloud and CT/MRI-to-mesh workflows, QC reports, advanced measurements, and Python automation. Its 30-day Professional trial does not require a credit card; afterward, the account moves to Community. Web files are processed and stored in browser local memory, while desktop files are handled and stored locally. The product describes workflows for engineers, service bureaus, dental labs, and scanning professionals.