Software · head to head
3D-Coat vs Arnold
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 3D-Coat split into separate products, so 3DCoatTextura covers texturing only and the full sculpting toolset needs the complete 3DCoat licence; Arnold the Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.
- They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Arnold covers Ray tracing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and Arnold actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), free tier (No), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3D-Coat
- Voxel sculpting
- Surface sculpting
- Retopology
- UV mapping
- Texture painting
- PBR materials
- Smart materials
- Baking
Only in Arnold
- Ray tracing
- GPU rendering
- Production shading
- OSL
- Denoising
- Cinema 4D
- Houdini
- Katana
Both cover
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3D-Coat
- Voxel sculpting from a digital clay blocknot Arnold
- Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot Arnold
- UV mapping and PBR texturingnot Arnold
- Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot Arnold
- Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot Arnold
Arnold
- Film productionnot 3D-Coat
- Animationnot 3D-Coat
- VFXnot 3D-Coat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3D-Coat
- Split into separate products, so 3DCoatTextura covers texturing only and the full sculpting toolset needs the complete 3DCoat licence
- Pricing is not published on the product pages
- Licences are sold node-locked or floating, so moving a seat between machines depends on which was bought
Arnold
- The Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.
Pricing, plan by plan
3D-Coat
$29/month- Amateur$99/month
- Non-commercial use
- Professional$379/month
- Full commercial license
- Floating$568/month
- Network licensing
Arnold
$29/month- Arnold$360/month
- Standalone renderer
Which should you pick?
Choose 3D-Coat if
- You need voxel sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want surface sculpting.
Choose Arnold if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want gpu rendering.
Questions people ask
- Is 3D-Coat or Arnold better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Arnold at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Arnold?
- 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Arnold at $29/month.
- Does 3D-Coat or Arnold run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is 3D-Coat best used for?
- 3D-Coat is most often used for voxel sculpting from a digital clay block, retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshes, uv mapping and pbr texturing, preparing print-ready models for 3d printing. Of those, voxel sculpting from a digital clay block and retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshes are not what Arnold is typically brought in for.
- What can 3D-Coat do that Arnold cannot?
- 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Both handle Maya, 3ds Max, Windows support, MacOS support.