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3D-Coat vs Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

CAD

Digital sculpting for game artists

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler logo

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

CAD

Photogrammetry engine formerly sold as ContextCapture, now inside Bentley's iTwin line

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 3D-Coat specific pricing not disclosed on website; Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler the rename from ContextCapture is more than cosmetic: licensing moved into Bentley's subscription and consumption model, and existing perpetual users should confirm what a renewal converts to before assuming continuity of cost.
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler actually diverge.

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler differ
Attribute3D-CoatBentley iTwin Capture Modeler
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelone-timequote
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, Cloud
Founded2007Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

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 Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

  • Aerial triangulation
  • Dense mesh reconstruction
  • Point cloud fusion
  • Orthophoto and DSM output
  • 3D Tiles and 3MX export
  • Distributed processing
  • Retouching and editing
  • Georeferencing and control

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 Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • UV mapping and PBR texturingnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

  • A highway authority reconstructing a corridor from drone imagery for design work in OpenRoadsnot 3D-Coat
  • A survey firm delivering city-scale textured meshes to a municipal client for planning and visualisationnot 3D-Coat
  • An engineering consultancy fusing terrestrial laser scans with drone photography of a bridge for condition assessmentnot 3D-Coat
  • A team publishing streamable 3D Tiles of a construction site so stakeholders can view it in a browsernot 3D-Coat

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

3D-Coat

  • Specific pricing not disclosed on website
  • 3DCoatPrint free version limited to 40K triangles on export
  • Requires contacting sales or visiting store for pricing details

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

  • The rename from ContextCapture is more than cosmetic: licensing moved into Bentley's subscription and consumption model, and existing perpetual users should confirm what a renewal converts to before assuming continuity of cost.
  • Consumption-based entitlements make the cost of a large reconstruction hard to predict in advance, which is awkward when you are quoting a fixed-price deliverable to a client.
  • The desktop engine is Windows only and reconstruction is compute-hungry, so meaningful throughput needs either serious workstation hardware or paid cloud processing.
  • Bentley does not publish a plain rate card and pricing varies by region, reseller and existing agreement, so two firms buying the same thing can pay very different amounts.
  • Value compounds inside the Bentley ecosystem, and a firm whose design work happens in Autodesk or Esri tools pays for a positioning it will not use while getting the same mesh a cheaper standalone photogrammetry package would produce.

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

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

On request
  • iTwin Capture Modeler$undefined/year
    • Subscription entitlement through Bentley licensing
    • Consumption charged against Bentley Keys on some agreements
    • Reality Modeling WorkSuite bundles Modeler with reality data management

Which should you pick?

Choose 3D-Coat if

  • You need voxel sculpting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want surface sculpting.
3D-Coat review

Choose Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler if

  • You need aerial triangulation.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want dense mesh reconstruction.
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler?
3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler at On request.
Does 3D-Coat or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler run on more platforms?
3D-Coat runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler runs on Windows, Cloud.
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 Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, Dense mesh reconstruction, Point cloud fusion, Orthophoto and DSM output.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

3D-Coat: Is there a free version of 3D Coat?

Yes, 3D Coat offers multiple free options. 3DCoatPrint is a special free version designed for 3D print-ready models, limited to 40K triangles on export. Additionally, a 30-day unlimited trial is available for the full version.

Source
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Is ContextCapture discontinued?

The name is. The product continues as iTwin Capture Modeler within Bentley's iTwin family.

3D-Coat: What is the 30-day trial period for 3D Coat?

3D Coat provides a 30-day trial with unlimited learning resources. The trial grants full access to all tools needed to create production-ready, fully textured 3D models.

Source
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Does it still support a perpetual licence?

New buyers should expect subscription or consumption-based entitlements. Confirm the exact conversion path if you hold an older perpetual licence.

3D-Coat: Does 3D Coat offer specialized versions?

Yes, 3D Coat offers 3DCoatTextura as a specialized version focused on texturing and rendering at a more affordable price than the full 3DCoat version.

Source
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Can it process laser scan data as well as photographs?

Yes. It fuses point clouds with imagery in a single reconstruction.

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Do I need other Bentley software to use it?

No, output formats are usable elsewhere, but the commercial and workflow case is strongest if you already run MicroStation or OpenRoads.

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