Software · head to head
3D-Coat vs V-Ray
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; V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
- They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, V-Ray covers Ray tracing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and V-Ray 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 V-Ray
- Ray tracing
- Global illumination
- GPU rendering
- CPU rendering
- Materials
- Lighting
- VR output
- Scene intelligence
Both cover
- Blender
- 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 V-Ray
- Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot V-Ray
- UV mapping and PBR texturingnot V-Ray
- Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot V-Ray
- Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot V-Ray
V-Ray
- Photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisationnot 3D-Coat
- Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot 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
V-Ray
- Licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
- Subscription terms renew automatically
- Cloud rendering runs on separately purchased credits, with the Pro tier at $25.30 a month for 1,000
- Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
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
V-Ray
$29/month- V-Ray Solo$60/month
- 1 workstation
- 5 render nodes
- V-Ray Premium$80/month
- Multiple apps
- Cloud credits
Which should you pick?
Choose 3D-Coat if
- You need voxel sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want surface sculpting.
Choose V-Ray if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want global illumination.
Questions people ask
- Is 3D-Coat or V-Ray better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or V-Ray?
- 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month.
- Does 3D-Coat or V-Ray 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 V-Ray is typically brought in for.
- What can 3D-Coat do that V-Ray cannot?
- 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Both handle Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, Windows support.