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CAD · head to head

3D-Coat vs Mari

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

CAD

Digital sculpting for game artists

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 3D-Coat specific pricing not disclosed on website; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Mari covers High-resolution painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Mari differ
Attribute3D-CoatMari
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierNoYes
Founded20071996

Identical on both: platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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
  • Blender

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Nuke
  • Katana
  • Floating licenses

Both cover

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

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot 3D-Coat
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot 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

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

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

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

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 Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Mari?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for 3D-Coat and Free for Mari.
Does 3D-Coat or Mari run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month.
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 Mari is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Mari cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Node graph. Both handle Baking, Maya, Windows support, MacOS support.

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
Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
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
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
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
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
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