3D & CAD · head to head
3D-Coat vs Redshift
Redshift
3D & CAD
World's first fully GPU-accelerated biased renderer
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
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; Redshift redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page
- They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Redshift covers GPU rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and Redshift actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), free tier (No), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (3D & 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 Redshift
- GPU rendering
- Out-of-core rendering
- Proxy system
- AOVs
- Motion blur
- Production shading
- Cinema 4D
- Houdini
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 Redshift
- Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot Redshift
- UV mapping and PBR texturingnot Redshift
- Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot Redshift
- Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot Redshift
Redshift
- Production renderingnot 3D-Coat
- Motion graphicsnot 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
Redshift
- Redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page
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
Redshift
$29/month- Redshift$45/month
- Full GPU rendering
- Maxon One$149.91/month
- Redshift + C4D + ZBrush
Which should you pick?
Choose 3D-Coat if
- You need voxel sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want surface sculpting.
Choose Redshift if
- You need gpu rendering.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want out-of-core rendering.
Questions people ask
- Is 3D-Coat or Redshift better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Redshift at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Redshift?
- 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Redshift at $29/month.
- Does 3D-Coat or Redshift 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 Redshift is typically brought in for.
- What can 3D-Coat do that Redshift cannot?
- 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Redshift covers GPU rendering, Out-of-core rendering, Proxy system, AOVs. Both handle Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, Windows support.