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3D-Coat vs Pico-8

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

Software

Digital sculpting for game artists

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pico-8 logo

Pico-8

Software

A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games

From
$14.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Pico-8 extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and Pico-8 actually diverge.

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Pico-8 differ
Attribute3D-CoatPico-8
Starting price$29/month$14.99/one-time
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi
Founded20072005

Identical on both: pricing model (one-time), free tier (No), 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 Pico-8

  • Pixel art editor
  • Music composer
  • Lua scripting
  • Built-in palette
  • Sprite system
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges

Both cover

  • Windows 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 Pico-8
  • Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot Pico-8
  • UV mapping and PBR texturingnot Pico-8
  • Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot Pico-8
  • Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot Pico-8

Pico-8

  • Retro-style indie game developmentnot 3D-Coat
  • Educational game programmingnot 3D-Coat
  • Game jam participationnot 3D-Coat
  • Pixel art game creation with strict creative constraintsnot 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

Pico-8

  • Extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • Cart size capped at 32 kilobytes
  • Only 256 sprites of 8x8 pixels available
  • Map limited to 128x32 tiles
  • Monophonic sound synthesis with 4-channel chip synthesis only
  • Lua programming language exclusively; no other language support

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

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pico-8 review.

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 Pico-8 if

  • You need pixel art editor.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want music composer.
Pico-8 review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Pico-8 better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Pico-8?
3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time.
Does 3D-Coat or Pico-8 run on more platforms?
3D-Coat runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
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 Pico-8 is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Pico-8 cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Lua scripting, Built-in palette. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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