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Software · head to head

3D-Coat vs Plasticity

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

Software

Digital sculpting for game artists

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plasticity logo

Plasticity

Software

CAD for artists

From
On request
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; Plasticity limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Plasticity differ
Attribute3D-CoatPlasticity
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu
Founded20072023

Identical on both: 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 Plasticity

  • Smooth surface modeling
  • Fillet operations
  • Boolean operations
  • Mesh export
  • Fast workflow
  • Artist-friendly
  • Game engines
  • License key

Both cover

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

Plasticity

  • Concept designnot 3D-Coat
  • Hard surface modelingnot 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

Plasticity

  • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • Young product with shorter track record; fewer industry case studies and community resources
  • No parametric history tree; may require different workflow for some users accustomed to feature-based modeling
  • Premium pricing for Indie users despite being positioned as affordable alternative

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

Plasticity

On request
  • Indie$149/one-time

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 Plasticity if

  • You need smooth surface modeling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
  • You also want fillet operations.
Plasticity review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Plasticity better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Plasticity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Plasticity?
3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Plasticity at On request.
Does 3D-Coat or Plasticity run on more platforms?
3D-Coat runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
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 Plasticity is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Plasticity cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling, Fillet operations, Boolean operations, Mesh export. Both handle Blender, Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Plasticity: What is Plasticity designed for?

Plasticity is a NURBS-based 3D modeler designed for concept and product design, prioritizing an artist-friendly workflow over parametric history-based modeling.

Source
Plasticity: What platforms does Plasticity support?

Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS (Intel and M-Series), Linux, and Ubuntu using Parasolid's geometric modeling kernel.

Source
Plasticity: What is the pricing model for Plasticity?

Plasticity is a one-time purchase: Indie tier costs $149 and Studio tier is available at a higher price point. A 30-day free trial is available.

Source
Plasticity: Does Plasticity integrate with Blender?

Yes. Plasticity includes a Blender Bridge add-on that enables live-linking between Plasticity and Blender, allowing you to preview Plasticity models inside Blender with proper materials and lighting.

Source
Plasticity: What key features distinguish Plasticity from other CAD tools?

Plasticity features streamlined UI with context-sensitive widgets, chordal fillets, key bindings familiar to Blender users, radial menus, Dimension and Measure commands for absolute constraints, and handles complex Boolean operations on dense geometry.

Source
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