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3D-Coat vs Substance 3D Designer

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

Software

Digital sculpting for game artists

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substance 3D Designer logo

Substance 3D Designer

Software

Node-based material authoring

From
$29/month
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; Substance 3D Designer as of a 1 January 2023 archived capture, Adobe Substance 3D Designer is not sold standalone; it requires the Substance 3D Collection subscription plan at US$49.99 per month
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Substance 3D Designer covers Node-based workflow.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Substance 3D Designer differ
Attribute3D-CoatSubstance 3D Designer
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Founded20071982

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
  • Smart materials
  • Baking
  • Blender

Only in Substance 3D Designer

  • Node-based workflow
  • Procedural generation
  • Patterns
  • Filters
  • Custom nodes
  • MDL export
  • Painter
  • Adobe ID

Both cover

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

Substance 3D Designer

  • Material creationnot 3D-Coat
  • Procedural texturesnot 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

Substance 3D Designer

  • As of a 1 January 2023 archived capture, Adobe Substance 3D Designer is not sold standalone; it requires the Substance 3D Collection subscription plan at US$49.99 per month

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

Substance 3D Designer

$29/month
  • Substance 3D Collection$49.99/month
    • All Substance apps

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 Substance 3D Designer if

  • You need node-based workflow.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want procedural generation.
Substance 3D Designer review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Substance 3D Designer better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Substance 3D Designer at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or Substance 3D Designer?
3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Substance 3D Designer at $29/month.
Does 3D-Coat or Substance 3D Designer 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 Substance 3D Designer is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Substance 3D Designer cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Substance 3D Designer covers Node-based workflow, Procedural generation, Patterns, Filters. Both handle PBR materials, Maya, Unity, Unreal.
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