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3D-Coat vs Substance 3D Painter

3D-Coat logo

3D-Coat

Software

Digital sculpting for game artists

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

Substance 3D Painter

Software

3D texture painting software

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 Painter the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.
  • They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where 3D-Coat and Substance 3D Painter differ
Attribute3D-CoatSubstance 3D Painter
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
  • PBR materials
  • License activation

Only in Substance 3D Painter

  • 3D painting
  • Generators
  • PBR workflow
  • Export presets
  • Scripting
  • Adobe ID
  • Creative Cloud

Both cover

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

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot 3D-Coat
  • Film assetsnot 3D-Coat
  • Product visualizationnot 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 Painter

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.

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 Painter

$29/month
  • Substance 3D Texturing$19.99/month
    • Painter + Sampler
  • 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 Painter if

  • You need 3d painting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want generators.
Substance 3D Painter review

Questions people ask

Is 3D-Coat or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Substance 3D Painter 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 Painter?
3D-Coat starts at $29/month and Substance 3D Painter at $29/month.
Does 3D-Coat or Substance 3D Painter 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 Painter is typically brought in for.
What can 3D-Coat do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Generators, PBR workflow, Export presets. Both handle Smart materials, Baking, Blender, Maya.
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