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Aseprite vs Mudbox

Aseprite logo

Aseprite

Software

Animated sprite editor and pixel art tool

From
$19.99/once
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mudbox logo

Mudbox

Software

Digital painting and sculpting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aseprite a one-off purchase with no free tier, only a trial; Mudbox a Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: Aseprite covers Pixel art tools, Mudbox covers Digital sculpting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aseprite and Mudbox actually diverge.

Attributes where Aseprite and Mudbox differ
AttributeAsepriteMudbox
Starting price$19.99/once$29/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Founded20011982

Identical on both: 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 Aseprite

  • Pixel art tools
  • Animation timeline
  • Onion skinning
  • Layers
  • Tilemap editor
  • Color palettes
  • Sprite sheets
  • Scripting (Lua)

Only in Mudbox

  • Digital sculpting
  • Texture painting
  • Retopology
  • PTEX support
  • Layer system
  • Stencils
  • Stamps
  • GPU tessellation

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aseprite

  • Pixel art creation for gamesnot Mudbox
  • Frame-by-frame sprite animationnot Mudbox
  • Exporting sprite sheets and GIFsnot Mudbox
  • Scripting repetitive export tasks through the command linenot Mudbox

Mudbox

  • Character sculptingnot Aseprite
  • Texture creationnot Aseprite
  • Asset detailingnot Aseprite

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aseprite

  • A one-off purchase with no free tier, only a trial
  • Deliberately narrow: a pixel art and sprite animation editor rather than a general image editor
  • The site does not state supported platforms or licence terms, which are on GitHub instead

Mudbox

  • A Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)
  • Sold as monthly, annual or 3-year subscription terms with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)

Pricing, plan by plan

Aseprite

$19.99/once
  • License$19.99/once
    • Full feature set
    • Free updates
    • Commercial use

Mudbox

$29/month
  • Mudbox$85/month
    • Full sculpting
    • Texture painting
  • M&E Collection$2390/month
    • Mudbox + Maya + 3ds Max + more

Which should you pick?

Choose Aseprite if

  • You need pixel art tools.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want animation timeline.
Aseprite review

Choose Mudbox if

  • You need digital sculpting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want texture painting.
Mudbox review

Questions people ask

Is Aseprite or Mudbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Aseprite starts at $19.99/once and Mudbox at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aseprite or Mudbox?
Aseprite starts at $19.99/once and Mudbox at $29/month.
Does Aseprite or Mudbox run on more platforms?
Aseprite runs on Windows, Macos, Linux. Mudbox runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
What is Aseprite best used for?
Aseprite is most often used for pixel art creation for games, frame-by-frame sprite animation, exporting sprite sheets and gifs, scripting repetitive export tasks through the command line. Of those, pixel art creation for games and frame-by-frame sprite animation are not what Mudbox is typically brought in for.
What can Aseprite do that Mudbox cannot?
Aseprite covers Pixel art tools, Animation timeline, Onion skinning, Layers. Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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