3D & CAD · head to head
Arnold vs Tilt Brush
The short version
- Only Tilt Brush has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Arnold the Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.; Tilt Brush no longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
- They diverge on capability: Arnold covers Ray tracing, Tilt Brush covers 3D painting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Arnold and Tilt Brush actually diverge.
| Attribute | Arnold | Tilt Brush |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR |
| Category | 3D & CAD | AR/VR & Metaverse |
| Founded | 1998 | 2016 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Arnold
- Ray tracing
- GPU rendering
- Production shading
- OSL
- Denoising
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- Cinema 4D
Only in Tilt Brush
- 3D painting
- Dynamic brushes
- Environment selection
- Animation
- Google Poly
- Sketchfab
- YouTube VR
- Vr support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Arnold
- Film productionnot Tilt Brush
- Animationnot Tilt Brush
- VFXnot Tilt Brush
Tilt Brush
- VR Gamingnot Arnold
- AR Marketingnot Arnold
- Virtual Trainingnot Arnold
- 3D Visualizationnot Arnold
- Immersive Experiencesnot Arnold
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Arnold
- The Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.
Tilt Brush
- No longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
- Limited editing capabilities with no layers system and no 3D brushes for precise refinement
- Not designed for professional branding or marketing work; better suited for creative expression than practical design
- Tool limitations make it difficult to move, cut, or rearrange grouped elements after creation
- VR hardware costs are high relative to software cost, and can cause motion sickness in some users
Pricing, plan by plan
Arnold
$29/month- Arnold$360/month
- Standalone renderer
Tilt Brush
Free- Google Tilt Brush$19.99/one-time
- VR painting and creative tools
- Available on VR app stores
- Open Brush (open-source)Free
- Free open-source version
- Available on Steam and Meta Quest
Which should you pick?
Choose Arnold if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want gpu rendering.
Choose Tilt Brush if
- You need 3d painting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
- You also want dynamic brushes.
Questions people ask
- Is Arnold or Tilt Brush better?
- Neither clearly leads. Arnold starts at $29/month and Tilt Brush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Arnold or Tilt Brush?
- Tilt Brush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Arnold and Free for Tilt Brush.
- Does Arnold or Tilt Brush run on more platforms?
- Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Tilt Brush runs on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
- Can I use Tilt Brush for free?
- Yes. Tilt Brush has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arnold starts at $29/month.
- What is Arnold best used for?
- Arnold is most often used for film production, animation, vfx. Of those, film production and animation are not what Tilt Brush is typically brought in for.
- What can Arnold do that Tilt Brush cannot?
- Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Tilt Brush covers 3D painting, Dynamic brushes, Environment selection, Animation.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Tilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush still available to use?
Yes. Although Google ended active development in January 2021, Tilt Brush remains available on VR app stores and continues to function. Google also open-sourced the code, enabling community-maintained alternatives like Open Brush to provide free versions for PC VR and Meta Quest.
SourceTilt Brush: Is there a free version of Tilt Brush?
The official Google Tilt Brush costs $19.99. However, Open Brush (the open-source community version) is completely free and available for PC VR via Steam and on Oculus Quest.
SourceTilt Brush: What VR headsets does Tilt Brush support?
Tilt Brush works on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, and PlayStation VR. The open-source Open Brush version also supports PC VR.
SourceTilt Brush: Can I export my Tilt Brush creations?
Yes. Tilt Brush creations can be exported as room-scale VR pieces or animated GIFs to share with others. The app does not support direct export to 3D model formats like OBJ or FBX.
SourceTilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush good for professional 3D design work?
Tilt Brush is primarily a creative expression and painting tool rather than a professional 3D design tool. It lacks features like layers, editable 3D brushes, and precise refinement controls needed for professional workflows. For professional VR sculpting, Adobe Medium or Quill are better choices.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
- Arnold vs Enscape
- Arnold vs V-Ray
- Arnold vs FreeCAD
- Arnold vs KeyShot
- Arnold vs Lumion
- Arnold vs Houdini
- Arnold vs Inventor
- Arnold vs Mudbox
- Arnold vs Corona Renderer
- Arnold vs D5 Render
- Arnold vs Twinmotion
- Arnold vs LightWave 3D
- Arnold vs OpenSCAD
- Arnold vs PrusaSlicer
- Arnold vs Siemens NX
- Arnold vs ZBrush
- Arnold vs 3D-Coat
- Arnold vs Alibre Design
- Arnold vs ARCore
- Arnold vs ARKit
- Arnold vs Meta Quest
- Arnold vs Apple Vision Pro
- Arnold vs Unity AR Foundation
- Arnold vs HTC Vive
- Arnold vs 8th Wall
- Arnold vs Lens Studio
- Arnold vs Vuforia
- Arnold vs A-Frame
- Arnold vs Babylon.js
- Arnold vs Microsoft HoloLens 2
- Arnold vs Niantic Lightship
- Arnold vs PlayStation VR2
- Arnold vs Spark AR Studio
- Arnold vs TikTok Effect House
- Arnold vs Gravity Sketch
- Arnold vs Instagram AR Effects
- Tilt Brush vs Enscape
- Tilt Brush vs V-Ray
- Tilt Brush vs FreeCAD
- Tilt Brush vs KeyShot
- Tilt Brush vs Lumion
- Tilt Brush vs Houdini
- Tilt Brush vs Inventor
- Tilt Brush vs Mudbox
- Tilt Brush vs Corona Renderer
- Tilt Brush vs D5 Render
- Tilt Brush vs Twinmotion
- Tilt Brush vs LightWave 3D
- Tilt Brush vs OpenSCAD
- Tilt Brush vs PrusaSlicer
- Tilt Brush vs Siemens NX
- Tilt Brush vs ZBrush
- Tilt Brush vs 3D-Coat
- Tilt Brush vs Alibre Design
- Tilt Brush vs ARCore
- Tilt Brush vs ARKit
- Tilt Brush vs Meta Quest
- Tilt Brush vs Apple Vision Pro
- Tilt Brush vs Unity AR Foundation
- Tilt Brush vs HTC Vive
- Tilt Brush vs 8th Wall
- Tilt Brush vs Lens Studio
- Tilt Brush vs Vuforia
- Tilt Brush vs A-Frame
- Tilt Brush vs Babylon.js
- Tilt Brush vs Microsoft HoloLens 2
- Tilt Brush vs Niantic Lightship
- Tilt Brush vs PlayStation VR2
- Tilt Brush vs Spark AR Studio
- Tilt Brush vs TikTok Effect House
- Tilt Brush vs Gravity Sketch
- Tilt Brush vs Instagram AR Effects