Softwr

3D & CAD · head to head

Arnold vs ZBrush

Arnold logo

Arnold

3D & CAD

Advanced Monte Carlo ray tracing renderer

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZBrush logo

ZBrush

3D & CAD

Industry standard for digital sculpting

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; ZBrush subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • They diverge on capability: Arnold covers Ray tracing, ZBrush covers Digital sculpting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arnold and ZBrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Arnold and ZBrush differ
AttributeArnoldZBrush
Starting price$29/monthOn request
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, iPadOS
Founded19981986

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (3D & CAD).

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
  • Houdini
  • Katana
  • Linux support

Only in ZBrush

  • Digital sculpting
  • Dynamesh
  • ZRemesher
  • PolyPaint
  • Live Boolean
  • Sculptris Pro
  • UV Master
  • High polygon handling

Both cover

  • Maya
  • 3ds Max
  • Cinema 4D
  • License management
  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

Arnold

  • Film productionnot ZBrush
  • Animationnot ZBrush
  • VFXnot ZBrush

ZBrush

  • Digital character and creature sculptingnot Arnold
  • High-polygon organic form designnot Arnold
  • Texture painting and PolyPaint worknot Arnold
  • Game asset creation and 3D modellingnot 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.

ZBrush

  • Subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • iPad version requires separate subscription to ZBrush for iPad

Pricing, plan by plan

Arnold

$29/month
  • Arnold$360/month
    • Standalone renderer

ZBrush

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ZBrush review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Arnold if

  • You need ray tracing.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want gpu rendering.
Arnold review

Choose ZBrush if

  • You need digital sculpting.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
  • You also want dynamesh.
ZBrush review

Questions people ask

Is Arnold or ZBrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Arnold starts at $29/month and ZBrush at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arnold or ZBrush?
Arnold starts at $29/month and ZBrush at On request.
Does Arnold or ZBrush run on more platforms?
Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. ZBrush runs on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
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 ZBrush is typically brought in for.
What can Arnold do that ZBrush cannot?
Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. ZBrush covers Digital sculpting, Dynamesh, ZRemesher, PolyPaint. Both handle Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, License management.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Arnold

More on ZBrush

Keep looking

Other head to heads