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Inventor vs Substance 3D Painter

Inventor logo

Inventor

Software

Professional-grade 3D mechanical design

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: Inventor autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product; 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: Inventor covers Parametric modeling, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Inventor and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeInventorSubstance 3D Painter
PlatformsWindowsWindows, MacOS, Linux

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1982).

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 Inventor

  • Parametric modeling
  • Assembly design
  • Sheet metal
  • Simulation
  • Rendering
  • Technical documentation
  • Frame generator
  • AutoCAD

Only in Substance 3D Painter

  • 3D painting
  • Smart materials
  • Generators
  • PBR workflow
  • Baking
  • Export presets
  • Scripting
  • Maya

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Inventor

  • Mechanical designnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Product developmentnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Manufacturing documentationnot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Inventor
  • Film assetsnot Inventor
  • Product visualizationnot Inventor

Where each one falls short

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

Inventor

  • Autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product

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

Inventor

$29/month
  • Inventor$2085/month
    • Full mechanical design
    • Simulation
    • Documentation
  • Product Design & Manufacturing Collection$2475/month
    • Inventor + AutoCAD + more

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 Inventor if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want assembly design.
Inventor review

Choose Substance 3D Painter if

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

Questions people ask

Is Inventor or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Inventor 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, Inventor or Substance 3D Painter?
Inventor starts at $29/month and Substance 3D Painter at $29/month.
Does Inventor or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Inventor runs on Windows. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
What is Inventor best used for?
Inventor is most often used for mechanical design, product development, manufacturing documentation. Of those, mechanical design and product development are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Inventor do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Inventor covers Parametric modeling, Assembly design, Sheet metal, Simulation. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow. Both handle Windows support.
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