Software · head to head
Mudbox vs Arnold
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Mudbox a Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023); 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.
- They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Arnold covers Ray tracing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mudbox and Arnold actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), 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 Mudbox
- Digital sculpting
- Texture painting
- Retopology
- PTEX support
- Layer system
- Stencils
- Stamps
- GPU tessellation
Only in Arnold
- Ray tracing
- GPU rendering
- Production shading
- OSL
- Denoising
- Cinema 4D
- Houdini
- Katana
Both cover
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- License management
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mudbox
- Character sculptingnot Arnold
- Texture creationnot Arnold
- Asset detailingnot Arnold
Arnold
- Film productionnot Mudbox
- Animationnot Mudbox
- VFXnot Mudbox
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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)
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.
Pricing, plan by plan
Mudbox
$29/month- Mudbox$85/month
- Full sculpting
- Texture painting
- M&E Collection$2390/month
- Mudbox + Maya + 3ds Max + more
Arnold
$29/month- Arnold$360/month
- Standalone renderer
Which should you pick?
Choose Mudbox if
- You need digital sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want texture painting.
Choose Arnold if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want gpu rendering.
Questions people ask
- Is Mudbox or Arnold better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and Arnold at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mudbox or Arnold?
- Mudbox starts at $29/month and Arnold at $29/month.
- Does Mudbox or Arnold run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Mudbox best used for?
- Mudbox is most often used for character sculpting, texture creation, asset detailing. Of those, character sculpting and texture creation are not what Arnold is typically brought in for.
- What can Mudbox do that Arnold cannot?
- Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Both handle Maya, 3ds Max, License management, Windows support.