Softwr

3D & CAD · head to head

Mudbox vs V-Ray

Mudbox logo

Mudbox

3D & CAD

Digital painting and sculpting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
V-Ray logo

V-Ray

3D & CAD

Professional 3D rendering software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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); V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
  • They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, V-Ray covers Ray tracing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mudbox and V-Ray actually diverge.

Attributes where Mudbox and V-Ray differ
AttributeMudboxV-Ray
Founded19821997

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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 Mudbox

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

Only in V-Ray

  • Ray tracing
  • Global illumination
  • GPU rendering
  • CPU rendering
  • Materials
  • Lighting
  • VR output
  • Scene intelligence

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 V-Ray
  • Texture creationnot V-Ray
  • Asset detailingnot V-Ray

V-Ray

  • Photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisationnot Mudbox
  • Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot 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)

V-Ray

  • Licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
  • Subscription terms renew automatically
  • Cloud rendering runs on separately purchased credits, with the Pro tier at $25.30 a month for 1,000
  • Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Mudbox

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

V-Ray

$29/month
  • V-Ray Solo$60/month
    • 1 workstation
    • 5 render nodes
  • V-Ray Premium$80/month
    • Multiple apps
    • Cloud credits

Which should you pick?

Choose Mudbox if

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

Choose V-Ray if

  • You need ray tracing.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want global illumination.
V-Ray review

Questions people ask

Is Mudbox or V-Ray better?
Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mudbox or V-Ray?
Mudbox starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month.
Does Mudbox or V-Ray 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 V-Ray is typically brought in for.
What can Mudbox do that V-Ray cannot?
Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Both handle Maya, 3ds Max, License management, Windows support.
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