3D & CAD · head to head
Mudbox vs Modo
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); Modo foundry announced on November 7, 2024 that it is winding down development of Modo after the Modo 17.1 release, with no further feature or maintenance releases anticipated
- They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Modo covers Polygon modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mudbox and Modo 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 (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 Modo
- Polygon modeling
- Subdivision surfaces
- Sculpting
- UV tools
- Procedural modeling
- Rendering
- Animation
- MeshFusion
Both cover
- 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 Modo
- Texture creationnot Modo
- Asset detailingnot Modo
Modo
- Polygon and subdivision surface modelling for media and entertainment assetsnot Mudbox
- Look development and rendering of product and character modelsnot 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)
Modo
- Foundry announced on November 7, 2024 that it is winding down development of Modo after the Modo 17.1 release, with no further feature or maintenance releases anticipated
- Support continues only until each customer's current contract term expires
- Foundry does not guarantee that Modo will keep working on future operating system updates because no patches will be issued, and recommends customers migrate to alternative 3D workflows
- Perpetual licences keep working but receive no further updates, bug fixes or support
- The Modo forums closed in December 2024 and downloads, docs and the support knowledgebase were committed only until November 2025
Pricing, plan by plan
Mudbox
$29/month- Mudbox$85/month
- Full sculpting
- Texture painting
- M&E Collection$2390/month
- Mudbox + Maya + 3ds Max + more
Modo
$29/month- Indie$599/month
- Full Modo
- Revenue limit $100K
- Modo$1898/month
- Full commercial license
Which should you pick?
Choose Mudbox if
- You need digital sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want texture painting.
Choose Modo if
- You need polygon modeling.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want subdivision surfaces.
Questions people ask
- Is Mudbox or Modo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and Modo at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mudbox or Modo?
- Mudbox starts at $29/month and Modo at $29/month.
- Does Mudbox or Modo 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 Modo is typically brought in for.
- What can Mudbox do that Modo cannot?
- Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. Modo covers Polygon modeling, Subdivision surfaces, Sculpting, UV tools. Both handle License management, Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.