Software · head to head
Mudbox vs Lumion
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); Lumion enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures
- They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Lumion covers Real-time rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mudbox and Lumion actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Lumion
- Real-time rendering
- Content library
- Effects
- Video animation
- VR export
- LiveSync
- Revit
- SketchUp
Both cover
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mudbox
- Character sculptingnot Lumion
- Texture creationnot Lumion
- Asset detailingnot Lumion
Lumion
- Architectural visualizationnot Mudbox
- Client presentationsnot 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)
Lumion
- Enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures
Pricing, plan by plan
Mudbox
$29/month- Mudbox$85/month
- Full sculpting
- Texture painting
- M&E Collection$2390/month
- Mudbox + Maya + 3ds Max + more
Lumion
$29/month- Standard$1499/month
- Core features
- Pro$2999/month
- Full features
- More content
Which should you pick?
Choose Mudbox if
- You need digital sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want texture painting.
Choose Lumion if
- You need real-time rendering.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want content library.
Questions people ask
- Is Mudbox or Lumion better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and Lumion at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mudbox or Lumion?
- Mudbox starts at $29/month and Lumion at $29/month.
- Does Mudbox or Lumion run on more platforms?
- Mudbox runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Lumion runs on Windows.
- 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 Lumion is typically brought in for.
- What can Mudbox do that Lumion cannot?
- Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. Lumion covers Real-time rendering, Content library, Effects, Video animation. Both handle Windows support.