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Mudbox vs Unity

Mudbox logo

Mudbox

Software

Digital painting and sculpting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unity logo

Unity

Software

Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Unity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mudbox a Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023); Unity unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required
  • They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Unity covers Visual editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mudbox and Unity actually diverge.

Attributes where Mudbox and Unity differ
AttributeMudboxUnity
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl
Founded19822004

Identical on both: 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 Unity

  • Visual editor
  • Physics engine (PhysX)
  • Animation system
  • Particle system
  • Built-in audio engine
  • Scripting with C#
  • Asset Store
  • Version control integration

Both cover

  • Maya

What people use each for

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

Mudbox

  • Character sculptingnot Unity
  • Texture creationnot Unity
  • Asset detailingnot Unity

Unity

  • Building 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, AR and VRnot Mudbox
  • Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Mudbox
  • Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Mudbox
  • Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot 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)

Unity

  • Unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required
  • Unity Pro costs $210.00 per month or $2,310.00 per year per seat
  • Businesses with more than $25M in annual revenue are required to be on Unity Enterprise, which is custom priced and requires contacting sales
  • Deploying to game consoles and to Apple Vision Pro requires Unity Pro or above
  • Splash screen customization is not available on Unity Personal
  • Unity Personal is licensed for gaming and entertainment applications only
  • Read-only engine source code access is an Enterprise feature and carries an additional cost
  • Asset Manager storage on Personal is capped at 10 GB per organization
  • Unity AI tools are free for a 14 day trial on Personal, after which a paid subscription is required
  • Enterprise terms note that minimum subscription or spending commitments may apply

Pricing, plan by plan

Mudbox

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

Unity

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Full engine access
    • Asset Store access
    • Community support
  • Professional$399/month
    • All Personal features
    • Priority support
    • Advanced analytics

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 Unity if

  • You need visual editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
  • You also want physics engine (physx).
Unity review

Questions people ask

Is Mudbox or Unity better?
Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and Unity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mudbox or Unity?
Unity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Mudbox and Free for Unity.
Does Mudbox or Unity run on more platforms?
Mudbox runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
Can I use Unity for free?
Yes. Unity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mudbox starts at $29/month.
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 Unity is typically brought in for.
What can Mudbox do that Unity cannot?
Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support. Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system. Both handle Maya.
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