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Software · head to head

Mudbox vs ZBrush

Mudbox logo

Mudbox

Software

Digital painting and sculpting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZBrush logo

ZBrush

Software

Industry standard for digital sculpting

From
On request
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); ZBrush subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • They diverge on capability: Mudbox covers Texture painting, ZBrush covers Dynamesh.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mudbox and ZBrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Mudbox and ZBrush differ
AttributeMudboxZBrush
Starting price$29/monthOn request
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, iPadOS
Founded19821986

Identical on both: 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

  • Texture painting
  • Retopology
  • PTEX support
  • Layer system
  • Stencils
  • Stamps
  • GPU tessellation
  • Autodesk ecosystem

Only in ZBrush

  • Dynamesh
  • ZRemesher
  • PolyPaint
  • Live Boolean
  • Sculptris Pro
  • UV Master
  • High polygon handling
  • Blender

Both cover

  • Digital sculpting
  • Maya
  • 3ds Max
  • License management
  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

Mudbox

  • Character sculptingnot ZBrush
  • Texture creationnot ZBrush
  • Asset detailingnot ZBrush

ZBrush

  • Digital character and creature sculptingnot Mudbox
  • High-polygon organic form designnot Mudbox
  • Texture painting and PolyPaint worknot Mudbox
  • Game asset creation and 3D modellingnot 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)

ZBrush

  • Subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • iPad version requires separate subscription to ZBrush for iPad

Pricing, plan by plan

Mudbox

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

ZBrush

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ZBrush review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mudbox if

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

Choose ZBrush if

  • You need dynamesh.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
  • You also want zremesher.
ZBrush review

Questions people ask

Is Mudbox or ZBrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Mudbox starts at $29/month and ZBrush at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mudbox or ZBrush?
Mudbox starts at $29/month and ZBrush at On request.
Does Mudbox or ZBrush run on more platforms?
Mudbox runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. ZBrush runs on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
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 ZBrush is typically brought in for.
What can Mudbox do that ZBrush cannot?
Mudbox covers Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX support, Layer system. ZBrush covers Dynamesh, ZRemesher, PolyPaint, Live Boolean. Both handle Digital sculpting, Maya, 3ds Max, License management.
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