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Blender vs Substance 3D Painter

Blender logo

Blender

Software

Free and Open Source 3D Creation Suite

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substance 3D Painter logo

Substance 3D Painter

Software

3D texture painting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Blender has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blender rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines; Substance 3D Painter the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.
  • They diverge on capability: Blender covers 3D modeling, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blender and Substance 3D Painter actually diverge.

Attributes where Blender and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeBlenderSubstance 3D Painter
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, LinuxWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded20021982

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 Blender

  • 3D modeling
  • Sculpting
  • Animation
  • Rigging
  • Rendering
  • Compositing
  • Video editing
  • 2D animation

Only in Substance 3D Painter

  • 3D painting
  • Smart materials
  • Generators
  • PBR workflow
  • Baking
  • Export presets
  • Scripting
  • Maya

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Blender

  • 3D modeling and animationnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Visual effectsnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Game developmentnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Architectural visualizationnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Video editingnot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Blender
  • Film assetsnot Blender
  • Product visualizationnot Blender

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blender

  • Rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines
  • Limited real-time viewport performance for very large scenes

Substance 3D Painter

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blender

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Blender review.

Substance 3D Painter

$29/month
  • Substance 3D Texturing$19.99/month
    • Painter + Sampler
  • Substance 3D Collection$49.99/month
    • All Substance apps

Which should you pick?

Choose Blender if

  • You need 3d modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want sculpting.
Blender review

Choose Substance 3D Painter if

  • You need 3d painting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want smart materials.
Substance 3D Painter review

Questions people ask

Is Blender or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Blender starts at Free and Substance 3D Painter at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blender or Substance 3D Painter?
Blender has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blender and $29/month for Substance 3D Painter.
Does Blender or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Blender runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Blender for free?
Yes. Blender has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Substance 3D Painter starts at $29/month.
What is Blender best used for?
Blender is most often used for 3d modeling and animation, visual effects, game development, architectural visualization. Of those, 3d modeling and animation and visual effects are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Blender do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Blender covers 3D modeling, Sculpting, Animation, Rigging. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blender: Can I use Blender commercially for free?

Yes. Blender is distributed under the GNU GPL license, meaning it is completely free to use for any purpose, including commercially or for education, with no licensing fees or restrictions.

Source
Blender: What operating systems does Blender support?

Blender is cross-platform and runs equally well on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh computers.

Source
Blender: Can I extend Blender's functionality?

Yes. Blender has a flexible Python-controlled interface and you can use hundreds of add-ons by the community or create your own using Blender's accessible Python API.

Source
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