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Game Development · head to head

Cocos Creator vs Substance 3D Painter

Cocos Creator logo

Cocos Creator

Game Development

Free 2D and 3D engine with no royalties, dominant in Chinese mini-game platforms

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substance 3D Painter logo

Substance 3D Painter

Game Development

3D texture painting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cocos Creator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Cocos Creator covers TypeScript scripting, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cocos Creator and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeCocos CreatorSubstance 3D Painter
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Web, iOS, AndroidWindows, MacOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown1982

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).

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 Cocos Creator

  • TypeScript scripting
  • Mini-game export
  • Small build sizes
  • 2D and 3D pipelines
  • Open source runtime
  • No royalties

Only in Substance 3D Painter

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

What people use each for

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

Cocos Creator

  • Shipping to WeChat, Douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforcednot Substance 3D Painter
  • Advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversionnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Small teams that want a free 2D engine with no royalty or per install exposurenot Substance 3D Painter
  • Studios targeting Asian mobile publishing where Cocos experience is common in the hiring poolnot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Cocos Creator
  • Film assetsnot Cocos Creator
  • Product visualizationnot Cocos Creator

Where each one falls short

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

Cocos Creator

  • Documentation, forums and release notes are written in Chinese first and the English versions lag or stay incomplete, so an English-only team spends real time on translation and guesswork.
  • Most tutorials and Stack Overflow answers online describe Cocos2d-x, the older runtime, which is now legacy and structured differently from the current editor, so search results actively mislead new users.
  • The 3D pipeline is usable but behind general purpose engines on lighting, terrain, animation tooling and profiling, so an ambitious 3D project writes more of its own tooling.
  • Console publishing is not a supported export from the editor; reaching PlayStation, Xbox or Switch means porting partners or third-party services, which adds cost and schedule to a title that succeeds on mobile.
  • Hiring outside Asia is difficult because few developers have Cocos experience, which raises the cost of growing the team or handing the project to an outside studio later.

Substance 3D Painter

Nothing recorded yet. See the Substance 3D Painter review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cocos Creator

Free
  • Cocos CreatorFree
    • Free for commercial use with no royalty
    • Open source engine runtime
    • All export targets included

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 Cocos Creator if

  • You need typescript scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want mini-game export.
Cocos Creator 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 Cocos Creator or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Cocos Creator 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, Cocos Creator or Substance 3D Painter?
Cocos Creator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cocos Creator and $29/month for Substance 3D Painter.
Does Cocos Creator or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Cocos Creator runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Cocos Creator for free?
Yes. Cocos Creator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Substance 3D Painter starts at $29/month.
What is Cocos Creator best used for?
Cocos Creator is most often used for shipping to wechat, douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforced, advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversion, small teams that want a free 2d engine with no royalty or per install exposure, studios targeting asian mobile publishing where cocos experience is common in the hiring pool. Of those, shipping to wechat, douyin or other mini-game platforms where package size limits are enforced and advertising-funded mobile games where a small download raises install conversion are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Cocos Creator do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Cocos Creator covers TypeScript scripting, Mini-game export, Small build sizes, 2D and 3D pipelines. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cocos Creator: Does Cocos take a revenue share?

No. It is free for commercial use with no royalty, no revenue threshold and no per install charge.

Substance 3D Painter: Does Substance 3D Painter offer a free trial?

Free trial availability for Substance 3D Painter cannot be confirmed from publicly accessible pricing pages. Check the product page directly or contact Adobe for current trial offers.

Source
Cocos Creator: Is it only useful for mini-games?

No, it exports to iOS, Android, desktop and the web. Mini-game platforms are where it has an advantage no other engine matches, because of build size.

Cocos Creator: What is the difference from Cocos2d-x?

Cocos2d-x is the older code-first framework. Cocos Creator is the current editor-driven engine with TypeScript scripting. New projects should use Creator even though more tutorials describe Cocos2d-x.

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