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Game Development · head to head

Construct 3 vs Substance 3D Painter

Construct 3 logo

Construct 3

Game Development

Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.

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 Construct 3 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; 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: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Construct 3 and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeConstruct 3Substance 3D Painter
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded20071982

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 Construct 3

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite editor
  • Particle effects
  • Sound effects
  • Web-based
  • HTML5 support

Only in Substance 3D Painter

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

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Construct 3

  • Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Substance 3D Painter
  • Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Construct 3
  • Film assetsnot Construct 3
  • Product visualizationnot Construct 3

Where each one falls short

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

Construct 3

  • The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
  • Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
  • The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
  • Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business

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

Construct 3

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Web-based editor
    • HTML5 export
    • Asset library
  • Personal$99/year
    • All Free features
    • Offline editor
    • Advanced export

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 Construct 3 if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Construct 3 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 Construct 3 or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 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, Construct 3 or Substance 3D Painter?
Construct 3 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Construct 3 and $29/month for Substance 3D Painter.
Does Construct 3 or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Construct 3 for free?
Yes. Construct 3 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Substance 3D Painter starts at $29/month.
What is Construct 3 best used for?
Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Construct 3 do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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