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CAD · head to head

Mari vs Quixel Mixer

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quixel Mixer logo

Quixel Mixer

Game Development

Free 3D texturing and material creation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter; Quixel Mixer discontinued as of February 19, 2026 with no future updates or support
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, Quixel Mixer covers Material blending.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and Quixel Mixer actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and Quixel Mixer differ
AttributeMariQuixel Mixer
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS
CategoryCADGame Development
Founded19962011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Nuke
  • Katana
  • Floating licenses

Only in Quixel Mixer

  • Material blending
  • Megascans integration
  • Smart materials
  • Procedural tools
  • 3D painting
  • Real-time preview
  • Export presets
  • Unreal Engine

Both cover

  • UDIM support
  • Maya
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot Quixel Mixer
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot Quixel Mixer

Quixel Mixer

  • Game texturesnot Mari
  • Environment artnot Mari
  • Photorealistic materialsnot Mari
  • Film VFXnot Mari

Where each one falls short

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

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Quixel Mixer

  • Discontinued as of February 19, 2026 with no future updates or support
  • No built-in baker functionality unlike Substance 3D Painter
  • Limited customization compared to industry-standard Substance Painter
  • Megascans asset library now requires paid subscription instead of free access

Pricing, plan by plan

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Quixel Mixer

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full feature set
    • Megascans integration
    • Commercial use

Which should you pick?

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want procedural layers.
Mari review

Choose Quixel Mixer if

  • You need material blending.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want megascans integration.
Quixel Mixer review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or Quixel Mixer better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and Quixel Mixer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or Quixel Mixer?
Mari starts at Free and Quixel Mixer at Free.
Does Mari or Quixel Mixer run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Quixel Mixer runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Mari for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mari best used for?
Mari is most often used for painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games, handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline. Of those, painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games and handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline are not what Quixel Mixer is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that Quixel Mixer cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, Procedural layers, Baking, Node graph. Quixel Mixer covers Material blending, Megascans integration, Smart materials, Procedural tools. Both handle UDIM support, Maya, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
Quixel Mixer: Is Quixel Mixer still available?

Quixel Mixer was discontinued on February 19, 2026. The final version 2023.1 is available for free download from the Epic Games launcher. It runs offline indefinitely but will receive no future updates or support.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
Quixel Mixer: Can Quixel Mixer work offline?

Yes, version 2023.1 enables Quixel Mixer to run completely offline. Users can download and use the software offline indefinitely, though without future updates.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
Quixel Mixer: What is the current status of Megascans free access?

Quixel Megascans is no longer free for Unreal Engine users. Starting in 2025, Megascans assets are sold individually or included in Fab subscription tiers. The free-for-Unreal era ended at the close of 2024.

Source
Quixel Mixer: How does Quixel Mixer compare to Substance Painter?

Quixel Mixer excels for simplicity, photorealism, and Unreal Engine integration, but lacks a built-in baker unlike Substance 3D Painter. Substance Painter offers more customization and is an industry standard, while Mixer focused on streamlined PBR material creation.

Source
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