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CAD · head to head

Mari vs ZBrush

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZBrush logo

ZBrush

CAD

Industry standard for digital sculpting

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; ZBrush subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, ZBrush covers Digital sculpting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and ZBrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and ZBrush differ
AttributeMariZBrush
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, iPadOS
Founded19961986

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

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
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Nuke
  • Katana

Only in ZBrush

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

Both cover

  • Maya
  • Windows support
  • MacOS 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 ZBrush
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot ZBrush

ZBrush

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

ZBrush

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

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

ZBrush

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ZBrush review.

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 udim support.
Mari review

Choose ZBrush if

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

Questions people ask

Is Mari or ZBrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and ZBrush at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or ZBrush?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mari and On request for ZBrush.
Does Mari or ZBrush run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. ZBrush runs on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ZBrush starts at On request.
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 ZBrush is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that ZBrush cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. ZBrush covers Digital sculpting, Dynamesh, ZRemesher, PolyPaint. Both handle Maya, Windows support, MacOS 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
ZBrush: What is included in a ZBrush subscription?

Every ZBrush subscription includes ZBrush on desktop, iPad, and Windows on Arm devices with premium features, rendering with Redshift, ZBrush Classroom, and Cineversity training.

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
ZBrush: Is there a free trial available?

Yes. Download the Maxon App to start your 14-day free trial. Every trial includes ZBrush and the full Maxon One suite.

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
ZBrush: Can I use ZBrush on multiple devices?

ZBrush licensing is dual platform, so you can run on desktop and iPad simultaneously or switch between them at any time.

Source
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