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Game Development · head to head

Lumberyard vs Substance 3D Painter

Lumberyard logo

Lumberyard

Game Development

Build AAA games with a free, cross-platform 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 Lumberyard has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Lumberyard covers CryEngine foundation, 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 Lumberyard and Substance 3D Painter actually diverge.

Attributes where Lumberyard and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeLumberyardSubstance 3D Painter
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Playstation, Xbox, LinuxWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded20061982

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 Lumberyard

  • CryEngine foundation
  • Lua scripting
  • Flowgraph editor
  • Advanced graphics
  • Physics simulation
  • AWS GameLift integration
  • Multiplayer support
  • VR capabilities

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.

Lumberyard

  • Building 3D games with an AWS-integrated enginenot Substance 3D Painter
  • Cloud-connected multiplayer game backendsnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Twitch integration for streamed gameplay featuresnot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Lumberyard
  • Film assetsnot Lumberyard
  • Product visualizationnot Lumberyard

Where each one falls short

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

Lumberyard

  • AWS Lumberyard free tier has restricted access and is intended for getting started only
  • Production use requires pay-as-you-go costs that scale with usage
  • Exact pricing depends on specific AWS services consumed and usage levels

Substance 3D Painter

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Lumberyard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine source
    • AWS integration
    • Lua scripting

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 Lumberyard if

  • You need cryengine foundation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
  • You also want lua scripting.
Lumberyard 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 Lumberyard or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Lumberyard 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, Lumberyard or Substance 3D Painter?
Lumberyard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lumberyard and $29/month for Substance 3D Painter.
Does Lumberyard or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Lumberyard runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Lumberyard for free?
Yes. Lumberyard has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Substance 3D Painter starts at $29/month.
What is Lumberyard best used for?
Lumberyard is most often used for building 3d games with an aws-integrated engine, cloud-connected multiplayer game backends, twitch integration for streamed gameplay features. Of those, building 3d games with an aws-integrated engine and cloud-connected multiplayer game backends are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Lumberyard do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Lumberyard covers CryEngine foundation, Lua scripting, Flowgraph editor, Advanced graphics. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lumberyard: Does AWS Lumberyard cost money?

AWS Lumberyard is not free for production use. The service offers a free tier for getting started, hands-on experience, and development. Production deployments use AWS's pay-as-you-go pricing model where costs scale with your usage.

Source
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
Lumberyard: How is AWS Lumberyard priced?

Lumberyard uses AWS's flexible consumption-based pricing. Customers can use the free tier to explore services, then pay for what they use in production. AWS also offers Savings Plans for lower prices on committed usage.

Source
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