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CAD · head to head

Nomad Sculpt vs Tilt Brush

Nomad Sculpt logo

Nomad Sculpt

CAD

Digital sculpting on tablets, bought once, with no account and no subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tilt Brush logo

Tilt Brush

AR VR

Paint in 3D space with VR

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tilt Brush has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Nomad Sculpt polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.; Tilt Brush no longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
  • They diverge on capability: Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh, Tilt Brush covers 3D painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nomad Sculpt and Tilt Brush actually diverge.

Attributes where Nomad Sculpt and Tilt Brush differ
AttributeNomad SculptTilt Brush
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchaseUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, AndroidHTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR
CategoryCADAR VR
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: 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 Nomad Sculpt

  • Voxel remesh
  • Multiresolution
  • Dynamic topology
  • Layers
  • PBR painting
  • Internal renderer

Only in Tilt Brush

  • 3D painting
  • Dynamic brushes
  • Environment selection
  • Animation
  • Google Poly
  • Sketchfab
  • YouTube VR
  • Vr support

What people use each for

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

Nomad Sculpt

  • Producing concept sculpts away from a workstation without carrying a laptopnot Tilt Brush
  • Creating 3D printing masters on a tablet and exporting STL directlynot Tilt Brush
  • Teaching sculpting fundamentals where per-seat desktop licences are not affordablenot Tilt Brush
  • Sketching character and creature forms that are finished later in a desktop packagenot Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush

  • VR Gamingnot Nomad Sculpt
  • AR Marketingnot Nomad Sculpt
  • Virtual Trainingnot Nomad Sculpt
  • 3D Visualizationnot Nomad Sculpt
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Nomad Sculpt

Where each one falls short

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

Nomad Sculpt

  • Polygon budgets are bounded by tablet memory, so a base-model device stalls at a fraction of the detail a desktop sculpting application handles, and the ceiling only becomes apparent once a sculpt is well underway.
  • One developer maintains it, so a bug that blocks your workflow waits on one person with no support channel to escalate through.
  • There is no serious retopology or UV unwrapping toolset, so anything destined for a game or animation pipeline has to leave for a desktop package regardless.
  • Rendering is presentation grade rather than production grade, so client-facing images generally need an export to a desktop renderer.
  • Sculpt layers and brushes are application-specific and the route out is OBJ, glTF or STL, so layered non-destructive data does not survive the transfer to another tool.

Tilt Brush

  • No longer actively developed by Google since January 2021; future updates and support are not guaranteed
  • Limited editing capabilities with no layers system and no 3D brushes for precise refinement
  • Not designed for professional branding or marketing work; better suited for creative expression than practical design
  • Tool limitations make it difficult to move, cut, or rearrange grouped elements after creation
  • VR hardware costs are high relative to software cost, and can cause motion sickness in some users

Pricing, plan by plan

Nomad Sculpt

On request
  • Nomad Sculpt$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence through the app store
    • No account or subscription
    • Updates included to date

Tilt Brush

Free
  • Google Tilt Brush$19.99/one-time
    • VR painting and creative tools
    • Available on VR app stores
  • Open Brush (open-source)Free
    • Free open-source version
    • Available on Steam and Meta Quest

Which should you pick?

Choose Nomad Sculpt if

  • You need voxel remesh.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want multiresolution.
Nomad Sculpt review

Choose Tilt Brush if

  • You need 3d painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
  • You also want dynamic brushes.
Tilt Brush review

Questions people ask

Is Nomad Sculpt or Tilt Brush better?
Neither clearly leads. Nomad Sculpt starts at On request and Tilt Brush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nomad Sculpt or Tilt Brush?
Tilt Brush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Nomad Sculpt and Free for Tilt Brush.
Does Nomad Sculpt or Tilt Brush run on more platforms?
Nomad Sculpt runs on iOS, Android. Tilt Brush runs on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.
Can I use Tilt Brush for free?
Yes. Tilt Brush has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nomad Sculpt starts at On request.
What is Nomad Sculpt best used for?
Nomad Sculpt is most often used for producing concept sculpts away from a workstation without carrying a laptop, creating 3d printing masters on a tablet and exporting stl directly, teaching sculpting fundamentals where per-seat desktop licences are not affordable, sketching character and creature forms that are finished later in a desktop package. Of those, producing concept sculpts away from a workstation without carrying a laptop and creating 3d printing masters on a tablet and exporting stl directly are not what Tilt Brush is typically brought in for.
What can Nomad Sculpt do that Tilt Brush cannot?
Nomad Sculpt covers Voxel remesh, Multiresolution, Dynamic topology, Layers. Tilt Brush covers 3D painting, Dynamic brushes, Environment selection, Animation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nomad Sculpt: Is it a subscription?

No. It is a one-time app store purchase with no account and no cloud service behind it.

Tilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush still available to use?

Yes. Although Google ended active development in January 2021, Tilt Brush remains available on VR app stores and continues to function. Google also open-sourced the code, enabling community-maintained alternatives like Open Brush to provide free versions for PC VR and Meta Quest.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Which tablet should I buy for it?

Buy for memory rather than for processor. Sculpt detail is limited by RAM, so a higher-memory model raises the ceiling more than a faster chip does.

Tilt Brush: Is there a free version of Tilt Brush?

The official Google Tilt Brush costs $19.99. However, Open Brush (the open-source community version) is completely free and available for PC VR via Steam and on Oculus Quest.

Source
Nomad Sculpt: Can it replace ZBrush?

For sculpting itself it goes a long way. For high-density production sculpts, retopology, UVs and pipeline integration it does not.

Tilt Brush: What VR headsets does Tilt Brush support?

Tilt Brush works on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, and PlayStation VR. The open-source Open Brush version also supports PC VR.

Source
Tilt Brush: Can I export my Tilt Brush creations?

Yes. Tilt Brush creations can be exported as room-scale VR pieces or animated GIFs to share with others. The app does not support direct export to 3D model formats like OBJ or FBX.

Source
Tilt Brush: Is Tilt Brush good for professional 3D design work?

Tilt Brush is primarily a creative expression and painting tool rather than a professional 3D design tool. It lacks features like layers, editable 3D brushes, and precise refinement controls needed for professional workflows. For professional VR sculpting, Adobe Medium or Quill are better choices.

Source
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