Softwr

Game Development · head to head

Quixel Mixer vs RealityScan

Quixel Mixer logo

Quixel Mixer

Game Development

Free 3D texturing and material creation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

The photogrammetry engine formerly called RealityCapture, free below a one million dollar revenue line

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Quixel Mixer discontinued as of February 19, 2026 with no future updates or support; RealityScan the free tier is bounded by company revenue rather than by usage, so a business crossing one million US dollars of turnover acquires a per-seat cost overnight for software its workflow now depends on
  • They diverge on capability: Quixel Mixer covers Material blending, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Quixel Mixer and RealityScan differ
AttributeQuixel MixerRealityScan
Pricing modelfreeFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
CategoryGame DevelopmentCAD
Founded2011Unknown

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 Quixel Mixer

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

Only in RealityScan

  • Photogrammetric reconstruction
  • Laser scan fusion
  • Ground control points
  • Texturing and unwrapping
  • Command line interface
  • Unreal Engine path
  • Component alignment control

What people use each for

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

Quixel Mixer

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

RealityScan

  • A two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence costnot Quixel Mixer
  • A film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedulenot Quixel Mixer
  • A survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstructionnot Quixel Mixer
  • A construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for Unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagerynot Quixel Mixer

Where each one falls short

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

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

RealityScan

  • The free tier is bounded by company revenue rather than by usage, so a business crossing one million US dollars of turnover acquires a per-seat cost overnight for software its workflow now depends on
  • New perpetual licences are no longer sold, so an organisation that deliberately avoided subscription software has no route in; existing perpetual holders keep their version but stop receiving updates unless they accept the current terms
  • It is Windows only and needs an NVIDIA CUDA capable GPU, which excludes macOS studios and makes the real cost of adoption a workstation purchase rather than a licence
  • The rename from RealityCapture to RealityScan in 2025 means tutorials, forum answers and third party pipeline documentation are split across two names and several licensing regimes, and much of it is now wrong about price
  • The interface assumes photogrammetry knowledge; alignment failures, control point placement and reconstruction region setup are not guided, so a team without an experienced operator produces poor models quickly rather than good ones slowly

Pricing, plan by plan

Quixel Mixer

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

RealityScan

Free
  • Free tierFree
    • For individuals and companies with annual revenue under 1,000,000 USD
    • Full application, no metered input charges
    • Epic account required
  • RealityScan seat$1250/year
    • Required once annual revenue exceeds 1,000,000 USD
    • Per seat, per year
    • Commercial use without output restrictions
  • Unreal Engine subscription$1850/year
    • Per seat per year
    • Includes RealityScan and Twinmotion
    • For teams that also need Unreal Engine for non-game commercial use

Which should you pick?

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

Choose RealityScan if

  • You need photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want laser scan fusion.
RealityScan review

Questions people ask

Is Quixel Mixer or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. Quixel Mixer starts at Free and RealityScan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quixel Mixer or RealityScan?
Quixel Mixer starts at Free and RealityScan at Free.
Does Quixel Mixer or RealityScan run on more platforms?
Quixel Mixer runs on Windows, macOS. RealityScan runs on Windows.
Can I use Quixel Mixer for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Quixel Mixer best used for?
Quixel Mixer is most often used for game textures, environment art, photorealistic materials, film vfx. Of those, game textures and environment art are not what RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can Quixel Mixer do that RealityScan cannot?
Quixel Mixer covers Material blending, Megascans integration, Smart materials, Procedural tools. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
RealityScan: Is RealityCapture still called that?

No. Epic rebranded it to RealityScan with version 2.0 in 2025. It is the same engine and the same team.

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
RealityScan: Who gets it free?

Individuals and companies with annual revenue under one million US dollars. Above that, a seat is 1,250 US dollars per year.

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
RealityScan: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Not for new purchases. Existing perpetual licences remain valid for the version owned, with updates only under the current terms.

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
RealityScan: Does the free version restrict output?

No output metering or watermarking; the restriction is on who qualifies, based on company revenue, not on what you export.

Share

Related pages

More on Quixel Mixer

More on RealityScan

Keep looking

Other head to heads