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CAD · head to head

RealityScan vs ZBrush

RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZBrush logo

ZBrush

CAD

Industry standard for digital sculpting

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RealityScan has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; ZBrush subscription model required; no perpetual licence option available
  • They diverge on capability: RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, ZBrush covers Digital sculpting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RealityScan and ZBrush actually diverge.

Attributes where RealityScan and ZBrush differ
AttributeRealityScanZBrush
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per yearsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, iPadOS
FoundedUnknown1986

Identical on both: 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 RealityScan

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

Only in ZBrush

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

What people use each for

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

RealityScan

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

ZBrush

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

ZBrush

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ZBrush

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ZBrush review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose ZBrush if

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

Questions people ask

Is RealityScan or ZBrush better?
Neither clearly leads. RealityScan 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, RealityScan or ZBrush?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for RealityScan and On request for ZBrush.
Does RealityScan or ZBrush run on more platforms?
RealityScan runs on Windows. ZBrush runs on Windows, macOS, iPadOS.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ZBrush starts at On request.
What is RealityScan best used for?
RealityScan is most often used for a two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence cost, a film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedule, a survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstruction, a construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagery. Of those, a two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence cost and a film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedule are not what ZBrush is typically brought in for.
What can RealityScan do that ZBrush cannot?
RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping. ZBrush covers Digital sculpting, Dynamesh, ZRemesher, PolyPaint.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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