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Software · head to head

Steam vs Substance 3D Painter

S

Steam

Software

The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substance 3D Painter logo

Substance 3D Painter

Software

3D texture painting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Steam publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue; Substance 3D Painter the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Steam and Substance 3D Painter actually diverge.

Attributes where Steam and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeSteamSubstance 3D Painter
Starting priceOn request$29/month
PlatformsWebWindows, MacOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown1982

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Steam

Nothing recorded that Substance 3D Painter does not also cover.

Only in Substance 3D Painter

  • 3D painting
  • Smart materials
  • Generators
  • PBR workflow
  • Baking
  • Export presets
  • Scripting
  • Maya

What people use each for

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

Steam

No use cases recorded yet. See the Steam review.

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Steam
  • Film assetsnot Steam
  • Product visualizationnot Steam

Where each one falls short

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

Steam

  • Publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue
  • Core purchases and library are tied to a single Steam account with no vendor-stated official resale or transfer mechanism for owned games

Substance 3D Painter

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Substance 3D Painter page on 23 June 2021 priced the Substance 3D Collection plan (which bundles Painter, Stager, Sampler, Designer and Modeler) at US$39.99/month for the first year.

Pricing, plan by plan

Steam

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Steam review.

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 Steam if

Nothing in the data separates Steam from Substance 3D Painter on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Steam 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 Steam or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Steam starts at On request 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, Steam or Substance 3D Painter?
Steam starts at On request and Substance 3D Painter at $29/month.
Does Steam or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Steam runs on Web. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
What can Steam do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow.
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Related pages

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