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Stencyl vs Substance 3D Painter

Stencyl logo

Stencyl

Software

Create games with visual programming

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substance 3D Painter logo

Substance 3D Painter

Software

3D texture painting software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stencyl has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Stencyl the free Starter tier can publish to the web only; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Stencyl and Substance 3D Painter differ
AttributeStencylSubstance 3D Painter
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, FlashWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded20111982

Identical on both: 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 Stencyl

  • Visual block programming
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite animation
  • Sound and music
  • Tilemap editor
  • Actor system
  • Haxe support

Only in Substance 3D Painter

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

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Stencyl

  • Building 2D games with visual block based logicnot Substance 3D Painter
  • Publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobilenot Substance 3D Painter

Substance 3D Painter

  • Game texturingnot Stencyl
  • Film assetsnot Stencyl
  • Product visualizationnot Stencyl

Where each one falls short

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

Stencyl

  • The free Starter tier can publish to the web only
  • Desktop publishing requires the Indie plan at $99 a year
  • iOS and Android publishing require the Studio plan at $199 a year
  • Licences are annual, so continuing to publish means continuing to pay

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

Stencyl

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor access
    • Desktop export
    • Mobile export

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 Stencyl if

  • You need visual block programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
Stencyl 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 Stencyl or Substance 3D Painter better?
Neither clearly leads. Stencyl 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, Stencyl or Substance 3D Painter?
Stencyl has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stencyl and $29/month for Substance 3D Painter.
Does Stencyl or Substance 3D Painter run on more platforms?
Stencyl runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Flash. Substance 3D Painter runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Stencyl for free?
Yes. Stencyl has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Substance 3D Painter starts at $29/month.
What is Stencyl best used for?
Stencyl is most often used for building 2d games with visual block based logic, publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile. Of those, building 2d games with visual block based logic and publishing the same project to web, desktop and mobile are not what Substance 3D Painter is typically brought in for.
What can Stencyl do that Substance 3D Painter cannot?
Stencyl covers Visual block programming, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Sprite animation. Substance 3D Painter covers 3D painting, Smart materials, Generators, PBR workflow. Both handle Windows support, Linux support.
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