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Software · head to head

Substance 3D Designer vs BricsCAD

Substance 3D Designer logo

Substance 3D Designer

Software

Node-based material authoring

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BricsCAD logo

BricsCAD

Software

DWG-based CAD platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Substance 3D Designer as of a 1 January 2023 archived capture, Adobe Substance 3D Designer is not sold standalone; it requires the Substance 3D Collection subscription plan at US$49.99 per month; BricsCAD the Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
  • They diverge on capability: Substance 3D Designer covers Node-based workflow, BricsCAD covers DWG native.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Substance 3D Designer and BricsCAD actually diverge.

Attributes where Substance 3D Designer and BricsCAD differ
AttributeSubstance 3D DesignerBricsCAD
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Founded19822002

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), free tier (No), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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 Substance 3D Designer

  • Node-based workflow
  • Procedural generation
  • PBR materials
  • Patterns
  • Filters
  • Custom nodes
  • MDL export
  • Painter

Only in BricsCAD

  • DWG native
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • BIM
  • Sheet metal
  • Mechanical
  • LISP support
  • AutoCAD compatible

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Substance 3D Designer

  • Material creationnot BricsCAD
  • Procedural texturesnot BricsCAD

BricsCAD

  • 2D drafting as a DWG native alternative to AutoCADnot Substance 3D Designer
  • 3D mechanical design and assembly modellingnot Substance 3D Designer
  • BIM modelling and construction documentationnot Substance 3D Designer

Where each one falls short

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

Substance 3D Designer

  • As of a 1 January 2023 archived capture, Adobe Substance 3D Designer is not sold standalone; it requires the Substance 3D Collection subscription plan at US$49.99 per month

BricsCAD

  • The Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
  • Lite is sold as a network licence only with a 5 seat minimum
  • Mechanical excludes BIM tools and BIM excludes mechanical and surveying tools, so cross discipline work needs Ultimate at 1,176 euro
  • Importing 3D geometry and PMI from other CAD systems requires the Communicator add on at 294 euro per year
  • Network licences require the customer to run their own licence server
  • Maintenance is included for the first year only and renewal is a separate annual charge on perpetual licences
  • Listed prices exclude local taxes
  • Bricsys now trades as Octave and the product site has moved to bricscad.octave.com

Pricing, plan by plan

Substance 3D Designer

$29/month
  • Substance 3D Collection$49.99/month
    • All Substance apps

BricsCAD

$29/month
  • Lite$550/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Pro$875/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Ultimate$1575/month
    • All features

Which should you pick?

Choose Substance 3D Designer if

  • You need node-based workflow.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want procedural generation.
Substance 3D Designer review

Choose BricsCAD if

  • You need dwg native.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
BricsCAD review

Questions people ask

Is Substance 3D Designer or BricsCAD better?
Neither clearly leads. Substance 3D Designer starts at $29/month and BricsCAD at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Substance 3D Designer or BricsCAD?
Substance 3D Designer starts at $29/month and BricsCAD at $29/month.
Does Substance 3D Designer or BricsCAD run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Substance 3D Designer best used for?
Substance 3D Designer is most often used for material creation, procedural textures. Of those, material creation and procedural textures are not what BricsCAD is typically brought in for.
What can Substance 3D Designer do that BricsCAD cannot?
Substance 3D Designer covers Node-based workflow, Procedural generation, PBR materials, Patterns. BricsCAD covers DWG native, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.
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