Alternatives to 3DCoat
A 3D application for voxel sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, PBR texture painting and rendering. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
3DCoat
A 3D application for voxel sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, PBR texture painting and rendering.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as 3DCoat.
ZBrush
Sculpt detailed digital models using brush-based tools.
ZBrush focuses on brush-based sculpting and detailing, runs on Windows and macOS only, and needs a paid licence, with no Linux build.
Blender
The free 3D creation suite: modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and video editing.
Blender is free and open source under GPL and covers sculpting alongside modelling, animation and rendering, but it is a large application with a long learning curve.
Adobe Substance 3D Modeler
A 3D sculpting and modelling app for Windows that works on the desktop and in VR.
Adobe Substance 3D Modeler offers sculpting on the desktop or in VR with automatic UV handling, but it runs only on Windows and needs an Adobe subscription.
Nomad Sculpt
Sculpt and paint 3D models with a touch-oriented modeling application.
Nomad Sculpt offers sculpting and painting with a touch-oriented interface on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, though licensing and features differ between platform editions.
Adobe Substance 3D Painter
A commercial 3D painting application for applying textures, materials and masks to 3D models in real time.
Adobe Substance 3D Painter handles the texture painting side with a layer-based workflow, but it does not sculpt, needs an Adobe account and runs only on Windows and macOS.
ArmorPaint
A stand-alone application for physically based texture painting on 3D models, running on the GPU.
ArmorPaint is open source and covers PBR texture painting with node-based materials, but it has no sculpting or retopology and a smaller user base.
SculptGL
Digital sculpting tool that runs in a web browser with no installation.
SculptGL is free, open source and runs in a browser with dynamic topology, but it lacks retopology, texturing depth and production pipeline features.
Also worth comparing
These listings name 3DCoat as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Marmoset Toolbag
All-in-one 3D application for texture baking, texturing, painting and real-time rendering.
3DCoat combines sculpting, retopology, UV mapping and PBR texture painting with rendering, adds Linux support, and has a free learning mode with no time limit.
Material Maker
An open-source node-based tool for authoring procedural PBR materials and textures for game engines.
3DCoat offers a GPU node system for procedural materials alongside sculpting, retopology and PBR painting, but production work needs a commercial licence and the application is not open source.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Adobe Substance 3D Designer
Node-based tool for authoring procedural 3D materials, patterns, image filters and environment lights.
Wings 3D
Subdivision surface modeller with a context-sensitive interface.
Maya
Industry-standard 3D modeling and animation suite for film, TV and games.
Autodesk 3ds Max
Professional 3D modelling, animation and rendering software for Windows from Autodesk.
