Alternatives to Adobe Substance 3D Modeler
A 3D sculpting and modelling app for Windows that works on the desktop and in VR. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Adobe Substance 3D Modeler
A 3D sculpting and modelling app for Windows that works on the desktop and in VR.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Adobe Substance 3D Modeler.
ZBrush
Sculpt detailed digital models using brush-based tools.
ZBrush offers brush-based sculpting for detailed models on Windows and macOS with a paid license, but it has no VR sculpting mode and no Substance subscription is involved.
Blender
The free 3D creation suite: modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and video editing.
Blender is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, adding sculpting to a full pipeline with rendering and animation, though VR sculpting is not listed.
Nomad Sculpt
Sculpt and paint 3D models with a touch-oriented modeling application.
Nomad Sculpt is a paid, touch-oriented sculpting and painting app for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, with licensing and features varying by platform edition and no VR mode.
3DCoat
A 3D application for voxel sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, PBR texture painting and rendering.
3DCoat combines voxel sculpting, retopology, UV mapping and texture painting on Windows, macOS and Linux, with a free learning mode, but production use needs a commercial licence.
SculptGL
Digital sculpting tool that runs in a web browser with no installation.
SculptGL is a free, open-source sculpting tool running in the browser with dynamic topology and OBJ, PLY and STL export, but it lacks production pipeline features and VR.
Bforartists
A fork of Blender with a reworked, more discoverable graphical interface.
Bforartists is a free, open-source Blender fork with a reworked interface for Windows, macOS and Linux, giving Blender's sculpting tools without a subscription, though tutorials may not match.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Gravity Sketch
An immersive 3D design workspace for sketching, reviewing and collaborating on products in VR.
Open Brush
A free, open-source room-scale VR painting app, continued by the community from Google's Tilt Brush.
Adobe Substance 3D Painter
A commercial 3D painting application for applying textures, materials and masks to 3D models in real time.
Womp
Browser-based 3D modeler with squishy SDF-style geometry and simple materials.
Dust3D
Modeller that builds 3D meshes from simple shapes instead of vertex-by-vertex editing.
