Alternatives to ArmorPaint
A stand-alone application for physically based texture painting on 3D models, running on the GPU. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
ArmorPaint
A stand-alone application for physically based texture painting on 3D models, running on the GPU.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as ArmorPaint.
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 is closed source, runs only on Windows and macOS and needs an Adobe account, but belongs to the wider Substance 3D Collection.
3DCoat
A 3D application for voxel sculpting, retopology, UV mapping, PBR texture painting and rendering.
3DCoat is closed source and adds sculpting, retopology and UV mapping to its PBR texture painting, with a free learning mode but a commercial licence for production.
Marmoset Toolbag
All-in-one 3D application for texture baking, texturing, painting and real-time rendering.
Marmoset Toolbag bundles baking, texturing and real-time rendering in a paid closed-source application for Windows and macOS, with UDIM support and a material library.
Blender
The free 3D creation suite: modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and video editing.
Blender is free and open source, offering texture painting within a full modelling, animation and rendering suite, so painting sits inside a much larger application.
Also worth comparing
These listings name ArmorPaint as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Material Maker
An open-source node-based tool for authoring procedural PBR materials and textures for game engines.
ArmorPaint also uses node-based procedural materials, but its focus is GPU texture painting on models up to 16K, and its compiled builds are paid although the source is open.
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.
Blockbench
A low-poly 3D model editor built for pixel-art textures, with dedicated formats for Minecraft Java and Bedrock.
ZBrush
Sculpt detailed digital models using brush-based tools.
Nomad Sculpt
Sculpt and paint 3D models with a touch-oriented modeling application.
