# KeyShot, Substance Designer vs 3ds Max Design Comparison | | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | | **Total Reviews** | 181 | 56 | 279 | | **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (68.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (70.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (63.5% of reviews) | | **Entry Level Price** | $1,299.00 Per Year | No pricing available | $460 per quarter | --- ## Top Pros & Cons ### KeyShot Pros: - Asset Management (1 reviews) - Assets (1 reviews) Cons: - Error Issues (1 reviews) - Limited Materials (1 reviews) ### Substance Designer Pros: - Accuracy (1 reviews) - Ease of Use (1 reviews) ### 3ds Max Design Pros: - 3D Modeling (3 reviews) - Ease of Use (3 reviews) Cons: - Difficult Learning (3 reviews) - High Hardware Requirements (3 reviews) --- ## Ratings Comparison | Rating | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Meets Requirements** | 8.6 (167 reviews) | 8.8 (42 reviews) | 8.5 (260 reviews) | | **Ease of Use** | 9.0 (168 reviews) | 7.6 (43 reviews) | 6.6 (260 reviews) | | **Ease of Setup** | 8.8 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 6.8 (36 reviews) | | **Ease of Admin** | 8.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 6.9 (27 reviews) | | **Quality of Support** | 8.2 (131 reviews) | 8.7 (37 reviews) | 7.6 (227 reviews) | | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.5 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.2 (29 reviews) | | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.7 (167 reviews) | 8.3 (40 reviews) | 7.4 (256 reviews) | --- ## Pricing ### KeyShot #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: KeyShot Studio Subscription Price: $1,299.00 Per Year Description: KeyShot Studio Subscription brings all the advanced features you need to create incredible visuals. Why do professionals choose KeyShot? KeyShot is widely recognized as the industry-leading visualization solution for design and engineering professionals on both macOS and Windows, and the easiest, and most powerful when it comes to presenting concepts for design reviews, exploring digital prototypes, and creating final visuals for marketing and sales – all from your 3D data. KeyShot provides more features and capabilities on both Mac and PC, plus the • Easiest User Interface • Most Accurate Materials • Most Powerful Lighting • Fastest Rendering Speeds • Highest Quality Visuals • And KeyShot is the only one that offers: Key Features: - ★ Material & Lighting Presets and Creation - ★ AI Restyle, Background, and Imagine Modes - ★ Add Product and Studio Variations [Learn more about KeyShot](https://www.g2.com/products/keyshot/reviews) #### Free Trial Yes ### Substance Designer #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available ### 3ds Max Design #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: Quarterly Price: $460 per quarter [Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/3ds-max-design/pricing) #### Free Trial Yes --- ## Features Comparison By Category ### Digital Asset Management | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A | | **Substance Designer** | N/A | N/A | | **3ds Max Design** | N/A | N/A | #### Interface and Performance | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Import/Export** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Organizational Interface** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **File Preview** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Asset Management | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **File Types** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Metadata** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **File Transformation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Versioning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Expiration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Watermark** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Digital Rights Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Brand Guidelines** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Media Types | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Video** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Audio** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Images** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Administration | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Workflow Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Brand Portal** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Integration with Creative Software** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Integration with Marketing Software** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI - Digital Asset Management | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### 3D Modeling | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A | | **Substance Designer** | 7.5/10 | 18 | | **3ds Max Design** | 8.1/10 | 75 | #### Design | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Sculpting** | Not enough data | 6.4 (7 reviews) | 8.1 (63 reviews) | | **Topology** | Not enough data | 7.1 (7 reviews) | 7.9 (63 reviews) | | **Drawing** | Not enough data | 6.9 (9 reviews) | 7.7 (65 reviews) | | **Brush Variety ** | Not enough data | 7.6 (11 reviews) | 6.9 (57 reviews) | | **Effects** | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 8.2 (66 reviews) | #### Move | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Animate** | Not enough data | 6.9 (9 reviews) | 8.2 (64 reviews) | | **Render** | Not enough data | 7.9 (13 reviews) | 8.7 (70 reviews) | | **Views** | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 9.0 (69 reviews) | #### Store & Manage | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Pipeline ** | Not enough data | 8.0 (15 reviews) | 8.0 (60 reviews) | | **Controls** | Not enough data | 7.3 (15 reviews) | 8.3 (61 reviews) | | **Template library ** | Not enough data | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 7.7 (62 reviews) | #### Generative AI | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **AI Text-to-Image** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **AI Text-to-3D** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### 3D Rendering | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A | | **Substance Designer** | N/A | N/A | | **3ds Max Design** | N/A | N/A | #### Generative AI | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **AI Text-to-Image** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **AI Text-to-Video** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **AI Text-to-3D** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### Animation | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A | | **Substance Designer** | N/A | N/A | | **3ds Max Design** | N/A | N/A | #### Generative AI | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **AI Image-to-Text** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **AI Text-to-3D** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI - Animation | Feature | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | --- ## Categories **Shared Categories (1):** [3D Rendering Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-rendering) **Unique to KeyShot (2):** [Animation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/animation), [Digital Asset Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/digital-asset-management) **Unique to Substance Designer (1):** [3D Modeling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-modeling) **Unique to 3ds Max Design (4):** [Animation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/animation), [3D Modeling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-modeling), [VR Visualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vr-visualization), [Virtual Reality (VR) Game Engines](https://www.g2.com/categories/vr-game-engine) --- ## Reviewer Demographics ### By Company Size | Segment | KeyShot | Substance Designer | 3ds Max Design | |---|---|---|---| | **Small-Business** | 68.9% | 70.9% | 63.5% | | **Mid-Market** | 16.9% | 25.5% | 24.1% | | **Enterprise** | 14.1% | 3.6% | 12.4% | ### By Industry #### KeyShot - **Design:** 42.9% - **Higher Education:** 6.2% - **Automotive:** 5.6% - **Animation:** 3.4% - **Internet:** 3.4% - **Consumer Goods:** 2.8% - **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 2.8% - **Architecture & Planning:** 2.3% - **Graphic Design:** 2.3% - **Computer Software:** 2.3% - **Other:** 26.0% #### Substance Designer - **Computer Games:** 30.9% - **Animation:** 23.6% - **Entertainment:** 7.3% - **Design:** 5.5% - **Motion Pictures and Film:** 3.6% - **Architecture & Planning:** 3.6% - **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.6% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.6% - **E-Learning:** 3.6% - **Apparel & Fashion:** 1.8% - **Other:** 12.7% #### 3ds Max Design - **Architecture & Planning:** 26.5% - **Design:** 16.4% - **Animation:** 6.5% - **Computer Games:** 5.1% - **Graphic Design:** 4.4% - **Civil Engineering:** 2.9% - **Education Management:** 2.5% - **Marketing and Advertising:** 2.5% - **Automotive:** 2.2% - **Computer Software:** 2.2% - **Other:** 28.7% --- ## Alternatives ### Alternatives to KeyShot - [Unity](https://www.g2.com/products/unity/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (364 reviews) - [Blender](https://www.g2.com/products/blender/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (316 reviews) - [Maya](https://www.g2.com/products/maya/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (267 reviews) - [Cinema 4D](https://www.g2.com/products/cinema-4d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (136 reviews) - [Modo](https://www.g2.com/products/modo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (86 reviews) - [Enscape 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/enscape-3d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (415 reviews) - [V-Ray](https://www.g2.com/products/v-ray/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (220 reviews) - [D5 Render](https://www.g2.com/products/d5-render/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (1044 reviews) - [Artlantis](https://www.g2.com/products/artlantis/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (16 reviews) - [Chaos Corona](https://www.g2.com/products/chaos-corona/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (116 reviews) ### Alternatives to Substance Designer - [Blender](https://www.g2.com/products/blender/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (316 reviews) - [Maya](https://www.g2.com/products/maya/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (267 reviews) - [Cinema 4D](https://www.g2.com/products/cinema-4d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (136 reviews) - [Houdini](https://www.g2.com/products/houdini/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (35 reviews) - [3D Coat](https://www.g2.com/products/3d-coat/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (21 reviews) - [Unity](https://www.g2.com/products/unity/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (364 reviews) - [D5 Render](https://www.g2.com/products/d5-render/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (1044 reviews) - [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1324 reviews) - [Enscape 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/enscape-3d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (415 reviews) - [Meshy](https://www.g2.com/products/meshy/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (2612 reviews) ### Alternatives to 3ds Max Design - [Unity](https://www.g2.com/products/unity/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (364 reviews) - [Blender](https://www.g2.com/products/blender/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (316 reviews) - [Cinema 4D](https://www.g2.com/products/cinema-4d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (136 reviews) - [Modo](https://www.g2.com/products/modo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (86 reviews) - [LightWave 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/lightwave-3d/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (29 reviews) - [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1324 reviews) - [Enscape 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/enscape-3d/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (415 reviews) - [ZBrush](https://www.g2.com/products/zbrush/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (104 reviews) - [Adobe Dimension](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-dimension/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (72 reviews) - [Houdini](https://www.g2.com/products/houdini/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (35 reviews) --- ## Top Discussions ### KeyShot - Title: [What is KeyShot used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-keyshot-used-for) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Keyshot is used for material application and rendering. it is best for product shots and photography. You can apply materials to the objects which are very..." - Title: [Can you model in KeyShot?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-you-model-in-keyshot) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Not. We can upload the modeled part in keyshot." - Title: [How can I make more natural lights inside and out?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/36469-how-can-i-make-more-natural-lights-inside-and-out) — 1 comment, 1 upvote *(includes official response)* > **Top comment:** "Great question, Francisco. For interior lighting, use 'Interior' mode Lighting Preset (on the Project, Lighting tab). This is optimized for those inside..." - Title: [How can I remove the white spots like powder while rendering?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/36321-how-can-i-remove-the-white-spots-like-powder-while-rendering) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "I think you are referring to fireflies. the latest keyshot i.e. keyshot 10 has the feature to remove fireflies. " ### Substance Designer No discussions available for this product. ### 3ds Max Design - Title: [What is 3ds Max Design used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-3ds-max-design-used-for) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "<p>3ds Max Design is mainly used for creating high-quality 3D models and realistic visualizations, especially in architecture and interior design. Designers..." - Title: [What is the difference between 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-difference-between-3ds-max-and-3ds-max-design) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "3ds Max Design version has an additional module for lighting analysis (Exposure) useful for architects, and - unlike the Max version - it does not include..." - Title: [Is 3ds max free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-3ds-max-free) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "No one can try it in trail period but it's not free" - Title: [I need a 3d max exterior design](https://www.g2.com/discussions/i-need-a-3d-max-exterior-design) — 2 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "This tutorial succinctly summarizes the most effective way to convert an image to a 3d object in 3ds Max: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtkvRFMVsds" - Title: [When will you implement TyFLow definitively?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/quando-implementerete-tyflow-definitavmente) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "It is still in beta. Unless Autodesk is able to buy out Tyson Ibele and TyFlow then it will always be a plugin you have to purchase (unless he makes it open..." --- **Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/keyshot-vs-substance-designer-vs-3ds-max-design)