# ZBrush, KeyShot vs Adobe Substance 3D Painter Comparison

| | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.7 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 104 | 181 | 109 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (69.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (68.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (75.9% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | $1,299.00 Per Year | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### ZBrush

Pros:
- Modeling (4 reviews)
- 3D Modeling (3 reviews)

Cons:
- Difficult Learning (2 reviews)
- Limited Features (2 reviews)

### KeyShot

Pros:
- Asset Management (1 reviews)
- Assets (1 reviews)

Cons:
- Error Issues (1 reviews)
- Limited Materials (1 reviews)

### Adobe Substance 3D Painter

**Not enough data**

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.2 (99 reviews) | 8.6 (167 reviews) | 8.8 (83 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 6.7 (100 reviews) | 9.0 (168 reviews) | 8.3 (84 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.2 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (20 reviews) | 8.8 (7 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | Not enough data | 8.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.4 (85 reviews) | 8.2 (131 reviews) | 8.3 (76 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | Not enough data | 8.5 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.0 (94 reviews) | 8.7 (167 reviews) | 8.7 (74 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### ZBrush

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### 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

### Adobe Substance 3D Painter

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Digital Asset Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ZBrush** | N/A | N/A |
| **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A |
| **Adobe Substance 3D Painter** | N/A | N/A |

#### Interface and Performance

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### 3D Modeling

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ZBrush** | 7.8/10 | 32 |
| **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A |
| **Adobe Substance 3D Painter** | N/A | N/A |

#### Design

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Sculpting** | 9.6 (31 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Topology** | 8.9 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Drawing** | 7.2 (25 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Brush Variety ** | 9.2 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Effects** | 7.0 (23 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Move

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Animate** | 4.5 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Render** | 6.6 (25 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Views** | 8.4 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Store & Manage

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pipeline ** | 8.5 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Controls** | 8.1 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Template library ** | 8.2 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 Painting

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ZBrush** | 8.5/10 | 15 |
| **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A |
| **Adobe Substance 3D Painter** | 7.6/10 | 68 |

#### Design

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Brush Variety** | 9.6 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (62 reviews) | 
| **Color** | 9.5 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.1 (61 reviews) | 
| **Effects** | 7.1 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.6 (61 reviews) | 

#### Detail

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Sculpt** | 9.9 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 6.7 (50 reviews) | 
| **Dynamic Tessellation** | 9.4 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.3 (55 reviews) | 
| **Texture ** | 9.0 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (66 reviews) | 
| **Unwrap** | 6.7 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.5 (53 reviews) | 
| **UV Mapping** | 6.7 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.7 (52 reviews) | 

#### Logistics

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Import** | 8.3 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.4 (57 reviews) | 
| **Integrations** | 9.0 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.1 (59 reviews) | 
| **Export** | 8.5 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.2 (57 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text-to-Image** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 4.7 (6 reviews) | 
| **AI Text-to-3D** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 4.4 (6 reviews) | 

### 3D Rendering

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ZBrush** | N/A | N/A |
| **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A |
| **Adobe Substance 3D Painter** | N/A | N/A |

#### Generative AI

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 |
|---|---|---|
| **ZBrush** | N/A | N/A |
| **KeyShot** | N/A | N/A |
| **Adobe Substance 3D Painter** | N/A | N/A |

#### Generative AI

| Feature | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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 | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **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

**Unique to ZBrush (3):** [3D Painting Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-painting), [3D Modeling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-modeling), [3D Rendering Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-rendering)

**Unique to KeyShot (3):** [Animation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/animation), [3D Rendering Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-rendering), [Digital Asset Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/digital-asset-management)

**Unique to Adobe Substance 3D Painter (1):** [3D Painting Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/3d-painting)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | ZBrush | KeyShot | Adobe Substance 3D Painter | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 69.9% | 68.9% | 75.9% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 20.4% | 16.9% | 20.4% | 
| **Enterprise** | 9.7% | 14.1% | 3.7% | 

### By Industry

#### ZBrush

- **Computer Games:** 17.5%
- **Animation:** 16.5%
- **Design:** 10.7%
- **Entertainment:** 8.7%
- **Graphic Design:** 5.8%
- **Motion Pictures and Film:** 4.9%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.9%
- **Architecture & Planning:** 3.9%
- **Arts and Crafts:** 3.9%
- **Media Production:** 2.9%
- **Other:** 21.4%

#### 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%

#### Adobe Substance 3D Painter

- **Animation:** 15.7%
- **Computer Games:** 14.8%
- **Design:** 11.1%
- **Graphic Design:** 7.4%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 6.5%
- **Media Production:** 5.6%
- **Computer Software:** 4.6%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 4.6%
- **Motion Pictures and Film:** 2.8%
- **Music:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 25.0%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to ZBrush

- [3D Coat](https://www.g2.com/products/3d-coat/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (21 reviews)
- [Blender](https://www.g2.com/products/blender/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (317 reviews)
- [3ds Max Design](https://www.g2.com/products/3ds-max-design/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (282 reviews)
- [Maya](https://www.g2.com/products/maya/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (267 reviews)
- [Modo](https://www.g2.com/products/modo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (86 reviews)
- [Adobe Dimension](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-dimension/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (72 reviews)
- [Mudbox](https://www.g2.com/products/mudbox/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (50 reviews)
- [Houdini](https://www.g2.com/products/houdini/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (35 reviews)
- [Unity](https://www.g2.com/products/unity/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (364 reviews)
- [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1325 reviews)

### 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 (317 reviews)
- [3ds Max Design](https://www.g2.com/products/3ds-max-design/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (282 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 (221 reviews)
- [D5 Render](https://www.g2.com/products/d5-render/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (1046 reviews)
- [Artlantis](https://www.g2.com/products/artlantis/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (16 reviews)

### Alternatives to Adobe Substance 3D Painter

- [Mudbox](https://www.g2.com/products/mudbox/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (50 reviews)
- [3D Coat](https://www.g2.com/products/3d-coat/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (21 reviews)
- [Mari](https://www.g2.com/products/mari/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (12 reviews)
- [Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-media-entertainment-collection/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (13 reviews)
- [Meshy](https://www.g2.com/products/meshy/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (2737 reviews)
- [Pacdora](https://www.g2.com/products/pacdora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (36 reviews)
- [3D Slash](https://www.g2.com/products/3d-slash/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [Ultimate Unwrap 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/ultimate-unwrap-3d/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (10 reviews)
- [Cheetah 3D](https://www.g2.com/products/cheetah-3d/reviews) — 3.7/5 stars (12 reviews)
- [Sculpt](https://www.g2.com/products/sculpt/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (12 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### ZBrush

- Title: [Is ZBrush free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-zbrush-free) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "NO"
- Title: [What can ZBrush be used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-can-zbrush-be-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Digital sculpture and modeling to be use animation, print or games. "
- Title: [In The near futuro, Will you upgrade the rendering options and camera controls?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/in-the-near-futuro-will-you-upgrade-the-rendering-options-and-camera-controls) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "By Anonymous
Many binary operations are rippers. I invested about $320,000 then i decided to withdraw after several week but the withdrawal wasn't..."
- Title: [Is there a way to have a 3D sculpt that has been converted to an image file?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-way-to-have-a-3d-sculpt-that-has-been-converted-to-an-image-file) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Hey Shariece,

Thanks for the question.

I'm having a little bit of trouble figuring out what your question is asking, I'm going to assume this is the..."

### 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. "

### Adobe Substance 3D Painter

- Title: [What is the use of substance painter?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-use-of-substance-painter) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Substance painter is a tool used for texturing 3D work, for example you may have a 3D model of a table and you want it look like an actual real life table,..."
- Title: [What is Adobe Substance 3D Painter used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-adobe-substance-3d-painter-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Adobe Substance 3D Painter is a powerful software program used to paint textures and add materials directly onto 3D models in real time. Think of it like..."
- Title: [How do you make something glow in a substance painter?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-you-make-something-glow-in-a-substance-painter) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Emissive maps are what gives the "glow" effect on objects. In substance painter, you can simply create a new fill layer, and set the color of the emissive..."
- Title: [How can I get a free substance painter?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-can-i-get-a-free-substance-painter) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is free for current students and educators with a valid school ID and email address."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/zbrush-vs-keyshot-vs-adobe-substance-3d-painter)