--- title: ZBrush canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/zbrush/ category: 3D Modeling Software points: 39 rank: 6 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-09 --- # ZBrush Digital sculpting software with a brush system for high-polygon meshes, sold as a subscription with a free iPad plan. 39 points out of 100. #6 of 9 3D modeling programs. Vendor: Maxon. Website: https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush - ZBrush for iPad has a free plan with 28 brushes, a 20 million polygon cap per mesh and no 3D model export [2]. - The iPad subscription is $89.99 a year or $9.99 a month on the App Store [3]. - Maxon offers a 14-day free trial that includes ZBrush [1][4]. - ZBrush runs on Windows, macOS and iPadOS [1]. - It exports OBJ, FBX, STL and USD; FBX and STL work through the FBX Export Import and 3D Print Hub plug-ins [7]. Verdict: ZBrush suits sculptors who want a brush-based workflow, UV Master unwrapping and Redshift rendering in a subscription [1][5][6]. The free iPad plan is a low-cost way to start sculpting [2]. The catch: the free plan cannot export 3D models, and Maxon's pages show no prices for the Windows desktop subscription [2][10]. Best for: Character and creature artists who sculpt detailed meshes. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Other systems | macOS, iPad | 4/8 | Maxon says ZBrush runs on Windows (including Windows on Arm), macOS and iPadOS [1]. | | Licence | Free version without a time limit | Yes | 10/10 | ZBrush for iPad has a free plan; no time limit is stated. It is iPad only and has no 3D model export [2]. | | Licence | Free version allowed for paid work | Not published | 0/6 | Not published on the vendor's plan options page [2]. | | Licence | One-off licence you keep | Not published | 0/8 | The ZBrush page describes subscriptions only; it does not say whether a one-off licence is sold [1]. | | Licence | Open source | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's ZBrush page [1]. | | Licence | Free licence for students | Not published | 0/4 | Student plan has a pricing page; the educational licensing page does not say it is free [11]. | | Modelling tools | Precise curve and solid modeling | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's ZBrush features pages [5][9]. | | Modelling tools | Digital sculpting | Yes | 5/5 | Brush-based sculpting of meshes with tens of millions of polygons [5][1]. | | Modelling tools | Node-based procedural modeling | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's ZBrush features pages; procedural surface detail from noise patterns is not a node graph [9]. | | Modelling tools | Rigging and animation | Not published | 0/5 | Timeline and Movie features are named; no rigging tools are named on the vendor's features pages [9]. | | Modelling tools | Physics simulation | Yes | 4/4 | Cloth brushes use a Dynamics system to drape a cloth mesh over other visible meshes [5]. | | Modelling tools | UV unwrapping | Yes | 4/4 | UV Master generates seams, unwraps and packs UVs in one click [6]. | | Modelling tools | Built-in ray-traced renderer | Yes | 5/5 | Every subscription includes Redshift [1]; Maxon says Redshift uses ray-tracing hardware where present, and ZBrush's version runs on CPU [8][12]. | | Modelling tools | Scripting and add-ons | Not published | 0/5 | ZScript is listed as a desktop feature [2]; no scripting API is documented on the pages. | | Formats | Built-in export formats | FBX, OBJ, STL, USD | 4/6 | Export list: OBJ, USD, and FBX and STL through the FBX Export Import and 3D Print Hub plug-ins. glTF and STEP are not listed [7]. | | Price | Cheapest way to use it for paid work | Not published | 0/12 | Not published on the vendor's pages [10]. The only prices are for the iPad-only app [3]. | | Price | Full-feature trial | Yes | 3/3 | 14-day free trial that includes ZBrush and the full Maxon One suite [1][4]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | ZBrush for iPad Free | Free [2] | $0 | | ZBrush for iPad Monthly | $9.99/month [3] | $9.99 | | ZBrush for iPad Annual | $89.99/year [3] | $7.50 | | ZBrush desktop subscription | Price not shown [1][10] | - | The iPad prices come from the App Store listing and cover the iPad app only [3]. Maxon's plan page shows no desktop prices [10]. ## Strengths - Free iPad plan includes an introductory set of 28 brushes [2]. - UV Master creates seams, unwraps and packs UVs in one step [6]. - Cloth brushes use a Dynamics system to drape cloth over other meshes [5]. - Every subscription includes rendering with Redshift [1]. - Imports and exports OBJ and USD, and FBX and STL through plug-ins [7]. ## Limits - The free iPad plan has no 3D model export and caps meshes at 20 million polygons [2]. - Windows desktop prices are not shown on Maxon's plan page [10]. - No rigging tools are named; posing uses Transpose Master [9]. - Redshift in ZBrush is CPU-based [8]. - glTF and STEP are not listed among supported formats [7]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Maxon says ZBrush's brush system handles tens of millions of polygons in real time [1]. ## Sources 1. [ZBrush](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [ZBrush plan options](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush-plan-options), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [ZBrush for iPad](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zbrush/id6612028716), Apple App Store, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Try Maxon software](https://www.maxon.net/en/try), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [ZBrush brush system](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush/features/brush-system), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [UV Master](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush/features/uv-master), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [ZBrush supported formats](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush/features/supported-formats), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Redshift in ZBrush](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush/features/redshift-in-zbrush), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [ZBrush flexible workflows](https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush/features/flexible-workflows), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Plans and pricing](https://www.maxon.net/en/buy), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [Educational licenses](https://www.maxon.net/en/educational-licenses), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [3D rendering software](https://www.maxon.net/en/solutions/3d-rendering), Maxon, accessed 2026-10-09