What is ZBrush used for?

ZBrush is Maxon's digital sculpting software for creating high-resolution 3D models and characters with brush-based tools, available on desktop and iPad. It is a good fit for sculpting game and film characters, and creating detailed 3D models for rendering.

How much does ZBrush cost?

ZBrush is a paid product with no free plan.

Is ZBrush open source?

No. ZBrush is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to ZBrush include Blender.

What are some alternatives to ZBrush?

ZBrush competes with Autodesk Maya, Cinema 4D and Houdini. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source ZBrush alternatives.

ZBrush: features, pricing and alternatives

About ZBrush

ZBrush is a digital sculpting application from Maxon. Instead of building models from polygons by hand, artists shape digital clay with a large set of sculpting brushes, which makes it popular for detailed characters, creatures and other high-resolution 3D models.

Maxon lists ZBrush alongside its other 3D and motion design products, including Cinema 4D and Redshift, and offers a ZBrush for iPad version. The company provides downloads and trial and purchase options, plus educational licensing and learning resources such as Cineversity and ZClassroom.

ZBrush is commercial software installed locally, not a hosted or self-hosted service. It suits character artists, game and film studios, and hobbyists who want a dedicated sculpting tool, often used alongside general-purpose 3D packages.

Key features

Digital sculpting with brush-based tools
High-resolution model detail
Character and creature creation
ZBrush for iPad version
Educational licensing and training resources

Good fit for

→Sculpting game and film characters
→Creating detailed 3D models for rendering

Tags: 3d-sculpting; digital-sculpting; character-design; maxon; 3d-modeling; ipad

ZBrush: questions and answers

What is ZBrush used for?: ZBrush is Maxon's digital sculpting software for creating high-resolution 3D models and characters with brush-based tools, available on desktop and iPad. It is a good fit for sculpting game and film characters, and creating detailed 3D models for rendering.
How much does ZBrush cost?: ZBrush is a paid product with no free plan.
Is ZBrush open source?: No. ZBrush is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to ZBrush include Blender.
What are some alternatives to ZBrush?: ZBrush competes with Autodesk Maya, Cinema 4D and Houdini. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source ZBrush alternatives.