If you are weighing ZBrush against Blender, the choice can feel big. For zbrush vs blender sculpting, sources describe Blender as a free, fast-improving alternative to the formerly undisputed sculpting king, so test it first.
If you are still choosing tools, our overview of 3d modeling software shows where sculpting fits among the other options.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Blender’s position against ZBrush (BlenderNation, May 2020) | Free alternative |
| Sculpt Mode panels listed in the Blender 2.80 manual | 8 panels |
| ZBrush remeshing feature and its Blender counterpart | Dynamesh vs Voxel Remesh |
| Blender shortcut to repeat a remesh | Control + R |
| Release after which Sculpt Mode expanded rapidly | Blender 2.8 |
These figures come from BlenderNation and the Blender 2.80 manual. Software changes quickly, so check the source before you rely on them.
What the comparison sources cover
BlenderNation’s post of May 5, 2020 says that since the release of Blender 2.8, Blender’s Sculpt Mode has been rapidly expanding with many improvements and additions. It calls Blender an increasingly interesting free alternative to ZBrush, the formerly undisputed sculpting king (source).
The post points to a CG Cookie comparison by Metin Seven, who has worked with both programs for years and sets ZBrush features beside their Blender equivalents. The pairs are:
- ZBrush Dynamesh vs Blender Voxel Remesh
- ZBrush ZRemesher vs Blender QuadriFlow
- ZBrush Subdivide vs Blender Multires
- ZBrush brushes vs Blender’s Sculpt Mode brushes
- ZBrush Decimation Master vs Blender Decimate modifier
A separate page, All3DP’s “ZBrush vs Blender: The Differences”, was published Apr 25, 2021 and frames the two as a showdown of two great options. Only its introduction was available for this guide, so it is not used for detail.
The sources do not cover ZBrush pricing, hardware needs or licence terms. Check those on the vendors’ own pages before you decide.
ZBrush vs Blender sculpting: Dynamesh and Voxel Remesh
In the BlenderNation summary, ZBrush Dynamesh is mostly used in the concept stage of sculpting. It remeshes your sculpture using a voxel-based volume that is projected as a 3D grid of polygons onto your mesh.
Blender’s alternative is Voxel Remesh. In Sculpt Mode you click Remesh and adjust the settings, which include:
- Voxel Size, which determines the resulting polygon detail.
- Fix Poles, which generates a slightly neater quadrangular topology.
- Preserve Volume, which avoids details being smoothed out.
Preserve Volume can cause polygon artifacts in areas with sharp edges or crevices. To avoid this, the post suggests unchecking it and remeshing with a slightly lower Voxel Size value to maintain detail.
Once you are satisfied with the settings, you can keep sculpting and press Control + R to remesh again with the same settings.
How Blender’s Sculpt Mode works
According to the Blender 2.80 manual, Sculpt Mode is similar to Edit Mode in that it alters the shape of a model, but it uses a very different workflow. Instead of dealing with individual vertices, edges and faces, an area of the model is altered using a brush (source).
Once Sculpt Mode is active, the Toolbar changes to Sculpt Mode specific panels. The manual lists these:
- Brush
- Texture
- Stroke
- Falloff
- Display
- Dyntopo
- Symmetry
- Options
The same page gives a few habits worth learning early. To get predictable brush behaviour, apply the scale of your mesh.
- Hold Shift to toggle a smooth stroke.
- Hold Ctrl to toggle an inverted stroke.
- Press Esc mid-stroke to cancel it, which undoes any changes from that stroke.
That page belongs to an older release, so menu names and panels may have moved since. Treat it as a description of the idea and check the manual for your version.
Blender’s brush and tool range
The Blender 2.90 manual lists a long set of sculpting tools, including Draw, Clay, Clay Strips, Inflate, Crease, Smooth, Grab, Snake Hook, Pose, Cloth, Mask and Face Sets (source). It also covers Dyntopo, Remesh, Symmetry and the Multiresolution modifier.
BlenderNation’s overview pairs ZBrush brushes with Blender’s Sculpt Mode brushes, but the excerpt available here gives no verdict on which set is better. If brushes matter most to you, compare them yourself on a small test sculpt.
Which should you start with?
The sources do not name a winner, and the BlenderNation post itself only asks whether you should be using Blender or ZBrush. A practical route is to work through a short test before committing.
- Open Blender’s Sculpt Mode and block out a rough form with a few brushes.
- Use Voxel Remesh to keep the polygons even as you add volume, then repeat it with Control + R.
- Compare the result with what ZBrush’s Dynamesh workflow offers, using the vendor’s own current information.
- Decide based on how comfortable the controls feel to you, not on reputation.
If sculpting turns out not to suit your project, our fusion 360 for beginners guide is one alternative starting point. A freecad beginner tutorial is another route to explore.
Frequently asked questions
Is Blender a free alternative to ZBrush for sculpting?
Show answer
BlenderNation’s May 5, 2020 post describes Blender as an increasingly interesting free alternative to ZBrush. Check the current state of both programs before you decide.
What is Blender’s equivalent to Dynamesh?
Show answer
The comparison pairs ZBrush Dynamesh with Blender’s Voxel Remesh. You find it under Remesh in Sculpt Mode.
Does Blender have something like ZRemesher?
Show answer
The comparison pairs ZBrush ZRemesher with Blender QuadriFlow. The excerpt available here does not describe how well they match.
Can you cancel a sculpt stroke in Blender?
Show answer
Yes. The Blender 2.80 manual says that pressing Esc in the middle of a sculpt stroke cancels it and undoes any changes from that stroke.
