Top pick: Material Maker. Switching saves about $250 USD a year.
$249.99 USDa year
$323.88 CAD
Every pick below has a free version.
2 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for node-based procedural materials
Free MIT-licensed tool built on the Godot engine for Windows, macOS and Linux. Cannot open .sbs or .sbsar files, so Designer graphs must be rebuilt.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for shader-node materials inside a 3D suite
Free for Windows, macOS and Linux. Cannot open .sbs or .sbsar files. Best when materials are used only inside Blender.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Adobe Substance 3D Designer for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Material Maker | Blender |
|---|---|---|
| Authoring | ||
| Node-based procedural material graphs | YesNote 1Node-based material creation | PartialNote 2Shader and texture nodes; not a dedicated material authoring graph |
| Library of procedural generators and filters | YesNote 3Over 200 nodes | PartialNote 4Noise, Voronoi and gradient nodes; a much smaller library |
| Output | ||
| PBR texture channel outputs | YesNote 5PBR material export | PartialNote 6Maps must be baked to image files |
| Export parametric materials as SBSAR | NoNote 7No SBSAR output; materials stay in its own format | NoNote 8No SBSAR output |
| Export to game engines and renderers | YesNote 9Export for Godot, Unity and Unreal | PartialNote 10glTF and FBX carry baked PBR maps |
| Extensibility | ||
| Custom nodes and an API for plug-ins | YesNote 11Community library of nodes and materials | YesNote 12Node groups and a Python API |
| Preview | ||
| Real-time 3D preview | YesNote 133D preview with environments and mesh maps | YesNote 14Eevee and Cycles viewport |
| Parity score | 86% | 57% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Export parametric materials as SBSAR. See all feature gaps
Can each alternative open and save Adobe Substance 3D Designer files?
| Format | Material Maker | Blender |
|---|---|---|
| .sbs | No | NoNote 1Substance Designer graphs do not open |
| .sbsar | No | NoNote 2Substance archives need Adobe's add-on; export textures instead |
| .png | Opens and savesFull fidelity | Opens and savesFull fidelity |
| .obj | Opens onlyNote 3OBJ meshes load for preview and painting; no mesh exportPartial fidelity | Opens and savesFull fidelity |
Switching saves about $250 USD / $324 CAD a year. Prices checked .
Based on Substance 3D Texturing (Painter, Designer, Sampler). Price source.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Adobe Substance 3D Designer is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe Substance 3D Designer: Windows, macOS, Linux.