Texel vs Material Maker

Texel8.8Visit Material Maker8.3Visit

Higher score Texel #5 in 3D Texturing Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Texel

vs

Material Maker #7 in 3D Texturing Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Material Maker

• Texel fits best

  Collaborative browser-based texturing teams

• Material Maker fits best

  Free procedural materials for game engines

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Texel 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Material Maker 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.3
Ranking	#5 in 3D Texturing Software	#7 in 3D Texturing Software
Best for	Collaborative browser-based texturing teams	Free procedural materials for game engines
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Browser extension	Desktop
Platforms	Web	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email	Community, Docs
Integrations	9 integrations	3 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Texel 5/5 · Material Maker 4/5
3D texture painting	✓	✓
Procedural materials	✓	✓
Texture baking	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
PBR workflow	✓	✓
Node-based authoring	✓	✓
Specs
Maximum texture resolution	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	web	windows, macos, linux
Our review
Pros	Real-time multiplayer editing with branching, comments, and review history UDIM-native painting, automatic baking, and broad PBR channel support Exports for USD, glTF, Unreal, and Unity, plus AI graph nodes	Free, open-source desktop software for Windows, macOS, and Linux Node graphs support procedural PBR materials and multiple channels Export workflows cover Godot, Unity, and Unreal
Cons	Invite-only Early Access limits immediate availability Web and API access do not include a desktop application Paid plans have not launched yet	3D model painting is described as experimental The workflow centers on procedural node-based authoring No paid tier adds expanded capabilities or support
Our verdict	Texel is a browser-based 3D texturing studio for VFX and game teams that need shared work on textured assets. It combines brush and projection painting with procedural material graphs, UDIM-native workflows, automatic baking, and PBR… Read the review →	Material Maker is a free, open-source desktop application for creating procedural materials and exporting PBR textures or materials. It is aimed at artists, technical artists, game developers, and other users working on Windows, macOS, or… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Texel — where it wins

  • Real-time multiplayer editing with branching, comments, and review history
  • UDIM-native painting, automatic baking, and broad PBR channel support
  • Exports for USD, glTF, Unreal, and Unity, plus AI graph nodes

  Where it doesn't

  • Invite-only Early Access limits immediate availability
  • Web and API access do not include a desktop application
  • Paid plans have not launched yet

• Material Maker — where it wins

  • Free, open-source desktop software for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Node graphs support procedural PBR materials and multiple channels
  • Export workflows cover Godot, Unity, and Unreal

  Where it doesn't

  • 3D model painting is described as experimental
  • The workflow centers on procedural node-based authoring
  • No paid tier adds expanded capabilities or support

• Texel8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free, collaborative web studio covering painting, procedural materials, baking, and exports.

  Visit TexelFull verdict →
• Material Maker8.3/10 · Free plan

  A free node-based material tool for procedural PBR work across major game engines.

  Visit Material MakerFull verdict →