Best Material Maker Alternatives in 2026
The top Material Maker alternatives are InstaMAT, Mixos Paint and Mari: 15 3D texturing software our editors would look at instead of Material Maker, in our ranking order.
Material Maker: A free node-based material tool for procedural PBR work across major game engines. Where it falls short: 3D model painting is described as experimental.
Switching from Material Maker? For most 3d texturing software buyers the best Material Maker alternative is InstaMAT, built for professional texture artists and technical teams. On a budget, Trumble starts at $5/mo. Mari offers the most maximum texture resolution (32768 px).
Why People Look for a Material Maker Alternative
- 3D model painting is described as experimental
- The workflow centers on procedural node-based authoring
- No paid tier adds expanded capabilities or support
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallInstaMAT9.4
Professional texture artists and technical teams
Visit InstaMAT - Lowest priceTrumble8.2
Paid plans from $5/mo
Visit Trumble - Best free optionInstaMAT9.4
Has a free plan
Visit InstaMAT - Most maximum texture resolutionMari9.1
32768 px
Visit Mari
All 15 Material Maker Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forProfessional texture artists and technical teams
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.3
A cross-platform toolkit for procedural materials, texture painting, baking, and pipeline automation.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
9.4/10★★★★★Visit InstaMAT -
Best forCross-platform PBR painting teams
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.3
A broad, cross-platform PBR texturing workspace with a capable free tier and paid 4K export.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Mixos Paint -
Best forVFX studios needing advanced UDIM workflows
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.3
A deep texturing tool for VFX teams that need UDIM scale and procedural control.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Foundry -
Best forBudget-conscious artists needing broad platform coverage
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.3
A broad, low-cost 3D texturing tool with desktop, mobile, and neural texture workflows.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit ArmorPaint -
Best forCollaborative browser-based texturing teams
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.3
A free, collaborative web studio covering painting, procedural materials, baking, and exports.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Texel -
Best forArtists prioritizing high-resolution painting
- Better than Material Maker:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 8.3
A focused texture-painting tool with broad channel control and 24K export.
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
- PBR workflow
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Wafer -
Best forLow-cost general-purpose PBR texturing
A low-cost general-purpose texturing suite with direct PBR painting and engine-ready exports.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- PBR workflow
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Trumble -
Best forFree procedural texturing on desktop
A free cross-platform texturing tool with painting, procedural nodes, and PBR generation.
- 3D texture painting
- Procedural materials
- Node-based authoring
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit LigidPainter -
Best forProcedural material artists and automation workflows
A free procedural PBR authoring tool for graph-based material workflows and automation.
- Texture baking
- Procedural materials
- Node-based authoring
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Surface Labs -
Best forOpen-source procedural material and baking work
A free procedural texturing toolkit for artists who value graphs, baking, and exports.
- Texture baking
- Procedural materials
- Node-based authoring
7.7/10★★★★☆Try VFX Texture Lab -
Best forSimple open-source web material authoring
A focused, open-source web and Windows tool for procedural PBR material creation.
- Texture baking
- Procedural materials
- Node-based authoring
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forStandalone mesh-painting and UV-repair workflows
A focused mesh-painting tool with UV repair, baking, and perpetual licensing.
- Texture baking
- 3D texture painting
- PBR workflow
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit MechaPaint -
Best forAffordable Windows map-generation workflows
An affordable Windows tool for PBR map generation, geometry baking, and scripted workflows.
- Texture baking
- Node-based authoring
- PBR workflow
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit ShaderMap -
Best forPhotograph-based material creation
A focused Windows tool for turning photographs into editable PBR materials.
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit PixPlant -
Best forArtists needing texturing plus high-end rendering
A focused 3D texturing tool that also covers baking, rendering, animation, and web export.
7.2/10★★★★☆Try Marmoset Toolbag
Material Maker Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Material Maker?
InstaMAT: #1 in our 3D Texturing Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A cross-platform toolkit for procedural materials, texture painting, baking, and pipeline automation.
Is there a free alternative to Material Maker?
Yes. InstaMAT, Mixos Paint, Mari, Texel and Wafer have a free plan or a free tier (12 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Material Maker?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Trumble starts lowest, at $5/mo.
Why do people look for Material Maker alternatives?
3D model painting is described as experimental; The workflow centers on procedural node-based authoring; No paid tier adds expanded capabilities or support.
Which Material Maker alternative has the most maximum texture resolution?
Mari, with 32768 px.
How do I switch from Material Maker?
Export your data from Material Maker (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Material Maker.
How to Switch from Material Maker
- Export your data from Material Maker (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Material Maker.
Material Maker vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | 3D texture painting | Procedural materials | Texture baking | PBR workflow | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Material Maker | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 1 | InstaMAT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 | |
| 2 | Mixos Paint | Yes | $8.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | Mari | Yes | $689/user/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 4 | ArmorPaint | No | $19 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 5 | Texel | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
| 6 | Wafer | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 7 | Trumble | Yes | $5/mo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 8.2 |
| 8 | LigidPainter | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 9 | Surface Labs | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 10 | VFX Texture Lab | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 11 | Forge Material Studio | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | |
| 12 | MechaPaint | Yes | $79 one-time | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
| 13 | ShaderMap | Yes | $19 one-time | No | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 14 | PixPlant | No | 7.3 | |||||
| 15 | Marmoset Toolbag | No | 7.2 |
Head-to-Head
- Material Maker vs InstaMAT
- Material Maker vs Mixos Paint
- Material Maker vs Mari
- Material Maker vs ArmorPaint
- Material Maker vs Texel
- Material Maker vs Wafer
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update