Best 3D Texturing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Mixos Paint is ranked #1 of 28 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Surface Labs and InstaMAT. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Surface Labs. The lowest first paid tier on this page is InstaMAT at $0.67/mo.
3D texturing software can help create surface detail, build materials, and prepare textures for assets. Compare 3D texture painting and PBR workflow with procedural materials and node-based authoring. Maximum texture resolution and texture baking are additional capabilities to weigh, alongside supported platforms, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing. Mixos Paint, Surface Labs, and InstaMAT are among the entries, as are Marmoset Viewer and Trumble. Your priorities may depend on whether you paint directly on models, author reusable materials, or need a particular texture resolution or baking workflow.
28 3D texturing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
8 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mixos PaintWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $8.99/mo | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Surface LabsWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | InstaMATWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.67/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Marmoset ViewerWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | TrumbleWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $3/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | MariWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $57.42/mo | 6.5 | |
| 7 | Material MakerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | Forge Material StudioWeb · Windows | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | WaferWindows · Mac · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 10 | MechaPaintWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 11 | ArmorPaintWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 12 | AwesomeBumpWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 13 | LigidPainterWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | MeshCoatWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | PigmiWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | TextureLabWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | VFX Texture LabWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | Blacksmith3DWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | ColorMinisAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | ShaderMapWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | TexelWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | MaterializeWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | Filter ForgeWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 24 | UVLayoutWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 25 | CrazyBumpWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which 3D texturing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Mixos Paint is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 6.8. Surface Labs is second and InstaMAT third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, InstaMAT has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.67/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.