Comparison

ZBrush vs Feather

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ZBrush

Create detailed 3D models and digital sculptures on your iPad. This app offers industry-leading sculpting tools, advanced detailing, and seamless integration with desktop versions for professionals and hobbyists alike.

Highlights
  • Digital sculpting and 3D painting
  • 200+ pressure-sensitive brushes
  • Sculptris Pro & Dynamic Tessellation
  • Live Boolean modeling
  • 3D Layers for non-destructive editing
  • Seamless desktop interoperability
  • Direct export for 3D printing
Read full description

ZBrush for iPad. Create stunning 3D models, digital sculptures, concept art, and detailed characters with ZBrush for iPad—the award-winning, industry-leading digital sculpting app trusted by professional artists across film, AAA games, collectibles, toy design, jewelry, illustration, and 3D design. ZBrush for iPad brings unrivaled desktop-grade digital sculpting and 3D painting power into an intuitive, touch-first mobile environment optimized for Apple Pencil. Take complete creative freedom on the go with high-poly mesh density, proprietary digital clay brushes, procedural detailing, and seamless cross-platform interoperability. Subscribers to Maxon One or ZBrush desktop can download the iPad app and sign in to activate full access instantly. A comprehensive free tier is also available to start sculpting immediately. NEW FOR IPAD • Spotlight Integration: Seamlessly load reference images directly onto the canvas, apply projection painting and texture mapping across complex mesh surfaces, and extract custom 3D geometry from 2D source imagery. • 3D Layers: Store high-resolution sculpting details, PolyPaint color channels, and masking non-destructively. Effortlessly toggle layer visibility, blend sculpt deformations, and refine feature intensity with precise slider controls. CORE SCULPTING & MODELING FEATURES • 200+ Sculpting Brushes: Pressure-sensitive digital brushes engineered for Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, supporting squeeze, roll, hover, double-tap gestures, and haptic feedback. • Sculptris Pro & Dynamic Tessellation: Add local mesh detail on the fly without manual topology management. • DynaMesh Digital Clay: Re-topologize mesh density evenly during early concept exploration. • ZRemesher: Industry-standard automatic retopology for clean, optimized edge flow. • Live Boolean: Non-destructive real-time union, subtraction, and intersection modeling. • PolyPaint: High-resolution 3D painting directly on vertex geometry without preliminary UV unwrapping. • Advanced Detailing: VDM Brushes, Surface Noise, Retopo Brush, Subdivision Modeling, NanoMesh, and ArrayMesh. DESKTOP INTEROPERABILITY & EXPORT • One-Click GoZ: Seamless transfer of ZTool and ZProject files between iPad and desktop ZBrush. • 3D Print Hub: Direct export for additive manufacturing and 3D printing workflows. HIGH-PERFORMANCE HARDWARE OPTIMIZATION Handles up to 90+ million polygons per mesh on M4 iPad hardware. Optimized for multi-touch gestures, custom hotkey bars, rapid undo/redo touch shortcuts, and real-world photogrammetry base mesh imports for high-end digital asset creation. TARGET CREATIVE USE CASES 1. Game Developers: Hero character modeling, creature design, and environment asset creation. 2. Collectibles & Toy Designers: High-detail prototyping and precise 3D print preparation. 3. Film & VFX Artists: Production-grade concept sculpting and digital asset creation. 4. Industrial & Jewelry Designers: Precision organic detailing for consumer products, apparel, and hardware. 5. 2D Illustrators & Concept Artists: Fast 3D block-outs and visual design expansion. LANGUAGE SUPPORT English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, and Portuguese (BR).

About

Feather

Create stunning 3D artwork from any angle with intuitive tools and a powerful rendering engine. This app allows for seamless navigation, versatile brushes, and advanced editing features, making it ideal for artists and designers to bring their visions to life.

Highlights
  • Intuitive 3D navigation and drawing
  • Pressure-sensitive 3D brushes
  • 3D Liquify tool for detailed editing
  • Post-processing effects and lighting
  • Export to 3D formats
  • Fully offline functionality
  • AR View for real-world placement
Read full description

Feather is a next-generation 3D drawing application built for professional designers, visionary artists, and you. Bring your imagination to life with versatile 3D brushes redesigned for space, seamless and intuitive navigation, and a delicate interplay of light and shadow powered by the Airbreath rendering engine. Feather is the ultimate creative space to unleash your ideas without limits. Draw. Rotate. Create. • All you need is a pen and touch. Freely navigate 3D space, draw from any perspective, and turn your ideas into reality. Editing feels like gaming. • Move, rotate, and scale using the joystick. Tedious 3D editing has never been easier. Liquify the space. • Masterpieces arise from many trials. Use "3D Liquify" to push and pull every detail, letting your imagination roam free. Brushes reimagined in 3D. • Enjoy the classic feel of drawing with pressure-sensitive 3D brushes, featuring styles and patterns for enhanced expression. Every angle tells a story. • 3D artworks are meant to be viewed from various angles. Capture and sequence shots to weave your own story. A creative toolkit for artists, designers, architects, and everyone. • Tools unleash your boundless imagination. Feather is for creators who embrace diverse themes, styles, techniques, and dimensions. Polish it up. • Make your creations vibrant with shading and special effects. • Lighting: Illuminate and cast shadows with a single tap. • Post-processing: Add a finishing touch with grain, depth of field, glow, pixelation, or toon shading. Export to 3D formats. • Your 3D creations have no limits. Export your work from Feather, use it in other tools, and explore new workflows. Features you need. Indeed. • Fully Offline: Use anywhere without an internet connection. • Shapes: Draw straight lines, circles, ellipses, and smooth curves. • Eraser: Works just as you expect. • Live Mirror: Draw symmetrical lines with a virtual mirror. • Import Reference: Insert images or 3D models into your workspace. • Clipboard: Display reference images in a separate window. • Background Image: Add colors or images behind your 3D artwork. • AR View: View 3D creations in real-world settings. • Share: Generate a 3D viewer link to share your artwork. • Folders: Organize drawings into folders for easy access. • Geometric Primitives: Draw on spheres, cylinders, cones, or rings. • Data Backup: Back up your files and keep them secure. ... what if you don’t have a pen? • Turn on "Finger-pen" mode to sketch, paint, and edit using just your fingers. Showcase your work. • Feather Gallery is the best place to view and share 3D artworks. Discover what’s possible and find inspiration. Your journey starts here. • From detailed guides to hands-on tutorials, everything you need is at your fingertips. • Documentation: Learn all of Feather's interfaces, gestures, and features. • Basic tutorial: Follow our videos to draw and learn how to use Feather. • Community: Join Feather users from around the world on Discord.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ZBrush at Free against Feather's $14.99. ZBrush also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 65%). Feather's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ZBrush is free to download; Feather costs $14.99 up front. ZBrush sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Feather asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for ZBrush against 4.1 for Feather. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 262 and 115 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of ZBrush's written reviews are positive against 65% of Feather's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZBrush ships an update monthly, Feather every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ZBrush versus Feather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZBrushFeather
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating4.1 (262 ratings) — better4.1 (115 ratings)
Positive reviews81.0% of reviews — better65.0% of reviews
Number of ratings262 — better115
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.1 GB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMAXON Computer GmbHSketchsoft Inc.

Customer experience

ZBrush

All ratings262 ratings
Positive77.1%
Neutral4.2%
Negative18.7%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive81.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative19.0%

Feather

All ratings107 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative17.8%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ZBrush

Subscriptions2
  • ZBrush Monthly$9.991 Month
  • ZBrush Annual$89.991 Year
None

Feather

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZBrush free?
ZBrush is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Feather free?
Feather costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZBrush or Feather?
ZBrush is rated higher. ZBrush averages 4.1 out of 5 from 262 ratings, while Feather averages 4.1 from 115 ratings.
Do ZBrush or Feather have ads?
Neither ZBrush nor Feather shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZBrush or Feather?
ZBrush ships an update monthly, and Feather every 3 weeks. Most recently, ZBrush was updated on October 30, 2026 and Feather on October 25, 2026.

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