ZBrush vs Feather
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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 descriptionHide 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).
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.
- 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 descriptionHide 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 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
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.
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.
ZBrush ships an update monthly, Feather every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZBrush | Feather |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (262 ratings) — better | 4.1 (115 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.0% of reviews — better | 65.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 262 — better | 115 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.1 GB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MAXON Computer GmbH | Sketchsoft Inc. |
Customer experience
ZBrush
Feather
In-app purchases
ZBrush
- ZBrush Monthly$9.991 Month
- ZBrush Annual$89.991 Year
Feather
No in-app purchases








