Comparison

ZBrush vs Artifact

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

Head to head
About

ZBrush

Create professional 3D models and digital sculptures on your iPad. This app offers advanced sculpting, painting, and modeling tools with desktop-quality performance, ideal for artists on the go. Seamlessly integrate with desktop workflows for a complete creative experience.

Highlights
  • Pressure-sensitive sculpting with Apple Pencil
  • 200+ digital sculpting brushes
  • Advanced 3D modeling tools
  • Seamless desktop-iPad workflow
  • High-resolution polygon support
  • 3D painting without UV setup
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

Artifact

Features
Read full description

Create stunning custom artwork with professional human creativity or generate instant AI pieces. Artifact combines personalized artistic creation with cutting-edge technology to bring your artistic vision to life. **Professional Art Services** Commission beautiful custom artwork created by Olivier De Grandpré, the founder of Artifact. Share your ideas, communicate directly throughout the creative process, and request revisions to ensure the final artwork matches your vision. Perfect for personal projects, gifts, branding, social media, and professional use. **AI-Powered Creation** Need instant results? Generate beautiful AI artwork in seconds with Artifact's creative tools. Choose from various styles, customize your creations, and generate multiple variations until you find the perfect piece. Great for quick projects, inspiration, experimentation, or exploring new creative ideas. **Key Features** • Custom artwork commissions by the founder of Artifact • Direct communication and revision requests • AI-powered artwork generation • Multiple artistic styles and customization options • Save and share your creations in high resolution • Secure payment system for custom artwork • Credit-based system for flexible AI generation **Perfect For** • Personal art projects and home decor • Custom gifts for special occasions • Professional branding and business graphics • Creative exploration and inspiration • Social media content creation **Why Choose Artifact?** Artifact brings together human creativity and AI-powered technology in one creative platform. When you need something personal and carefully crafted, you can commission custom artwork directly from the founder. When you want to explore ideas or create something instantly, AI-powered tools let you generate artwork in seconds. Whether you choose a custom commission or AI generation, Artifact gives you the creative tools to turn your ideas into beautiful artwork. Download Artifact today and start creating artwork your way.

Screenshots

Artifact4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ZBrush at none against Artifact's shown. Artifact's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. ZBrush sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Artifact sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZBrush ships an update monthly, Artifact every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ZBrush versus Artifact: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZBrushArtifact
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (262 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings262 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.1 GB58 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMAXON Computer GmbHOlivier De Grandpre

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ZBrush

Subscriptions2
  • ZBrush Monthly$9.991 Month
  • ZBrush Annual$89.991 Year
9 purchases

Artifact

One-time9
  • Starter Credit Pack$2.99
  • Basic Pack$5.99
  • Standard Pack$9.99
Show 6 more
  • Advanced Pack$19.99
  • Human-made Revision$19.99
  • Professional Pack$49.99
  • Human-made Artwork$69.99
  • Expert Pack$89.99
  • Master Pack$149.99

Questions

Is ZBrush free?
ZBrush is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Artifact free?
Artifact is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ZBrush or Artifact have ads?
Artifact shows ads; ZBrush does not.
Which is updated more often, ZBrush or Artifact?
ZBrush ships an update monthly, and Artifact every 3 days. Most recently, ZBrush was updated on October 30, 2026 and Artifact on October 24, 2026.

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