Mudbox 2025 review: can this niche ZBrush alt still compete?

Price $100 / £100 annual, $15 / £12 monthly
Company Autodesk
New features Automatic sculpting, tactile brush modifiers, multiple camera settings, extended integration to Autodesk software, optimised for MacOS and Windows, enhanced sculpting tools, improved UI

Mudbox began life in 2001, when the founders of Skymatter were working on The Lord of the Rings. Its inception came after the team wanted to expand their tools, which were eventually utilised in the 2005 film King Kong . All of this attracted the attention of Autodesk , which acquired Skymatter in 2007.

Mudbox has remained a popular 3D painting and sculpting software , but with no major updates for four years, artists were questioning if the app had much of a future. The community waited with bated breath ahead of the 2025 version, but have been left disappointed again. Release notes only state that the 2025 version includes minor updates with no other details. That lack of transparency and a roadmap for development further casts a shadow over what was once an exciting package.

Minor updates this time include changes to some of the backend technologies, a single bug fix, and the removal of an out-of-date library. Such a minor set of updates feels insulting to artists who rely on Mudbox, and the fact ZBrush continues to receive improvements and new features only compounds this. But what of the updates that were made? Ultimately, nothing was done that affects an artist’s experience within the actual software.

First, the Autodesk Identity Manager is now available on Linux. This is the software that allows users to log in to their Autodesk account and access all the individual pieces of software that they’ve bought licenses for, removing the need to remember multiple different usernames and passwords.

Next up are some Autodesk component updates that apply to the installer, licensing, customer error reporting, and the Autodesk Genuine Service. On top of that, the single bug fix made is related to a serial number activation issue, while the removal of a Microsoft Visual C++ library is equally unimportant for the most part.

Despite the lack of anything of worth for artists, Mudbox continues to be a more than capable piece of sculpting software . It benefits from a user-friendly interface that makes the creative process as streamlined as possible. It also benefits from being in the Autodesk ecosystem and supports importing files from its sibling software.

It could be argued there’s nothing left for Mudbox to improve given it’s a niche tool, but that doesn’t stop ZBrush evolving and improving. In 2023, ZBrush , with Maxon’s backing, integrated Redshift , improved sculpting tools and provided a fully reworked ZRemesher. It’s this continued development that would make me choose ZBrush every single time.

There’s also the added benefit of unique features like ZSpheres , which are useful for creating organic meshes. Mudbox has remained a popular 3D painting and sculpting software, but with no major updates for four years, artists were questioning if the app had much of a future. The community waited with bated breath ahead of the 2025 version, but have been left disappointed again. Release notes only state that the 2025 version includes minor updates with no other details. That lack of transparency and a roadmap for development further casts a shadow over what was once an exciting package.

Minor updates this time include changes to some of the backend technologies, a single bug fix, and the removal of an out-of-date library. Such a minor set of updates feels insulting to artists who rely on Mudbox, and the fact ZBrush continues to receive improvements and new features only compounds this.

But what of the updates that were made? Ultimately, nothing was done that affects an artist’s experience within the actual software.

First, the Autodesk Identity Manager is now available on Linux. This is the software that allows users to log in to their Autodesk account and access all the individual pieces of software that they’ve bought licenses for, removing the need to remember multiple different usernames and passwords.

Autodesk has been quiet about the future of Mudbox, but with few changes in recent years and no new features, it’s hard to draw any other conclusion. They may well decide to keep it going for existing users, but I think at this rate they’re unlikely to attract too many new customers.

Next up are some Autodesk component updates that apply to the installer, licensing, customer error reporting, and the Autodesk Genuine Service. On top of that, the single bug fix made is related to a serial number activation issue, while the removal of a Microsoft Visual C++ library is equally unimportant for the most part.

Despite the lack of anything of worth for artists, Mudbox continues to be a more than capable piece of sculpting software. It benefits from a user-friendly interface that makes the creative process as streamlined as possible. It also benefits from being in the Autodesk ecosystem and supports importing files from its sibling software.

It could be argued there’s nothing left for Mudbox to improve given it’s a niche tool, but that doesn’t stop ZBrush evolving and improving. In 2023, ZBrush, with Maxon’s backing, integrated Redshift, improved sculpting tools and provided a fully reworked ZRemesher. It’s this continued development that would make me choose ZBrush every single time. There’s also the added benefit of unique features like ZSpheres, which are useful for creating organic meshes.

This content originally appeared in 3D World magazine, the world's leading CG art magazine. Subscribe to 3D World at Magazines Direct .