ZBrush
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
ZBrush firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZBrush
- Legal name
- Maxon Computer GmbH
- Website
- https://pixologic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZBrush industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 3D Digital Sculpting Software
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 2D Character Animation (MPAHACAA)
Keywords
Where ZBrush is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
ZBrush business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- ZBrush Annual Subscription: Annual subscription model providing access to ZBrush software, Redshift CPU rendering, ZBrush on iPad with premium features, ZBrush Classroom, and Cineversity Training. Sold as a license subscription.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | ZBrush Subscription - $399/year per license |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
ZBrush product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZBrush is a digital sculpting and painting software that enables artists to model, texture, and paint high-resolution 3D characters, creatures, and props. It is sold as an annual subscription at $399/year by Maxon Computer GmbH and is available on desktop and iPad, used by individual 3D artists, illustrators, and studios in entertainment, gaming, and film.
Product overview
ZBrush is a digital sculpting, modeling, and painting software portfolio offered as a standalone subscription product ($399/year) or as part of the Maxon One platform bundle. The core ZBrush application provides digital sculpting capabilities with over 200 proprietary brushes, while ZBrush for iPad extends the experience to mobile devices. Integration with Redshift (GPU renderer), Cineversity (training), and GoZ (pipeline interoperability with Maya/3ds Max) enhances the core offering. The product serves industries including movies and VFX, games, illustration, advertising, 3D printing, scientific visualization, automotive design, and jewelry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ZBrush for iPad: Mobile version of ZBrush digital sculpting software with premium features, touch-based capabilities, and cross-device workflow compatibility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning software with Academy Award recognition for contribution to visual effects industry
Companies that use ZBrush
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ZBrush technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature10 records
ZBrush partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AdobecoreAdobe partnership includes MAXON + ADOBE BUNDLES offering combined software packages. Substance Bridge enables one-click transfer of ZBrush sculpts to Substance Painter for texturing and material setup.
- Autodesk (Maya, 3ds Max)coreGoZ integration allows direct model transfer from ZBrush to Maya and 3ds Max with preserved topology, textures, and materials. Updated for Maya 2026 and 3DS Max 2026.
- RedshiftcoreRedshift GPU-accelerated renderer is integrated into ZBrush, included with subscription at no extra cost (CPU version). Enables in-software rendering without external software.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ZBrush competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- The Foundry Mari: High-end 3D texture painting tool used in film and games alongside sculpting pipelines. Complementary to ZBrush rather than directly competitive, but competes for the same VFX studio tool budget and integrates into similar production workflows.
- Adobe Substance Painter: Adobe's 3D texture painting tool that complements ZBrush via the new Substance Bridge. It is an adjacent, integrated peer in the same end-to-end 3D authoring workflow rather than a direct sculpting competitor.
Broad incumbents
- SideFX Houdini: Established VFX and 3D animation platform widely used in film and games; while not a direct sculpting rival, it competes for the same studio budget and increasingly absorbs modeling/sculpting tasks in pipeline-wide workflows.
- Autodesk 3ds Max: Long-standing 3D modeling, animation, and rendering suite for games, film, and visualization, and another GoZ integration partner for ZBrush. Competes for the same studio modeling and asset-creation budget pools.
- Autodesk Maya: Industry-standard 3D animation and modeling suite that is a direct GoZ integration partner for ZBrush. Competes for enterprise entertainment budgets while also serving as the primary pipeline consumer of ZBrush assets.
Emerging players
- Nomad Sculpt: Mobile-first (iPad) digital sculpting app popular with hobbyists and prosumers, directly competing with ZBrush for iPad in the portable-device segment that ZBrush is actively expanding into.
- Marvelous Designer: Specialized 3D garment and cloth design software used in games, film VFX, and fashion. Competes with ZBrush in a narrower but adjacent modeling niche, particularly for character and apparel asset creation.
Direct peers
- Blender: Free, open-source 3D creation suite with an increasingly capable Sculpt Mode that competes directly with ZBrush on digital sculpting for VFX, games, and design. The most material competitive threat on price-sensitive and indie segments.
- Autodesk Mudbox: Autodesk's digital sculpting and painting tool that competes head-to-head with ZBrush in VFX and game studios, often bundled with Autodesk entertainment collections and integrated with Maya and 3ds Max.
- Foundry Modo: Professional 3D modeling, sculpting, and rendering tool used in games, VFX, and design, with mesh fusion and procedural modeling features that overlap with ZBrush's polygon and sculpting workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZBrush social profiles
Digital presenceZBrush financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZBrush leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ZBrush funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZBrush M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZBrush
What does ZBrush do?
ZBrush is a digital sculpting and painting software that enables artists to model, texture, and paint high-resolution 3D characters, creatures, and props. It is sold as an annual subscription at $399/year by Maxon Computer GmbH and is available on desktop and iPad, used by individual 3D artists, illustrators, and studios in entertainment, gaming, and film.
Is ZBrush a public or private company?
ZBrush is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ZBrush founded?
ZBrush was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ZBrush based?
ZBrush is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does ZBrush make money?
One revenue line is on record: ZBrush Annual Subscription.
Who are ZBrush's main competitors?
Others on record are The Foundry Mari and Adobe Substance Painter. Broad incumbents are SideFX Houdini, Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya. Emerging players are Nomad Sculpt and Marvelous Designer. Direct peers are Blender, Autodesk Mudbox and Foundry Modo.
Does ZBrush have an API?
No public API is recorded for ZBrush.
What industry is ZBrush in?
ZBrush's product category is 3D Digital Sculpting Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHACAA, 2D Character Animation. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.