ColorMinis

ColorMinis is a 3D painting studio for creating, painting, and exporting models. A model can start from a text prompt, one reference image, or multiple reference views. Painting tools include brush, airbrush, dry brush, ink brush, fill, and precision mask, with support for PBR materials that respond as metallic, matte, satin, glossy, or polished. Its AI Brush blends selected generated texture details into manual painting and provides controls for hue, saturation, value, hardness, size, and flow.

The library contains more than 800 models across fantasy, anime, tabletop, character, and collectible themes. Personally generated models can be exported as GLB files with textures, but artist-created library models cannot. A painted save can become a paintball color-reveal game with power-ups. The app is free to download; AI model and texture generation may require credits or separate in-app purchases. Premium costs $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year. ColorMinis is available on Android, iOS, and macOS; Mac compatibility requires macOS 12.0 or later and an Apple M1 chip or later.

ColorMinis pairs model generation with detailed painting tools and a large model library. Its export restriction for artist-created models and possible generation costs are worth considering.

ColorMinis suits people who want to generate and paint 3D models on mobile or Mac. Check the export distinction if you plan to work from library models.

ColorMinis is a 3D painting studio that combines prompt- and image-based model generation with texture painting, a sizable model library, and a game-like play mode. It suits hobbyists, illustrators, tabletop creators, and artists who want to move from an idea to a painted asset without stitching together several apps.

Overview

ColorMinis can generate a model from a text prompt, one reference image, or multiple reference views, then lets you paint and save the result in the same studio. That makes it a practical fit for concept-led work, rapid character experiments, and collectible or tabletop projects where a visual starting point matters more than building topology from scratch.

Its library contains more than 800 models spanning fantasy, anime, tabletop, character, and collectible categories. Artist-created library models can be painted but cannot be exported, so the library is best understood as a source for in-app projects rather than a catalog of downloadable production assets. Personally generated models can be exported as textured GLB files, provided the creator owns the necessary rights to prompts, reference images, and other source material; those rights also govern commercial use.

Key features

Painting and materials

The brush set covers brush, airbrush, dry brush, ink brush, fill, and precision mask tools. PBR painting supports metallic, matte, satin, glossy, and polished responses, giving artists control over how surfaces read under lighting instead of limiting them to flat color. The AI Brush blends selected generated texture detail into manual work and exposes hue, saturation, value, hardness, size, and flow controls. This combination favors users who want AI assistance without surrendering final decisions to an automated pass.

Play mode

Every painted save can become a paintball color-reveal game with power-ups. That is a distinctive way to revisit finished work or share a casual interactive result, though it is less relevant to artists focused solely on asset delivery.

Pricing

ColorMinis is free to download and has a free plan. AI model and texture generation may consume generation credits or require separate in-app purchases, so frequent generation can cost more than the download suggests.

ColorMinis Premium Monthly costs $5.99 a month, billed monthly. It includes the complete artist model library, ColorMinis-generated collections, premium content, and studio features. This is the flexible choice for short projects or occasional bursts of use.

ColorMinis Premium Yearly costs $49.99 a year, billed yearly, with the same inclusions. It lowers the effective monthly cost for users who expect to keep the studio in regular rotation. The free tier is the way to evaluate the core experience, but it does not remove generation-credit or purchase considerations.

Platforms

ColorMinis supports Android and iOS, with macOS also listed. The App Store supports iPhone and iPad; Mac use requires macOS 12.0 or later and an Apple M1 chip or later.

Who it's for

Choose ColorMinis for prompt-driven 3D experimentation, stylized model painting, PBR texture work, or a large in-app model selection. It is especially appealing to hobbyists and creators who value a playful paint-and-share loop. Look elsewhere if exporting artist-library assets is central to your workflow or if predictable, unlimited generation spending is essential.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Text and single- or multi-view image prompts provide several routes into a 3D concept.
• Pro: PBR material responses and a broad brush toolkit support more than basic color filling.
• Pro: AI Brush offers adjustable assistance rather than a one-click-only texture result.
• Pro: More than 800 library models and a paintball play mode give the app range beyond asset authoring.
• Con: Artist-created library models cannot be exported, limiting their value for external pipelines.
• Con: AI generation may require credits or separate purchases, making intensive use harder to budget.
• Con: The privacy policy, last updated August 28, 2020, describes analytics including device identifiers, IP address, game progress, and time spent; it also says disclosure cannot be guaranteed against unintentional events.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of texture-focused tools, see 3D Texturing Software.

Mixos Paint is the better pick for users needing broad platform coverage, a free tier with cloud storage and trial AI credits, or a 2D texture workflow, though its free plan caps the 2D view at 512px and restricts exports.

Surface Labs suits users who want a free early-access tool with Android, iOS, desktop, and API availability.

Marmoset Viewer is an option for viewers who already use qualifying Toolbag versions and want the included standalone viewer.

Wafer fits creators seeking an Indie license priced at $45 once across iOS, macOS, and Windows.

ArmorPaint is preferable when a paid, open-source desktop project is the priority; its ArmorPaint 1.0 plan costs $19 once.

InstaMAT is aimed at Linux, macOS, and Windows users, with a free Pioneer License for qualifying revenue levels and a $36 yearly Pro License.

Mari is the alternative for Linux and Windows studios wanting a non-commercial free plan with 4K and 16-bit export limits.

Trumble is a browser-capable choice with a free, ad-supported tier and a $3 monthly Low-Poly plan.

Verdict

ColorMinis is a strong choice for creators who want AI-assisted 3D model creation, expressive PBR painting, and an entertaining way to present finished work. Its main reason to choose it is the integrated path from prompt or reference to painted GLB. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the non-exportable artist library and the possibility of additional generation costs, which matter to production teams and anyone needing a tightly predictable pipeline.