Best Game Texture Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Surface Labs is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of ArmorPaint and InstaMAT. The best-ranked option with a free plan is InstaMAT. The lowest first paid tier on this page is InstaMAT at $0.67/mo.
Building game textures can involve creating materials, baking texture maps and preparing assets for an engine. Compare each tool’s primary workflow and procedural materials, then check texture baking, UDIM support and game-engine export. Supported platforms offer a compatibility consideration, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame cost. Surface Labs, Marmoset Viewer and ArmorPaint are among the options to weigh; Houdini and Blender are also listed. Consider how the stated features fit the way you make textures and move them into a game project, and which capabilities your workflow actually calls for.
31 game texture software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Surface Labs iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.2Free Procedural materials: Yes
- 2 ArmorPaint iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.6 Procedural materials: Yes
- 3 InstaMAT No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1$0.67/mo Procedural materials: Yes
- 4 Mari No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0$57.42/mo Procedural materials: Yes
- 5 Material Maker No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.7Free Procedural materials: Yes
- 6 PBRize No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.6$10/mo Primary workflow: material_authoring
- 7 PBRgen No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.5Free Primary workflow: texturing_suite
- 8 Unity iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3Free
- 9 Blender No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7Free
- 10 VFX Texture Lab No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Procedural materials: Yes
- 11 Houdini No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5$7.92/mo
- 12 ZBrush No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free
- 13 TextureLab No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3 Procedural materials: Yes
- 14 3DCoat No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2€379/mo
- 15 World Machine No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 16 PixPlant No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1 Primary workflow: texturing_suite
- 17 AwesomeBump No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1
- 18 Blacksmith3D No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1
- 19 Gaea No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
- 20 xNormal No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0 Texture baking: Yes
- 21 Filter Forge No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9 Procedural materials: Yes
- 22 Pigmi No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9 Primary workflow: texturing_suite
- 23 Adobe Substance 3D Modeler No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9
- 24 Materialize No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8
- 25 Autodesk Mudbox No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which game texture software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Surface Labs is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 9.2. ArmorPaint is second and InstaMAT third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, InstaMAT has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.67/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.