Best xNormal Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from game texture software ranked against xNormal on the same published basis.
- 1xNormal vs Mari
- 2xNormal vs Houdini
- 3xNormal vs InstaMAT
- 4xNormal vs Surface Labs
- 5xNormal vs Blender
- 6xNormal vs Marmoset Viewer
- 7xNormal vs 3DCoat
- 8xNormal vs Gaea
- 9xNormal vs Material Maker
- 10xNormal vs PBRize
- 11xNormal vs World Machine
- 12xNormal vs ZBrush
- 13xNormal vs PBRgen
- 14xNormal vs ArmorPaint
- 15xNormal vs World Creator
- 16xNormal vs Pigmi
- 17xNormal vs TextureLab
- 18xNormal vs AwesomeBump
- 19xNormal vs VFX Texture Lab
- 21xNormal vs Autodesk Mudbox
xNormal alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mari | 7.6 | Free plan | $57.42/mo | Linux, Windows |
| 2 | Houdini | 7.4 | Free plan | $7.92/mo | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3 | InstaMAT | 7.1 | Free plan | $3/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Surface Labs | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | Blender | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Marmoset Viewer | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 7 | 3DCoat | 6.9 | No | €379/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 8 | Gaea | 6.9 | Free plan | — | Windows |
| 9 | Material Maker | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | PBRize | 6.9 | Free plan | $10/mo | Web |
| 11 | World Machine | 6.9 | Free plan | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | ZBrush | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Windows, Mac |
| 13 | PBRgen | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 14 | ArmorPaint | 6.2 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 15 | World Creator | 5.9 | No | $4.92/mo | Windows |
| 16 | Pigmi | 5.8 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 17 | TextureLab | 5.7 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 18 | AwesomeBump | 5.6 | No | — | Windows, Linux, Mac |
| 19 | VFX Texture Lab | 5.6 | No | — | Windows, Linux |
| 21 | Autodesk Mudbox | 5.5 | No | — | — |
Make your platform an alternative to xNormal
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about xNormal alternatives
What is the best alternative to xNormal?
Mari, number 1 in game texture software with a score of 7.6 out of 10. The others here: Houdini, InstaMAT, Surface Labs and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to xNormal?
Mari is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 12 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to xNormal?
Yes: Blender.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.