Fund Your ZBrush or Substance 3D License With a Follower Goal

A software-license wishlist is a Goal that collects direct cash from followers toward a named cost — an annual Substance 3D plan or a ZBrush renewal, for example. Followers see a funding progress bar and pay toward the goal; Brillay doesn't buy, activate, or ship the license, so the creator still purchases it directly. A Goal is one named goal with a progress bar: followers make one-time contributions and every contribution is yours whether or not the goal is reached — no deadline unless you set one, and nothing to ship.

No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate. pricing

3D sculptors, texture artists, and character modelers who post finished renders get a common comment: "What software do you use?" The honest answer is often an expensive one — professional sculpting and texturing tools are priced for working studios, and the renewal bill arrives whether or not a given month brought in commission income.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $102,030 in May 2025 for special effects artists and animators, the occupation that covers digital sculpting and texturing work (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). The same Bureau of Labor Statistics handbook projects about 4,200 openings a year for special effects artists and animators over the 2025-2035 decade, with employment showing little or no change across that period (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Both Bureau of Labor Statistics figures describe the U.S. labor market for the occupation broadly — they say nothing about what any individual artist, freelance or otherwise, actually earns, and neither is a Brillay earnings figure. The same named-cost wishlist structure works for a 2D or 3D animator funding a dedicated tool renewal — see funding an animation software license.

What is a software-license wishlist goal on Brillay?

A software-license wishlist goal on Brillay uses Goals, where supporters make one-time contributions toward a stated cost, such as a year of Adobe Substance 3D or a ZBrush renewal. Brillay shows a funding progress bar and processes the payment; the creator purchases and activates the license directly (how it works).

The creator names the goal, sets a target amount, and describes what it funds. Supporters make one-time contributions toward that number, and the progress bar fills as support comes in — Goals have no reward tiers, physical perks, or campaign deadlines to manage. Once the creator's net proceeds cover the cost, the creator buys the license themselves, the same way they'd pay any other subscription bill. Net proceeds matter here because Brillay states that creator earnings equal the supporter payment minus the platform fee minus the processing fee, so a goal funded to exactly the list price pays out less than the list price unless the creator covers the difference. For a fuller comparison against an Amazon-style wishlist or reward crowdfunding, see creator wishlist vs. crowdfunding.

Why fund ZBrush or Substance 3D instead of a general tip jar?

A named software goal beats an open tip jar on clarity: the goal states an exact cost and purpose, while an unscoped Tips jar states neither. A supporter reading "help fund this year's Substance 3D renewal, $599.88 total, 61% there" sees exactly what the money covers and how close the goal already is.

Adobe lists the Substance 3D Collection for individuals at US$59.99 per month, or $599.88 billed annually (Adobe Substance 3D), so a $599.88 target quotes the vendor's own published figure rather than a guess.

A named goal does not make a software wishlist outperform a tip jar — no Brillay figures on that exist, and none should be implied. A named goal simply gives the supporter more context before they pay. A specific goal also gives the creator a natural reason to post an update: "renewal's due next month," "thanks, we hit it," or "here's what I made with it this year."

How much do ZBrush and Substance 3D licenses actually cost?

ZBrush and Adobe Substance 3D are sold to individuals as recurring subscriptions rather than one-time purchases. Maxon lists ZBrush at $49.00 per month or $399.00 per year in USD (Maxon plans and pricing). Adobe lists the Substance 3D Collection for individuals at US$59.99 per month, or $599.88 billed annually.

A cheaper Adobe tier exists and is worth naming before setting a target: Adobe raised the Substance 3D Texturing plan for individual users to US$24.99 per month and US$249.88 for an annual pre-paid plan (Adobe Help Center: Substance 3D pricing change FAQ). A creator who only needs Painter, Sampler, and Designer can therefore set a $249.88 goal instead of a $599.88 one.

"Substance Collection Individual pricing will increase from $49.99 to $59.99 per month and from $549.88 to $599.88 for annual pre-paid plans." — Adobe, Substance 3D Innovations and Pricing Updates

"Monthly and Annual subscriptions are available. You cannot spread the cost of the annual license through payments." — Maxon Support, A Guide to Maxon Subscriptions

Maxon Support states that the cost of a ZBrush annual license cannot be spread across payments, so an annual ZBrush renewal is a single $399.00 charge rather than an installment plan (A Guide to Maxon Subscriptions). A single unsplittable annual charge is exactly the shape of cost a goal with a progress bar is built to collect toward.

Table sources: Maxon plans and pricing, Adobe Substance 3D, the Adobe Help Center Substance 3D pricing change FAQ, and blender.org — all list prices.

Maxon and Adobe both bill these tools on a recurring subscription cycle, not as a single purchase — a one-time ask this year won't cover next year's renewal, so re-posting the goal at renewal time is expected, not a sign the first goal failed.

Is switching to Blender cheaper than asking supporters to fund a paid license?

Switching to Blender costs $0 in license fees, because Blender is free and open-source software published by the Blender Foundation under the GNU General Public License (blender.org: About). Blender is not an automatic substitute: ZBrush's sculpting workflow and Substance's texture-and-material pipeline differ from Blender's tools, and retraining and client file compatibility are real switching costs.

In goal terms, a creator chooses between a $0 Blender license and a paid renewal that Maxon and Adobe list at $399.00 and $599.88 a year respectively (Maxon plans and pricing; Adobe Substance 3D). Pixel artists weigh a similar software-versus-hardware tradeoff, covered in pricing a pixel-art software and monitor wishlist.

A software-license wishlist goal makes the most sense when a creator specifically needs a tool that free software doesn't fully replace for their pipeline — not as a default ask just because a paid tool exists. Being upfront about why the license matters (client file compatibility, a workflow supporters recognize from your process videos, a pipeline your commissions depend on) gives supporters a real reason to fund that tool over "any 3D software."

How does a Brillay wishlist goal work day to day?

Day to day, a Brillay wishlist goal is one named target with a short description, a dollar amount, and a progress bar that fills as supporters contribute from the creator's page. Nothing ships, because the creator buys the license directly from Maxon or Adobe once net proceeds cover the cost.

A creator adds a goal with a name, a target amount, and a description of what it funds. Supporters make one-time contributions toward that goal from the same page where they'd send a tip or pay for another offer. Brillay's platform fee on goals comes out of a contribution only when a follower actually pays into the goal, and card processing is a separate charge: Stripe lists US online card pricing at 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction (Stripe pricing).

Does a $399 goal fully cover a $399 license after Brillay and Stripe fees?

No. A goal funded to exactly the vendor's list price pays out less than that price, because fees are deducted from the creator's proceeds, not added to the supporter's payment. Brillay states that the supporter pays only the displayed price and that creator earnings equal the supporter payment minus the platform fee minus the processing fee.

Two published rates drive the arithmetic: Brillay's platform fee on goals, quoted in the fee line at the top of this page, and Stripe's US online card pricing of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction. The $0.30 is per payment, so ten small contributions cost more in flat fees than one large one.

Worked example only, assuming ten supporter contributions per goal, a 5% Brillay platform fee, and Stripe US online card pricing of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction. Actual totals vary with the number and size of contributions and are not Brillay earnings data.

Creators have two honest ways to set the target amount. A creator can set the goal at the vendor's list price — $399.00 for a year of ZBrush per Maxon plans and pricing — and plan to cover the platform and processing difference out of pocket. Alternatively, a creator can set a slightly higher target that nets the list price after fees, and say plainly on the page that the extra covers platform and payment fees.

Should a software license be a wishlist goal or a paid custom request instead?

Use Goals for one-time contributions toward your own cost, with nothing owed back beyond a thank-you and an update. Use Custom Work when a supporter is paying for a bounded deliverable — a sculpt, a textured game asset, a print-ready model — at a price, scope, and delivery time you set.

A funding contribution and a commission are different transactions. A supporter funding your ZBrush renewal isn't commissioning a piece; a supporter paying for a custom sculpt or a print-ready 3D model is. Keep the two separate on your page rather than folding software funding into a commission listing, so supporters always know whether they're supporting your tools or buying a specific piece of work. The same no-deliverable, named-cost logic applies to a comic creator naming a specific print run, covered in budgeting a comic printing and publishing goal.

How do you write a wishlist goal supporters will actually understand?

A wishlist goal supporters can evaluate at a glance names the exact tool and plan tier, states a target the creator can explain — most often the vendor's listed price, such as the $399.00 a year Maxon lists for ZBrush — and says in one line why that tool matters to the work supporters already follow.

Vague framing like "help with my art supplies" gives a supporter nothing concrete to weigh before paying. Useful details to include:

• Exact tool and tier — "Substance 3D Collection, annual plan" rather than "3D software."
• Real target amount — anchor it to the vendor's listed price rather than a round guess ($399.00 a year for ZBrush per Maxon plans and pricing, $599.88 a year for the Substance 3D Collection per Adobe). Decide up front whether that number is the amount supporters pay, with the creator covering the 5% platform fee and Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 out of pocket, or whether the target is grossed up so net proceeds reach the list price — then say which on the page.
• What it changes — faster delivery time, a texturing step you currently skip, or a technique supporters have asked about.
• A close date or checkpoint — even without a hard deadline, "renewal is due in [month]" gives the goal urgency.
• What happens after — a short post confirming the renewal, so supporters see the goal actually got used for what it said.

What should you avoid promising in a software-license wishlist?

Avoid promising reward tiers, exclusive perks, guaranteed timelines, or shared access to the funded license. Brillay's Goals carry no reward tiers, physical perks, or campaign deadlines, and vendor terms limit who may use a paid seat.

Overpromising turns a simple funding ask into something that reads like a purchase contract, which is the opposite of what a contribution goal is.

Do not imply the funded license can be shared across several people's access. Adobe's account sharing policy states that an Adobe account, individual or teams, "is just for you," and Adobe allows sign-in on up to two computers (Adobe Help: account sharing policy). Maxon Support states that a Maxon license cannot be split among multiple machines (Maxon Support: how many machines can I use my license on). Check the exact terms of your own subscription before describing anything on your page as a shared seat.

What else can a 3D artist's page include besides a software wishlist?

A 3D artist's Brillay page can run several offers alongside a software goal: priced Custom Work, Tips, Paid Questions, and Brand Collaboration Inquiries, all under one link. The same named-cost format extends past software to physical gear, such as funding a tattoo machine and studio setup.

• Custom Work — priced commissions such as a custom Blender asset pack or a print-ready 3D model, each with a price, scope, and delivery time you set.

• Tips — a one-time way for a supporter who enjoys your process content to support you, with nothing to deliver in return.

• Paid Questions — one private question about your sculpting or texturing process, answered in writing within the reply window you set, with no call to schedule.

• Brand Collaboration Inquiries — a separate “Work with Me” form for software vendors, marketplaces, or studios that collects budget, timeline, and deliverables into a separate brand inbox.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions below cover how Brillay handles a software-license goal, what a wishlist goal costs, and how a renewal cycle is handled. Brillay mechanics cite Brillay's own pricing and how-it-works pages; software prices cite Maxon and Adobe list prices.

Does Brillay buy or activate the software for me?

No. A wishlist goal collects cash toward a stated cost; the creator still purchases and activates the license directly with the vendor, under that vendor's own account and terms.

Do I need a certain number of followers to add a wishlist goal?

No. Brillay has no follower minimum for any offer, including Goals, so a goal can go live from your very first supporters.

What does Brillay charge on a wishlist goal?

Two deductions, from two different parties. Brillay takes its platform fee on goal contributions — the goals-and-tips rate on Brillay's pricing page — and Stripe takes card processing, which it lists for standard US online cards at 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction. Because the $0.30 is charged per payment, ten smaller contributions toward a ZBrush renewal lose more to flat fees than one $399 contribution does; the worked table above shows the effect on each vendor's list price.

If supporters fund my goal to 100%, do I receive the full amount?

No. Brillay states that the supporter pays only the displayed price and that creator earnings equal the supporter payment minus the platform fee minus the processing fee. A goal set at a vendor's list price therefore pays out less than that list price, so either set the target higher or plan to cover the 5% platform fee on tips and goals and Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction yourself.

Should I use a wishlist goal or a custom request for a software renewal?

Use Goals when supporters make one-time contributions toward your own cost, with nothing owed back. Use Custom Work when a supporter is paying you to make something specific with that software, priced with a set delivery time.

Can I reuse the same goal every renewal period?

Plan on re-posting it rather than automating it. A Goal is one named goal with a target amount and a progress bar, with no reward tiers or campaign deadlines to manage. Practical guidance: rename or re-post the goal and reset the target when the next renewal comes due — ZBrush renews at $399.00 a year and the Substance 3D Collection at $599.88 a year — then post a short update confirming the previous goal was funded.

Create your free Brillay page and turn "what software do you use?" into a goal your supporters can actually help fund.