I've been using 3DCoat for about 13 years and ZBrush for about 20. I enjoy both thoroughly and believe that they have their strengths and weaknesses.

ZBrush is the industry standard as most will agree. Go to any studio and there it is. Knowing it makes you more employable. Its ability to handle models with obscene poly counts is is unparalleled. Whenever you need ultra-high detail in your model, ZBrush is the app to use. Low hardware requirements also ensure that it'll run well on even a potato PC.

That said, ZBrush HAS gotten fairly bloated over the years. Too much redundancy in the way of brushes, for example. Additionally, there are numerous old features that feel dated and are fairly broken. Certain signature features such as using ZSpheres as well as its sub-purpose for retopo feel deliciously antiquated. There are better, more modern ways. Pixologic/Maxon, apparently, doesn't know how to deprecate and throw stuff away.

Furthermore, ZBrush's UI/UX feels highly non-standard. When coming from an app such as Maya or Blender, you can and probably will feel a bit of "culture shock" in the UX department. It does things its own way. More over, with a bevvy of options nested and sub-nested ... and sub-nested, it's sometimes easy to lose track of what critical feature is located where. Doubly true if you step away from it for a few weeks, for whatever reason.

3DCoat, visually, looks a bit more standard in the UI department. Don't get me wrong. It too does things its own way and suffers from some clutter, which has gotten better in recent years. However, it looks and feels closer to one of the standard suite apps in the way it operates and is organized. Jumping from Maya or Blender to 3DCoat doesn't feel so jarring.

In the performance department, ZBrush is still king. However, to say that 3DCoat performs at a high level would be an understatement. You can readily sculpt models in that 200mil+ poly range without having to mortgage your home for a super computer. And, let's face it. 200mil polys is MORE than enough for most projects and far beyond what you'd ever use in a game anyway; In that case, you're just going to retopologize to a far, far lower level of detail end product anyway.

3DCoat also benefits from having a broader categorical diversity of features under the hood and is a perfect complement to Blender, for example. While Blender has tools for UV, sculpting and texture painting, 3DCoat's puts them all to shame both in terms of power, functionality, and ergonomics. It's not unreasonable to suggest that in many situations, especially as a freelancer or within a small/developing studio, 3DCoat can function as a credible substitute, replacement for both ZBrush and Substance Painter.

Of course, not being an industry standard means that you put yourself on the outside as a 3DCoat user. Sculpting is sculpting no matter the app. However, having ZBrush on your CV carries more weight when searching for a job.

Additionally, 3DCoat's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. 3DCoat is, effectively, perma-beta. On the one hand, Pilgway, the developer, constantly updates the app to introduce new features and quality of life tweaks. Unfortunately, being beta also means that each new release brings with it the potential for new bugs. Mercifully, Pilgway is on top of the situation and fixes bugs quickly; There are usually 1-3 betas each week. That said, if you constantly worry about stability then just stick with the latest stable version. That's always an option.

If you come into the money, I'd recommend both apps, tbh. They're both great. Personally, I just prefer 3DCoat these days. The upgrade cost, policy is better and the app gets updated more often - something that will probably remain the case now that ZBrush is a Maxon product. The flow, for me, from Maya/Blender to 3DCoat just feels more organic. I only wish that the data interchange plugin were as stable, useful as ZBrush's GoZ.

Just as an added note, if the idea of subscribing to ZBrush is an issue for you, the do still sell perpetual licenses and will (probably) continue to do so for the immediate future. It'll cost more than 3DCoat, but perpetual is still perpetual. No further fees unless you want to upgrade to the next paid version.

Another option? If you want to get your feet wet with ZBrush, but don't want to pay, just download the $0 (100% free) ZBrush Core Mini. The app itself has fewer features than either ZBrush or ZBrush Core and has a stricter poly limit. However, using ZBrush Core Mini will at least allow you to learn the basics of the app and how ZBrush works. So, should you eventually decide to move to the full version then you'll be able to hit the ground running since you already know how to navigate the app and its quirks.

As far as upgrade costs go, 3DCoat is by far the cheaper option. Granted, we don't know what Maxon will ask current users to pay to move from ZBrush v2022 to v2023. However, there's no way that it'll match 3DCoat's low upgrade cost, which will remain fixed at about $45 or so. A massive bargain to be sure.

Last thing. If you have work in a situation with a spotty (or no) internet connection then 3DCoat is most certainly your friend. Much like Maya, with ZBrush, you have to be online to contact the activation server after you install it. (Might be an offline way iirc, but online is the default.) 3DCoat allows you to do that, but it is NOT a requirement. In fact, Pilgway provides its users with a license file that allows you to self-activate. Unless you want 3DCoat to search for updates, it never has to be online at any point. You can literally work out of a cabin in the woods and never need an internet connection or have to contact Pilgway to help you (de)activate. Definitely convenient, especially right now since Pilgway is Ukraine based. (Shocking that they still reliably release updates atm.)