Free textures can help you save a lot of time when it comes to creating 3D art. Designing 3D textures from scratch can be laborious, and let's face it: you'd probably rather be working on later stages of your project or the main features. Luckily, there are plenty of free 3D textures out there on the web.
Below, we've listed some of the best places to download free textures for a wide range of 3D projects, from metallic surface textures to wood textures, fabric, grass and more. We've included sites for different formats and platforms. These can be great resources whether you're looking for something for a specific project or simply want to expand your media library.
If you're looking for inspiration for your 3D work, see our roundup of the best 3D portraits and the best 3D art in general. If you need to upgrade your kit, see our selection of the best laptops for 3D modelling.
The best free textures for 3D modelling
01. Share Textures
I love the straightforward name of this sites, which does just what it says. It's a place for 3D artists to share their textures (and 3D models). There are over 1,600 textures on the site, covering metal, wood, floor, fabric, gems and more. There and regular new additions and a blog section where you can see what's new.
02. AmbientCG
German artist Lennart Demes's AmbientCG is not only one of the largest texture libraries online, it's also one of the best for quality with more than 1,300 seamless PBR materials in JPG or PNG format. Most of the textures here can be downloaded at 8K (even higher in some cases). They're all free via the CC0 Creative Commons licence, so they can be redistributed and used for any project, personal or commercial. Many materials come with SBSAR files allowing users to be able to tweak them in Adobe Substance 3D.
03. Poly Haven
Co-founded by designer Rob Tuytel, Poly Haven is another top-quality library made possible by Patreon supporters. Again, its textures are all available under CC0 for both personal and commercial use. It has a relatively small number of textures compared to the first site on our list, with just over 200, but they're all available to download at 8K and 16-bit resolution in PNG format. You can also download each texture's AO, Diffuse, Displacement, Normal and Roughness Maps for more control. The site offers libraries of HDRIs and models too.
04. Pixar One Twenty Eight
This texture library features 128 textures from the animation giant Pixar. It was created back in 1993, but it was updated in 2018 to keep it relevant for contemporary use. Containing everything from brick to animal skins, it offers some gems that you can use in your own projects.
05. 3D Textures
João Paulo's collection of free PBR textures isn't as big as some other libraries, but the textures are of great quality, and they come with the added advantage of diffuse, normal, displacement, occlusion and specularity maps. You can download them one by one, but if you buy Paulo a coffee, he'll give you a link to the folder containing all of his textures so you can grab them all together.
06. Texturer
Texturer is a creative resource for 3D artists, designers, web designers and animators, providing a comprehensive selection of high-resolution free textures. For ease of use, all textures are organised into categories and sub categories, featuring everything from brick, buildings and doors to animals, food and fabric.
07. 3DTotal
3D Total is a brilliant resource for CG artists, with training, an inspiration gallery, 3D assets and a free textures library. It hasn't been updated of late, but how much do textures change, really? The site has a whopping 16,631 free high-res royalty-free images, which you can search through by category or using the search tool provided on the site. Note: images offered here are subject to the site's Licence Agreement.
08. Texture Can
Texture Can might not have the prettiest UI, but this ad-supported site is a great resource with over 650 free PBR textures, and there are 3D models too. Textures cover a range of materials and surfaces, and there are even Christmas decorations. The blog provides tips and insights into tech and terminology.
09. Textures.com
Featuring everything from animals to X-Rays, Textures.com has a wide array of textures that you can download once you've registered for an account. You can browse by texture type or view the latest additions to the site. There's even a small selection of tutorials for you to try.
10. Arroway Textures
Arroway Textures offers a range of fantastic surfaces. This site sells individual and bundled textures, but there are some freebies, and you can download free lower-resolution samples of just about any texture they sell. The only restriction is that they can only be used for non-commercial use.
11. Occa Software
Occa Software stocks game assets of various kinds, and it also provides visual effects, audio, gameplay systems and development tools. A lot of its textures require a pro subscription, but there are some free textures in there that are worth checking out.
12. TurboSquid
Not only is TurboSquid an extensive library of pro-grade 3D models, but it also claims to offer "the world's largest collection of textures". It's certainly crammed with stuff and encourages its users to submit their own textures for sale. Simply search for what you need, then narrow down your choices by checking compatibility with 3D modelling programs like Maya.
13. Fab Store
If you're working in Unreal Engine or Unity, Epic Games' new Fab Store is a great place to shop for all kinds of assets, including 3D textures and materials. The one-stop shop replaces Sketchfab and the Unreal Engine Marketplace and is also the new home for Quixel Megascans. A lot of the packs of textures have a charge, but there are some free options available
What should I consider when choosing free textures?
When choosing 3D textures and materials, you'll want to consider what software you'll be working in. If you're using 3D software like C4D, Blender, 3ds Max, SketchUp, you will be able to use formats like jpg, png and pdf. If you're working in engines like Unreal Engine and Unity, you'll need textures in the appropriate format.
Basically a texture is just an image or photo of an imagined or real-world surface. You'll want to consider whether the resolution of the image meets your needs and also check the terms of the licence. Some free textures require attribution or may be free for non-commercial use only.
Looking for more free 3D assets? We also have a roundup of the best free 3D models. If you're wondering where to use your 3D textures, see our pick of the best 3D modelling software and the best free 3D apps.
