: You lose access to the latest brush engines, smart materials, and stability patches.

: Completely free to use with the Unreal Engine ecosystem. It has a massive library of Megascans.

If you are looking for the latest version (currently in the 10.x or 11.x cycle depending on the platform), consider these legitimate options: 1. The Student & Teacher License : Free

: While a general 3D suite, its "Texture Paint" mode and various community layers (like the Layer Painter addon) are becoming very capable.

: Substance Painter, Designer, Sampler, and Stager, plus 30 3D assets per month.

: A stand-alone software for PBR texture painting. It is fast, lightweight, and runs on GPU.

: Students and faculty at accredited institutions.