About the new Payout rate changes It’s a Final Smash-and-Grab Before the AI Storm Hits
Discussion started by Megalord
Let’s drop the sugarcoating: this new payout system is nothing more than a calculated robbery. A final shake-down before AI-generated 3D assets flood the market and destroy whatever's left of our already-precarious earnings.
CGTrader knows exactly what’s coming.
They know that in a few short years, maybe even months, AI will be spitting out base meshes, props, full environments, stylized rigs — faster than any human artist ever could. They know it’ll devalue asset marketplaces unless artists become machines themselves. So what do they do?
They bleed us dry while they still can.
This payout restructuring isn’t about fairness. It’s not about rewarding loyalty. It’s not about adapting to a better system.
It’s about squeezing every last damn drop from the human artists who built this platform — before we’re replaced by prompts and procedural garbage.
Let’s do the math (because clearly they hope most won’t):
You want 80%? Sure — just grind up to $100,000 in sales.
You want to keep the 74% you earned over years of slow, hard-earned progress? Too bad.
Your sales don’t count.
Your history doesn’t matter.
Your points don’t translate.
You either churn out thousands in fresh income yearly, or you get dropped back to 60-something percent.
Oh, and the “creator levels” system?
Just a flashy disguise for the knife in our backs.
“Explorer.” “Top Designer.” “Legend.”
Sounds like an MMO tier list — not a professional marketplace. Stop insulting us.
We’ve been here for years.
We answered messages at 2AM.
We debugged scenes, tweaked UVs, re-uploaded FBXs, dealt with picky clients, and poured soul into our work.
And now we’re being told: “That’s not enough. Fork over more.”
CGTrader: You are not a partner anymore. You’re a rent-seeker. A middleman trying to choke value out of the people actually making things.
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room: AI is coming for all of this.
CGTrader knows it. We know it.
But instead of supporting the real artists — giving us tools, visibility, protection — you go full scorched-earth capitalism and throw us under the algorithm bus.
So here’s my final takeaway:
This isn’t just about numbers.
This isn’t just about greed.
This is your declaration that you don’t believe in the long-term survival of artist-driven marketplaces.
You’re cashing out — and we’re the ones paying for it.
Enjoy the short-term revenue boost.
Enjoy the boardroom smiles.
But don’t be surprised when the community you buried doesn’t show up to save you when the AI gold rush collapses your house of cards.
Answers
3
Given your passion regarding this, have you thought about where to go next? If CGTrader is becoming unviable, where do we move? Just like 2d artists found ways to ensure their safety with making AI almost taboo on specific, large platforms, do we have any similar place we can go? If you have thought about this, please help the rest of us and let us know where we can go.
Thank you
The whole world doesn’t revolve around CGTrader. Google the best marketplaces for selling 3D models and choose what suits you best. CGTrader has turned into a junk asset.
I have looked up, but there are not many that I could find. If you want my list, here it is.
TurboSquid: Not preferred, bad reports.
BlenderMarketplace, now called SuperHive: mixed reviews but is generally middling and acceptable.
Reddit r/3drequests. Good but no security and requests are far and few in-between.
Unreal Engine 5 market: decent, has a long verification process but seems good. It is not oversaturated yet.
Unity market: from what I have heard, it is oversaturated but still good. Not much personal research.
SketchFab: needs investigation. I have heard complaints, do some research.
That is all I can think of. Please provide your own input as well and any experience you have with them.
Thank you
With sketchfab you're some time late. Now it can only be investigated as a museum, not a marketplace.
I highly advise against using sketchfab. I discovered that there are pirated ripper programs available. I decided to try it out and I was able to steal my own models from the 3d viewer on sketchfab. after that I deleted all my models from it
Thanks for letting me know. What platform do you sell on now?
Since I make models for print, I use Cults, they give 80% royalty and sales there are much better than here.
3
how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid
2
how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid
2
how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid
8
Agreed. According to the founder, CG Trader was started because he wasn't satisfied with the low pay rate of other 3d sites and would take almost 50% of the royalties. That's why a lot of artists, like myself, came here originally. Now this new system really screws over us smaller artists.
Here is the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVanaYuqVA8&t=192s
4
I will increase the price of all my models on cgtrader. And i will write a caption that. If you want a good price contact me directly by email. If someone is interested i will sell it outside of cgtrader. Now i will just treat cgtrader as a page where i can promote my products. And i will find another asset selling platform and sell it cheaper than cgtrader
Good idea, i think i will do like this too
0
I will increase the price of all my models on cgtrader. And i will write a caption that. If you want a good price contact me directly by email. If someone is interested i will sell it outside of cgtrader. Now i will just treat cgtrader as a page where i can promote my products. And i will find another asset selling platform and sell it cheaper than cgtrader
6
The decision to reduce the payout percentage for model designers is a complete disappointment. It doesn’t just affect our earnings — it deeply damages our motivation. Uploading affordable models is no longer an option, because we’re simply not being compensated fairly for our work.
!!! Under these conditions, the only logical response is to opt out of every discount event. Maybe that’s the only way we can even begin to reach the already reduced percentage they expect us to earn from.!!!
We’ve spent years building up our portfolios, meeting every standard this platform demands, investing countless hours into creating high-quality models. And this is the thanks we get? Designers are the backbone of this system, yet we’re the ones being neglected the most.
This is a major letdown for every artist who’s ever contributed to this platform. You need to hear our voices — because if this decision stands, many of us are losing faith in the future here.
3
You have a second account on Turbosquid and there are other models and I have to say that the sales here are pathetic, the only thing that saved the case were higher royalties, so when they were lowered I throw everything on TS and here I delete the model, I earn more there or the same but CGtradej will not earn anything from me anymore so it's your decision, calculate whether you prefer to give my royalties or zero? what is more profitable for you? You have a week to answer, if not I delete everything here
4
The reduction in earnings percentage for model designers is simply unacceptable. This isn’t just a financial loss — it’s a complete disregard for the years of effort, time, and creativity we’ve put into our work. Uploading affordable models no longer makes sense, because the compensation doesn’t reflect the value of our labor.
!!!Joining any discount event under these new terms would only hurt us further. That’s why we must not participate in any discount campaigns. Maybe then, our voices will be heard and this unfair revenue model will be reconsidered.!!!
We’ve contributed to the growth and quality of this platform for years. We’ve met the standards, consistently produced content, and invested ourselves fully. But clearly, all that effort means nothing now. Designers are the foundation of this system, yet we’re the ones suffering the most from this decision.
Being part of a system that ignores its creators like this is becoming harder to justify. We are truly disappointed.
STOP participating in the discount
are there way to stop participance in discounts ?
My Sales— Dicounts—[] I want to participate in all available programs
There are way to stop participance in Discounts
7
100 percent agree on this take . I believe that ı did a really good job on sales while keeping the quality high on my models over the years ..I can easily say that in my field (busts/Likeness models for printng) ,in terms of sales/quality ım in the top ten seller on this site and guess what ,even ı cant make 80 percent royalty ...ı cant even imagine artist who sells even less...Doing it for artists my ass ..
Anyone who sells models here ı suggest you guys go ahead and start selling your stuff on other marketplaces ass well if your not allready doing that .Do NOT rely only on this one, which honestly ı believe at this point its just going worse for creators by every new update..Go sell on other markets, start your own patreon and diverse your income if you willing to keep doing this..
1
my request was simple. i stated that many “smaller” designers will leave this platform because the new payout system will only be a win for cg traders. here is the answer:
Julius CGT (CGTrader)
May 23, 2025, 13:09 GMT+3
Hello,
We completely understand your concerns and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
First of all I wish to clarify few things and answer your questions.
Payout sale is calculated form sales amount, not from received royalties, therefore if you wish to reach 15k you need to sell for 15k and not receive royalties that would be equal to 15k.
The percentage is recalculated daily (not yearly), as the statistic is based on 365 days. A dependable payout rate does not favor high-price models, since low-price models are sold more often. Most of our top sellers have items with lower-tier prices and a very high amount of sales (usually 20-70 sales daily) ; therefore, your statement is not true.
Change is never easy, especially when it affects something as important as payouts. However, the current system no longer reflects how the marketplace works today. It rewards volume over quality, and with AI-generated content flooding the space, we had to rethink how to fairly recognise the efforts of dedicated designers like yourself.
The new model focuses on sales performance over the past 12 months, making sure that creators who consistently produce valuable, in-demand content are the ones benefiting the most. It also opens doors for us to support your sales through paid marketing, something the old model limited.
Please know that these decisions were made carefully, with the goal of creating a fairer, more transparent system for everyone in the long term.
You can see your earnings history in My Sales>Monthly Summary and review the updated payout rates here: https://help.cgtrader.com/hc/en-us/articles/35293756906257-Payout-Rate-System-Explained
We appreciate your input and ask for your trust and understanding as we continue to work on improving our marketplace for all users.
Regards,
Julius
That julius is either straight lying to you in the face, or the cgtrader is in such mess that the left doesn't know what the right is doing, because payout rates are calculated from royalties, not from sales amount. Anyone who keeps track on his own sales and have the most basic math skills can easily see that. Pathetic liars, you can't believe single word coming from their mouth.
2
I couldn’t agree more. Everything you said resonates deeply — especially as someone who just dropped multiple commission tiers overnight despite years of consistent work and high ratings. This new system feels like it was designed to erase our past efforts and squeeze what’s left before AI takes over.
We’re not partners anymore — just data points in a profit chart. Thanks for putting this into words.
2
I couldn’t agree more. Everything you said resonates deeply — especially as someone who just dropped multiple commission tiers overnight despite years of consistent work and high ratings. This new system feels like it was designed to erase our past efforts and squeeze what’s left before AI takes over.
We’re not partners anymore — just data points in a profit chart. Thanks for putting this into words.
2
As a buyer this change is horrible, I only started buying from cgtrader this year but with this change everything is becoming more expensive, tips to sellers:
1- Find other marketplaces
2- I would advice against providing 3d viewers as I've heard people can rip them with programs , I don't know if this specific for some platforms but make sure your renders are high quality and close enough and show all necessary details.
1
The new payout calculation system is completely demotivating. When I first joined the platform, my initial percentage was 64%. I worked hard and brought it up to 75% this spring. But then the admins decided to change the rules in the middle of the game, and now I’m back at 68% — almost the same as when I started. And uploading free models now makes absolutely no sense.
a free models by the old system was improving the rank ?
Any model publication used to increase your rating. That made sense — free models attracted seekers to the platform, who might later go on to buy something.
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