While Blender is free, you may want to purchase add-ons to expand its toolset. A Maya subscription costs $225 per month, or $1,785 paid annually, though there are other flexible ways to essentially license it only when you need it using a new token system, or you can apply for a lower-cost indie license. For example, Cinema 4D costs $94 per month or $719 per year. Free is an attractive price for beginners or anyone else who’s still learning how to master 3D modeling, especially when you consider the cost of major 3D modeling packages. Big names like AMD and Ubisoft have made considerable contributions to support Blender.

It’s supported by donations from individuals and a development fund. Professionals working on complete productions across all pipeline stages are better off with industry-standard options such as Maya, our Editors’ Choice winner for professionals all around, or Houdini, our Editors’ Choice for special effects.īlender is 100% free and open source. It’s an attractive choice for beginners, who can use it to dabble in the world of 3D art. Who is Blender for? Can you make professional-grade 3D art with it? Is Blender a truly great 3D tool, or, as in NetZero’s case, is it an example of getting what you pay for?īlender is a strong 3D package for certain disciplines that come early in the professional 3D production pipeline, like digital sculpting and 3D modeling. Get past the feel-good message, though, and anyone interested in Blender needs to ask themselves a few questions before sinking time into learning the tool. Unlike NetZero, Blender has made its name as the leader in free 3D animation software amid other programs that cost thousands of dollars. The same year, the 3D modeling and animation software Blender was released publicly online as freeware with a similar mission. Its service was spotty at best and it was loaded with ads, but it was still free. In 1998, NetZero set out on a mission to offer free dial-up internet access to all. We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page.

The Nature Academy Blender