Blender
The free 3D creation suite: modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and video editing.
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8 more ways to get Blender
Other download sites
Run by third parties, not by Blender Foundation. Prefer the official page above when it works.
Package managers
- winget
winget install --id BlenderFoundation.Blender - Chocolatey
choco install blender - Homebrew
brew install --cask blender - Flathub
flatpak install flathub org.blender.Blender - Snap Store
snap install blender
About Blender
Blender covers the whole 3D pipeline in one application, from modelling and sculpting through rigging, animation and physics simulation to rendering with Cycles or Eevee, compositing and a video sequence editor. It is scriptable in Python throughout, and has a large ecosystem of add-ons.
It is a public project hosted on blender.org, licensed under the GNU GPL version 2 or later and owned by its contributors. The Foundation is explicit that Blender stays free software, and that you are free to sell the work you make with it.
Strengths
- The entire 3D pipeline in one program, including rendering and video editing
- Two renderers: Cycles for path tracing and Eevee for real time
- Python scripting throughout, and a very large add-on ecosystem
- Free to use for any purpose, including selling the work you make with it
- Backed by AMD, Apple, Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm, and a member of ASWF and Khronos
Limitations
- An enormous application with a correspondingly long learning curve
- Serious rendering and simulation wants a capable GPU
- Interface conventions differ from commercial suites, so prior experience does not transfer cleanly
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source, funded by donations, sponsorship and the Blender Studio subscription.
- License
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Developer
- Blender Foundation
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Learning or doing 3D work without a subscription
- Categories
- 3D and CAD
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (3D & CAD); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 5 sources on file.
Alternatives to Blender
Compare allSoftware that can replace Blender for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Maya
Industry-standard 3D modeling and animation suite for film, TV and games.
Maya is an industry-standard studio suite for modeling, animation and effects on Windows, macOS and Linux, with expensive subscription pricing and closed source.
Cinema 4D
Motion-graphics-friendly 3D animation and modeling application.
Cinema 4D focuses on motion graphics with Adobe integration, runs only on Windows and macOS, and requires a paid subscription.
Houdini Apprentice
Free non-commercial version of Houdini for procedural VFX and simulation.
Houdini Apprentice offers procedural VFX and simulation for free, but only under a non-commercial license with watermarked files.
Wings 3D
Subdivision surface modeller with a context-sensitive interface.
Wings 3D is a free open-source subdivision modeller with straightforward UV mapping, but has no animation, rigging or built-in renderer.
Blender as an alternative
Listings that name Blender as an alternative.
Blockbench
A low-poly 3D model editor built for pixel-art textures, with dedicated formats for Minecraft Java and Bedrock.
Blender is a full free 3D suite with rendering and simulation, covering far more than low-poly work but with a much longer learning curve.
Dust3D
Modeller that builds 3D meshes from simple shapes instead of vertex-by-vertex editing.
Blender covers modeling, rigging, animation and rendering in one free suite, with vertex-level control but a much longer learning curve.
Nomad Sculpt
Sculpt and paint 3D models with a touch-oriented modeling application.
Blender is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux and includes sculpting within a full 3D pipeline, but it has no touch-first mobile version.
SculptGL
Digital sculpting tool that runs in a web browser with no installation.
Blender is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, and adds rigging, animation and rendering alongside sculpting, at the cost of a long learning curve.
SketchUp Free
Browser-based 3D modeler that offers an easy start into 3D design.
Blender is a free open source desktop suite for Windows, macOS and Linux covering the entire 3D pipeline, but it has a much longer learning curve.
Spline
Real-time collaborative 3D design tool that runs in the browser.
Blender is a free, open-source desktop suite for Windows, macOS and Linux with rendering and animation, but it lacks Spline's built-in real-time browser collaboration.
Womp
Browser-based 3D modeler with squishy SDF-style geometry and simple materials.
Blender is a free, open-source desktop suite for Windows, macOS and Linux with full modelling and rendering, requiring installation and a longer learning curve.
ZBrush
Sculpt detailed digital models using brush-based tools.
Blender is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, offering sculpting alongside modelling, animation and rendering in one larger application.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
