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Autodesk 3ds Max vs Blender: catalog facts
Autodesk 3ds Max	Blender
Best for: Professional 3D artists and visualisation studios on Windows	Best for: Learning or doing 3D work without a subscription
Paid Commercial software sold by Autodesk.	Free Free and open source, funded by donations, sponsorship and the Blender Studio subscription.
Windows	Windows, macOS, Linux
Modelling, animation and rendering in one package Long-established in games and architectural visualisation	The entire 3D pipeline in one program, including rendering and video editing Two renderers: Cycles for path tracing and Eevee for real time All 5 strengths for Blender 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
Windows only Expensive for individuals All 3 limitations for Autodesk 3ds Max Windows only Expensive for individuals Closed source	An enormous application with a correspondingly long learning curve Serious rendering and simulation wants a capable GPU All 3 limitations for Blender 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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Autodesk 3ds Max autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/overview Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Blender blender.org blender.org/about/license Catalog checked September 20, 2026

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