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Maya vs Houdini Apprentice: catalog facts
Maya	Houdini Apprentice
Best for: Industry-standard 3D modeling and animation suite for film, TV and games	Best for: Free non-commercial version of Houdini for procedural VFX and simulation
Paid Commercial subscription software from Autodesk.	Free Free for non-commercial, personal use only.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Industry-standard tool with broad studio adoption Covers modeling, animation and effects in one application	Nearly the full Houdini FX feature set at no cost Good on-ramp into procedural VFX and simulation work
Expensive subscription pricing aimed at studios and professionals Steep learning curve for newcomers	Non-commercial license only Files typically watermarked and not directly compatible with commercial Houdini versions
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Maya autodesk.com/products/maya/overview Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Houdini Apprentice sidefx.com/products/houdini-apprentice Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.