Best 3D rendering software
With unprecedented demand for rendering tools across industries, modern 3D rendering software now offers a wide array of options for every type of project. Once limited to high-end productions, 3D rendering is now essential in most design work, transforming 3D models into vivid 3D or 2D visuals. This article serves as an all-round guide to today’s best 3D rendering software, enabling you to compare pros and cons, and find the best fit for your needs. We’ll start with an overview of what 3D rendering is and then list popular options available on the market, sharing insights into how to choose your perfect software.
What is 3D rendering?
In a nutshell, 3D rendering is the process of creating a detailed and realistic image from a 3D model, which allows a digital object to come to life on a 2D screen. It looks a lot like taking a virtual photograph. In today’s digital era, the technology elevates a diverse range of workflows, from film-making and gaming to product design and architecture. This article dives into the concept of 3D rendering, its various types and many applications across industries, and the best software tools to help you bring digital creations to your screen of choice.
Industries from architecture and gaming to film and product design need 3D rendering for high-quality visualizations. Architects rely on it to produce realistic previews of buildings, while film studios render 3D assets before integrating them into footage. Product designers, including those at tech and manufacturing giants, as well as promising start-ups, use rendering to visualize prototypes. Game developers turn to 3D rendering when creating dynamic scenes. To address this growing application demand, 3D rendering software offers customized rendering tools, giving professionals from different industries options from purpose-built rendering engines to multifunctional 3D design suites.
3D rendering requires specialized software and substantial computing power, often relying on high-performance CPUs, GPUs, or both to manage resource-heavy tasks. High-end studios and creative professionals tend to use robust hardware to render intricate scenes faster and simulate real-world properties for a vivid, immersive image. Although this may sound complex at first, there is an entire constellation of accessible 3D rendering software to meet the needs of any user, from someone just starting their journey to niche professionals.
Key point
3D rendering transforms 3D models into photorealistic images, enhancing workflows in industries like film, gaming, product design, and architecture. It requires specialized rendering software and substantial computing power, often relying on high-performance CPUs, GPUs, or both to manage resource-heavy tasks.
While 3D rendering software allows you to add various effects, such as lighting and shadows, texture and materials, depth of field or motion blur, and much more, you first need to obtain a model to work with. You can either create it from scratch or scan your object – preferably with a 3D scanner, but even a phone will do. Powerful 3D scanning software, such as Artec Studio 19, can transform photos, videos, and even aerial footage into a 3D model with the help of AI Photogrammetry. From there, you can let your creativity roam free.
Best 3D rendering software for beginners
SketchUp
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@SketchUp
- Web-based and accessible on any operating system via an internet browser
- Free
- User-friendly, intuitive interface
- Perfect for beginners
- A solid range of 3D modeling tools
- Access to the 3D Warehouse library for model sharing and downloads
- Limited feature set compared to SketchUp Pro
- No offline functionality
- Limited export options
- Is not fit for complex projects with a high level of detail
This software is probably something you already have installed on your device. Designed with beginners in mind, SketchUp provides powerful, yet easy-to-grasp modeling tools, making it a perfect place to start for any rendering artist at the beginning of their journey. A free subscription includes access to a web-based modeler, which is a streamlined version of SketchUp for Desktop and runs in any browser. As you develop your rendering skills, you can always take a step further and transform SketchUp into a more advanced visualization program, as it is fully compatible with a number of more sophisticated rendering plugins.
Blender
Image source: https://www.blender.org
- Windows, Linux, macOS
- Free
- Easily accessible to anyone
- Ample functionality
- Excellent for beginners and indie projects
- A resource hub abounding with manuals, tutorials, and FAQs
- Efficient community support
- Not easy for noobs to grasp
- Not industry-standard
- Occasional bugs
- Struggles on older devices
Blender is an extremely popular open-source software boasting a powerful rendering engine called Cycles. Unlike SketchUp, Blender comes with a number of modeling and rendering tools that can be a bit challenging for first-time users. However, don’t let this initial impression prevent you from exploring, because once you find your way around the main features, Blender is delightfully simple to navigate, even for beginners. Some of the rendering engine’s most prominent features include global illumination, calculating soft shadows and natural reflections, and ray tracing, allowing for realistic simulations of caustics and subsurface scattering. What’s more, adaptive sampling and AI-driven denoising are great for both still renders and animated sequences.
OctaneRender
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@CGShortcuts
- Windows, macOS
- $21 a month, billed yearly
- Simple workflow
- Mild learning curve
- Realistic physical effects
- An impressive selection of materials and shaders
- Limited settings compared to high-end software
- GPU rendering with no CPU alternative
- Requires a powerful GPU, likely an NVIDIA graphics card
A pioneer in GPU rendering, OctaneRender is a program that guarantees a faster workflow and photorealistic results. The software comes with a massive library of materials that users can access through its LiveDB. Because Octane is an unbiased render engine – this approach minimizes artifacts and creates results that are true to natural lighting – beginners will find it easier to achieve realistic renders without extensive tweaking. Any setting/parameter changes are instantly reflected in the scene, which enables users to freely manipulate lighting with HDRI and IES files, mesh emitters, and spectral sun/sky daylighting systems. The cherry on top: it also supports the photorealistic rendering of natural and organic materials.
Key point
When choosing the best 3D rendering software for beginners, consider ease of use, an intuitive interface, and the availability of tutorials to facilitate learning. Additionally, make sure the renderer offers a balance of essential features, affordability, and compatibility with your hardware to avoid overwhelming or underutilizing your system.
Best 3D rendering software for VR
KeyShot
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@keyshot
- Windows, macOS
- $99 a month for subscription plans or $995 for a one-time purchase (KeyShot Pro), with various licensing options depending on features
- Simple drag-and-drop functionality
- Fast real-time rendering with high-quality results
- Extensive library with support for custom designs and setups
- Compatible with a variety of 3D file formats
- Priced higher than similar 3D rendering software
- Primarily CPU-based, hence slower on systems without high-performance processors
KeyShot is a powerful stand-alone rendering software, commonly used for visualization and quick, high-quality renders. Capable of rendering a wide range of objects, KeyShot is a great choice for VR projects. With an extensive material & texture library and direct import of 40+ file types from major 3D CAD tools, KeyShot is very versatile and adaptable to a range of industries. The tool’s flagship features include global illumination and its materials, which are designed to have real-world physical properties, allowing you to achieve high levels of photorealism. Finally, what makes KeyShot excellent for VR applications is its ability to create interactive scenes, enabling users to navigate around objects and settings in a VR environment.
Unreal Engine
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrealEngine
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Free for projects whose gross lifetime revenues are under $1 million
- High-quality graphics and lifelike rendering
- Extensive support for VR development with dedicated tools and features
- Large community
- A selection of tutorials
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Requires powerful hardware
- Projects that gross $1 million are subject to royalties
Famous for its high-quality graphics and photorealistic rendering capabilities, Unreal Engine has become a popular choice among developers in diverse industries, especially gaming, film, architecture, and VR. Amazing visual fidelity is the tool’s staple, allowing artists to create captivating, immersive experiences. Some features that set the engine apart include real-time ray tracing, advanced material editing, and its Blueprint visual scripting system, all of which are used in virtual reality development. With built-in support for popular VR platforms such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, developers can efficiently test and deploy their VR applications directly from Unreal Engine. Its active community contributes to a steady flow of user-generated content, plugins, and tools, allowing developers to make the most of the engine’s functionality and create truly engaging experiences.
Enscape
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@Enscape3D
- Windows, macOS
- From $39 a month for a single-user subscription, with discounts available for annual plans and educational licenses
- Real-time rendering for instant design visualization
- Easy integration with Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD
- User-friendly interface to facilitate quick learning
- Supports VR experiences for immersive presentations
- Limited customization options compared to more advanced rendering engines
- Needs a powerful graphics card for optimal performance
Enscape is a real-time rendering and visualization software for producing high-quality renders instantly and allowing users to explore designs in a dynamic and interactive environment. The software has an intuitive interface, which makes it accessible to users of different skill levels. With minimal setup, artists can generate amazing walkthroughs and visualizations to enhance any immersive experience. With a VR headset, you can step inside any design and gain a spatial understanding with sharp colors and good lighting – something that is not as realistic in static images or traditional walkthroughs.
Key point
When it comes to the best 3D rendering software for VR, prioritize compatibility with VR platforms and support for real-time rendering to ensure immersive experiences. 3D rendering tools suitable for VR applications should be able to handle high-quality textures, lighting, and intricate scenes without compromising performance or causing delays.
Best 3D rendering software for animation
Maya
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@Autodesk_Maya
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- $235 a month, $1,875 a year for one user
- Established reputation for animation rendering in films
- Robust rendering engine
- Node-based architecture for customizable workflows
- Workflows requiring professional skills
- Slower rendering times
- Costly licensing
Autodesk Maya is a globally acknowledged 3D rendering and animation software commonly used to create believable characters and high-quality effects for box-office hit animations. In the realms of film, game development, and architecture, Maya has well-deserved fame thanks to its next-gen rendering engine Arnold, which supports real-time previews alongside GPU and CPU rendering, and features global illumination, subsurface scattering, and volumetric effects for ultra-realistic results. Maya seamlessly integrates with virtually any other software through plugins, and works with an array of file formats. It has a highly customizable, node-based workflow, giving artists full creative freedom to play around with materials, textures, lighting, and effects. The features tailored to animation include rigging, motion capture, simulation tools, and a range of advanced tools for UV mapping and sculpting.
Cinema 4D
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxonVFX
- Windows, macOS
- From $59.99 a month
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Covers advanced user needs
- Modeling, animation, and rendering capabilities combined
- Integrates with other software, including Adobe Creative Suite and After Effects
- Specialized tools for virtual reality content creation
- Hardware-intensive
- Cost an obstacle for freelancers or hobbyists
- Steeper learning curve for advanced features
A leading 3D modeling, animation, and rendering tool, Cinema 4D is known for its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities. The software has everything motion graphics designers and animators need to create breathtaking visuals – from basic 3D graphics to sophisticated animations. The program’s MoGraph toolset is perfect for creating intricate animations using clones, effectors, and procedural animation techniques. These tools are extremely versatile in dynamic simulations, character animations, and rendering, resulting in eye-catching, immersive scenes that react to a range of parameters. For character animation, there is an intuitive rigging system to simplify creating character skeletons and adding controls for animation. Additionally, features such as Pose Morphs and Character Object allow animators to create lifelike movements and expressions with ease. The timeline and keyframing system in Cinema 4D provides precise control over animations, enabling users to craft fluid and professional-looking sequences that enhance storytelling.
RenderMan
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@PixarsRenderMan
- Windows, macOS
- Free for non-commercial use, up to $595 per license
- Next-gen rendering technology
- Optimized for complex scenes and advanced VFX
- CPU and GPU rendering combined
- Globally acclaimed in animation projects
- Steep learning curve
- Limited features for non-commercial use
Pixar’s RenderMan is one of the most robust renderers in the industry, with a reputation for producing ultra-realistic animations and complex visual effects. It was originally developed to aid Pixar’s artists in top 3D animation and visual storytelling, but studios worldwide quickly started using the software. Renowned for its physically precise rendering capabilities, the tool offers photorealistic lighting and material simulations that give 3D scenes cinematic quality. The core features in RenderMan include the REYES rendering algorithm and path-tracing technology, allowing for detailed renders, even in scenes with multiple objects and complex textures. These algorithms are cherished by animators, who can easily add elements like depth of field, motion blur, and subsurface scattering. RenderMan boasts abundant tools for complex animations as well as brilliant deformation and object motion blur capabilities for fluid, natural character animations. RenderMan integrates seamlessly with programs like Maya and Houdini to guarantee a streamlined combination of rendering, animation, and shading for animation pipelines.
Key point
Any 3D rendering software for animation needs to offer extensive support for motion capture, rigging, and keyframe animation to bring characters and scenes to life seamlessly. It should also provide blazing rendering speeds and efficiently handle complex animations, ensuring smooth workflows and ultra-realistic visuals.
Best 3D rendering software for interior design and architecture
3ds Max
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@Autodesk3dsMax
- Windows
- $225 a month or $1,785 a year
- Industry-standard rendering and modeling capabilities
- Robust toolset for complex animations
- Highly customizable with plugins
- Efficient for large-scale projects
- Windows-exclusive
- Very steep learning curve
- Costly subscriptions
When it comes to heavyweights in 3D rendering, modeling, and animation, you can’t go without mentioning Autodesk. Particularly popular among leading architects and designers for enabling photorealistic visualizations, 3ds Max boasts a range of professional tools for recreating sophisticated details, which is vital in architectural renderings requiring depth and precision. The program’s high-quality rendering engine Arnold is a stand-out tool for architecture because it produces lifelike renderings for clients who expect utmost visual fidelity. Arnold enables designers to manage intricate scenes with minimal lag, simulate lighting, and make use of diverse material options, resulting in realistic renderings that mirror the intended structure’s final appearance. 3ds Max also supports plugins and customizable scripting, which means users can tailor the software to their project needs. For example, Forest Pack or RailClone plugins can be used to add detailed landscapes, populate scenes with vegetation, and optimize rendering times.
Lumion
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@ArchitectureInspirations
- Windows
- $1,820 for Lumion Standard; $4,252 for Lumion Pro (one-time purchase)
- Real-time rendering
- Very intuitive interface and mild learning curve
- Extensive library of architectural assets
- Windows-exclusive
- A poor selection of advanced modeling tools
A user-friendly architectural rendering tool, Lumion is intuitive to use and known for its high-quality and fast rendering capabilities with pre-loaded modeling elements. The software allows architects to create compelling scenes and structures with minimal effort, while keeping rich hues of color and achieving a realistic interplay of shadows and light. Lumion’s content library of rendering elements contains pre-built assets for rain and snow, all kinds of vegetation, realistic textures, tactile materials, furniture, and people, all specifically tailored to architectural projects. All this plus drag-and-drop functionality results in scenes close to real-life environments with perfectly built-out landscapes, structures, and interiors. A true favorite among architects and designers for its real-time rendering capabilities, Lumion allows architects to turn digital twins into fully rendered environments in a matter of minutes. In architecture, these help visualize spaces from multiple angles and in different lighting conditions for more precise presentation.
V-Ray
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRenderingEssentials
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- $60 a month, $350 a year, or $699 for a perpetual license
- Outstanding photorealism
- Versatile integration with popular specialized 3D software
- Extensive control over lighting and materials, widely used in architecture
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Relies on powerful hardware for complex scenes
Thanks to its well-developed rendering features and material & lighting libraries, V-Ray has long been a go-to solution for both architects and designers engaged in 3D art and architectural rendering. Supporting both CPU and GPU, as well as Hybrid rendering, V-Ray can suit different professional needs and hardware capacities. It is acknowledged for delivering realistic results in architectural visualizations thanks to its exceptional lighting and shading capabilities. V-Ray’s Global Illumination and HDRI lighting replicate sunlight, sky, and indoor light effects with accuracy, a vital aspect for architectural renders. By effortlessly manipulating lighting parameters, architects can create a diverse range of atmospheres, from daytime to dusk, adding depth to their scenes. V-Ray’s material editor offers great surface customization, letting you adjust textures, transparency, and finish. To add detail to an architectural scene, it is possible to create and modify materials to precisely mirror glass, metal, wood, and concrete. V-Ray’s material realism helps achieve ultra-clear, noise-free visuals in minutes. The material editor in V-Ray also stands out, offering a high degree of customization for surface textures, finishes, and transparency. For professionals who use multiple tools, V-Ray is easily integrated with popular 3D modeling software like SketchUp, Rhino, and 3ds Max, making it a versatile choice for architectural visualization.
Key point
Mighty 3D rendering software is crucial in architecture for visualizing designs accurately before construction begins. Key features for architectural renderers include realistic lighting and high-quality textures for replicating materials and surfaces with adequate fidelity. Real-time rendering and seamless integration with CAD software also enhance design flexibility and interactive visualization.
What is the difference between 3D modeling and 3D rendering?
Simply put, the main difference between 3D modeling and 3D rendering is that the former centers around designing the shape, while the latter adds effects, lighting, and textures. Both workflows differ when it comes to their purpose, techniques, and software used.
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@JoshGambrell
The end purposes of 3D modeling are broader: essentially, 3D modeling means creating a realistic digital twin of a real-world object, which can be used in countless applications across industries, from CGI and VR to healthcare and manufacturing. One common purpose is 3D printing, whether it be the creation of prosthetic devices, interior elements, or sports shoes. CNC machines can also turn 3D models into industrial metal parts to specification. Finally, 3D models are often used to provide comprehensive 3D views of real-world objects for product pages or online catalogs. Meanwhile, 3D rendering is mostly used to showcase products and spaces in 2D, for example on websites, or in commercials, movies, and shows. With the help of 3D renders, specialists can communicate ideas in a more effective and visually appealing way.
Key point
3D modeling is the process of creating a digital twin of an object or scene, while 3D rendering brings that model to life by adding textures, lighting, and other details to produce a realistic or stylized 2D image. Essentially, 3D modeling builds a structure, and 3D rendering adds finishing touches to make it look real.
3D modeling and 3D rendering techniques differ as well. In 3D modeling, designers create objects from geometric shapes within 3D spaces with the help of NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines), subdivision surfaces, and polygons. In addition to CAD and polygonal modeling, many professionals prefer to rely on 3D scanning instead of designing models from scratch. All these approaches allow modelers to construct ultra-detailed, precise representations of objects. In contrast, 3D rendering transforms these digital models into true-to-life 2D images by adding materials, lighting, textures, patterns, and color. While modelers look for structural accuracy, renderers need to make objects and spaces appear realistic and visually appealing. A combination of 3D modeling and 3D rendering workflows is instrumental in producing high-quality visuals used across diverse industries.
Generally, you will need different software tools for 3D modeling and 3D rendering, with rendering requiring more specialized software. However, most popular 3D modeling software products, such as 3ds Max, Maya, and Cinema 4D, not only excel at building models but also boast outstanding rendering functionality. For rendering in specific applications, software like V-Ray and Blender is widely used, and, while some 3D artists utilize both modeling and rendering, a lot of professionals would consider those separate workflows.
Additionally, due to their geometric nature, 3D models are usually easier to modify than renders. One high-quality 3D replica can be reused to produce multiple renders or customized to show different design options or color variations, which is another good reason to use highly accurate 3D scans for rendering. For instance, a precise 3D model of a scanned human body could be used to create tens of fashion catalog images, surgery presentations, or video-game visuals, offering a diverse range of styles and configurations. 3D renders, especially once animated, are less flexible to adjust or edit.
Real-time rendering vs. pre-rendering
As 3D rendering has evolved over time, different technologies have been introduced to create more lifelike, faster renders. Two main types of rendering that incorporate these advancements are real-time rendering and pre-rendering.
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@FranklyGaming
Real-time rendering is a process in which 2D images are generated, as you can conclude from the term, instantly. This allows you to interact with the environment or model in real time. The technique is mostly used in video games, VR/AR, and architectural walkthroughs, where it is crucial for the system to respond immediately to user input and changes in the scene. For real-time rendering, you need really powerful graphics hardware (such as GPUs) to calculate images rapidly, often at 30 to 60 frames per second. At times, it may be necessary to sacrifice visual fidelity for seamless performance. So investing in the latest technology is the best way of ensuring you have access to real-time rendering and achieve the best possible results.
Pre-rendering, or so-called “offline rendering,” on the other hand, involves generating every frame or image in advance, resulting in a higher-quality, photorealistic output. This process is commonly used in high-end animations, cinema, and architectural visualizations, where detail and quality are prioritized over speed. Since pre-rendering doesn’t need to happen in real time, it can take much longer to complete a single frame, depending on complexity. While the result of pre-rendering is static and non-interactive, the technique makes it possible to apply complex lighting, sophisticated textures, and more real-world effects, making it great for applications where authenticity is more important than interactivity.
CPU vs. GPU rendering
To create a realistic 2D image from a 3D model, renderers process data and make all necessary calculations in two different ways: GPU and CPU rendering, using the computer’s graphics processing unit and central processing unit respectively. As the acronyms suggest, GPU rendering relies on the power of your graphics card, while CPU rendering utilizes the power of your processor. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the scene type, the level of detail, your render’s quality and speed, and the features of your rendering tool.
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/@JonasNoell
GPU rendering is generally faster, especially for high-res scenes, complex lighting, and detailed surfaces. It handles ray tracing better than a CPU, resulting in lifelike visuals, especially when working with environments featuring global illumination, reflections, and caustics. A powerful graphics card includes thousands of smaller cores designed to process multiple tasks simultaneously. With parallel processing, you can easily perform rendering tasks that need huge datasets and quick computation, for example, generating real-time graphics for gaming or massive-scale 3D rendering for animation. GPU rendering saves time by processing multiple scenes in parallel and helps cut costs since it does not require a pricey computer, only a robust graphics card. However, it can lack ultra-precision for intricate scenes, which can only be achieved with CPU rendering.
CPU rendering, in turn, deals with calculations necessary to generate images, video frames, or high-quality simulations. CPU rendering is versatile and designed for general-purpose tasks, performing complex computations sequentially. It is typically more accurate, as it has a larger memory capacity than GPU rendering, using your system’s RAM and disk space. This makes it possible to render larger and more intricate scenes with no need to worry about any memory limitations. CPUs excel at rendering tasks that require ultra-precise calculations, providing more consistent and realistic results.
Read this next
Even though it plays such an important role, software rarely grabs the headlines whenever there is a discussion on 3D technology. You are more likely to hear about swanky new 3D scanners, 3D printers, or even ground-breaking 3D printing materials. The 3D software that brings this all together is often just a footnote in the discourse – almost an afterthought. When it is mentioned, you’ll be hard-pressed to find dedicated software for Mac; the overwhelming majority of 3D scanning software is built for the Windows platform – or Windows + Linux, if you’re lucky. Hard as it is to find, it is out there if you know where to look. So in this article, we round up some of the best 3D scanning and 3D modeling software for Mac computers, both free and paid.
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