When looking at a selection of the best 3D modeling software, Blender 3D is likely going to be the only free option that you see on the list. It’s extremely popular and can contribute to 3D modeling, animation, video editing, and even game development, and the fact that it is open-source means that it is constantly improving. If you're new to Blender and need a solid foundation before diving into exports, our Complete Guide to Blender 3D for Beginners will help you get started with the basics.

However, as powerful as Blender is, sometimes it might not fit your needs perfectly. Thankfully, there are a lot of alternatives to Blender 3D that you can explore, whether you’re a 3D modeling or animation beginner or veteran. Let’s explore them.

New to Blender 3D? Check out our Blender 3D Glossary to learn Blender terms such as Geometry Nodes.

1. Autodesk Maya

When it comes to the applications you can use for industry-grade 3D work, I think most people are going to put Autodesk Maya right at the top of their lists. Made by the same company that brought the extremely reliable AutoCAD, Maya is the number one option for many professionals who want the very best.

Maya is a fantastic choice for many reasons. Of the more premium options available for 3D artists, it’s got a large community, so if you run into issues or struggle to achieve a certain effect, you’ll find plenty of documentation and forums to scour through. It is also extremely versatile, lending itself well to game developers, 3D designers, and animators. Plus, for the aspiring artists in the crowd, experience with Maya is definitely something employers like to see.

However, no application is perfect, and the tradeoff that comes with Maya is that it has a relatively steep learning curve. You’ll almost definitely need to hop onto some kind of tutorial or course to get the full hang of it. Also, it costs a whole lot of money unlike Blender, which tends to make it an impractical choice for newbies. You’ll also need to make sure you have a PC that can handle it.

At the end of the day though, if you want an industry-grade piece of software that the biggest studios in the world use, you really can’t go wrong with Autodesk Maya.

2. Cinema 4D

If you’re looking for alternatives to Blender 3D that prioritize ease of use, there are few better options than Cinema 4D. This might not be the first program that you hear mention when it comes to making video game assets or Pixar-grade short films, but if your focus is on motion graphics, this is a good place to look.

The biggest strength of Cinema 4D is arguably its user-friendly interface. It’s pretty easy to get the hang of, whether you’ve been a 3D artist since the days of Toy Story or whether you just decided to get into it yesterday. Its MoGraph kit also makes creating motion graphics a relative breeze, especially compared to the other comparable options. You can create some pretty complex animations using it.

Of course, it's not the best if you’re looking for industry-grade CGI and visual effects. It simply doesn’t have an advanced feature set that the likes of Maya can boast of, so it is better for people whose needs are a lot more tame.

Either way, if you’re a 3D artist who just needs software that you can get into easily and will allow for the creation of great-looking motion graphics for relatively undemanding work like advertising or marketing, Cinema 4D is a great place to be. Here’s more on how Cinema 4D compares to Blender.

3. ZBrush

ZBrush is another very well-known name, especially among 3D artists (but not necessarily animators). If you’re creating characters, monsters, and other “organic” forms with very complex shapes, ZBrush is the way to go. When it comes to digital sculpting, ZBrush beats Blender.

ZBrush is something of a one-trick pony, but that one trick that it has, it does it exceedingly well, and better than any other tool can. ZBrush is best for sculpting and allows you to create extremely detailed human faces, hideous orcs, or the complex form of a fantasy creature’s face. It is an industry-standard tool if you want to build complex, organic models.

However, its downside is exactly that it focuses mostly on sculpting, and if you’re planning to use it for animation or to rig your model, you’ll find that it is very limited in those regards. You’ll also need to have a relatively powerful computer to handle ZBrush, as models tend to contain millions of polygons.

At the end of the day, ZBrush should be your weapon of choice if you want to make AAA-quality organic models to be used in film, video games, or simply your own creative endeavors.

Need to learn the Grease Pencil for Blender? Find out all the Blender terminology in our Blender 3D Glossary.

4. 3ds Max

Did you know that Autodesk has two major 3D modeling tools in its portfolio? You know that there’s Maya, but there’s also 3ds Max. In fact, 3ds Max was in Autodesk’s arsenal before Maya came along, and it has been involved in films as big as James Cameron’s Avatar, so it is certainly capable.

3ds Max is a great program because it comes with a wide variety of modeling and rendering tools, making it versatile and a good choice for all sorts of 3D modeling tasks. However, being an Autodesk product means that it integrates pretty nicely with other Autodesk products like AutoCAD and Revit; and that makes it a fabulous choice for architectural visualization and rendering.

One notable downside is that its large feature set makes it relatively harder to get the hang of. It is also rather pricey, just like Maya is. Both of those together make it a rather hard program to recommend for beginners.

But if you want a tool that can lend a major helping hand to your work in architectural or product design, you won’t be disappointed with a precise tool like 3ds Max.

5. Houdini

Finally, let us talk about Houdini. It’s very different from the other options here because you build using a node-based approach. Houdini is focused on visual effects, and being fully procedural means that it can be used for complex effects that are different each time.

What makes Houdini fantastic is that it is extremely versatile when trying to create complex 3D visual effects or simulations as it procedurally generates everything. That means that what you render now is different from what you render next, which is perfect when trying to create natural phenomena like fire and dust clouds.

It is possible to go your entire life as a 3D artist without needing to mess around with nodes, so one of the downsides of this is that it can be very unfamiliar and hard to learn for many people. It is also rather expensive and you’ll need a pretty capable computer for it.

Ultimately though, if your work requires some pretty stunning visual effects and simulations, Houdini will do you much better than Blender.

Conclusion

Blender is one of the most popular 3D art tools that you can use, but sometimes you might need to figure out how to produce 3D graphics without Blender; potentially because it isn’t the best for your workflow. Apps like Maya, 3ds Max, Houdini, ZBrush, and Cinema 4D are great alternatives and could potentially fit your workflow and your needs better.

While you might want to give some of these alternatives a shot, they tend to be very computationally intensive. The good thing is that you don’t need to worry about that side of things. You can run any of these programs on a Vagon cloud computer, from any device, anywhere you are.

You can also check out our GPU Guide for tips to use GPU, along with speed up and acceleration tips for Blender 3D.

FAQ

1. What is Blender 3D?

   • Blender 3D, or simply Blender, is a free and open-source 3D modeling suite that can be used for modeling, animation, rendering, etc. It also has a built-in game engine for game development.

2. Are there any great alternatives to Blender 3D that are free?

   • All of the alternatives on this list are applications that you will need to buy outright or pay a recurring license for. Blender is rather notable in that it is perhaps the only 3D modeling software of its caliber that is free.

3. Is Blender 3D the best software?

   • The best 3D modeling software depends on your specific needs and workflow. For example, if you want something budget-friendly, Blender is the best. If you need something for sculpting, ZBrush is the right choice, and so on.

4. How can I learn or improve at 3D modeling?

   • You can start by learning the fundamentals of 3D design, though you may find yourself best suited by knowing which tool you’ll use first. There are hundreds of online courses and tutorials you can turn to, specific to each major program.

5. What is the difference between 3D modeling and 3D animation?

   • 3D modeling refers to creating an actual object in the program, the same way you might draw a character on paper. 3D animation refers to making a 3D model move.