Blender is the most popular free software for 3D modeling and animation, whether you’re making short films or video game assets, and the fact that it is open-source certainly helps with its popularity and growth. 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.

It’d be nice if you could take Blender on the go with you or use it from the convenience of your couch, such as from your iPad, which is already productivity-focused.

Well, you might not realize it, but that’s actually possible and this article is going to show you the ways that you can run Blender on your iPad, whether that’s by using cloud-based solutions like Vagon or mirroring it from a computer.

Understanding the Challenges of Running Blender on an iPad

If you’re expecting to run Blender natively on your iPad, I have to tell you right away that that’s not possible. Blender is not available as an app for iPads. It was developed for computers and it’d require a team to very deliberately focus on making an iPad-compatible port, which would take many months or years of work. At the moment, there seems to be no focus whatsoever on bringing Blender to mobile platforms.

Learn Rigging and all the Blender 3D terms from our Blender 3D Glossary.

Thankfully, if you really want to use Blender on your iPad likely because it might afford more flexibility to your workflow, there are some options you can explore, so we’ll talk about those right away.

Method 1: Mirroring Blender from a Computer to Your iPad

Now, let’s say that you have a computer at home that’s pretty capable and you already do your Blender work from there without any issue. You could take advantage of the mobility of your iPad while still leveraging the power of your computer by using a mirroring app like Sidecar or third-party options like Splashtop or Duet Display. Let me show you how.

1. The first thing you’re going to want to do, if you haven’t already, is install Blender. You can download it from here.

2. Now, you’ll need to decide whether you want to use Mac’s built-in Sidecar functionality or a third-party app of your choice. Sidecar is typically the most straightforward though.

3. Connect your iPad to your computer wirelessly or using a cable. Also, make sure both the Mac and the iPad are signed into the same Apple ID.

4. Once Blender is installed and open, hover your mouse pointer over the Blender window’s full-screen button (the green one) and choose “Move to iPad” to show Blender on your iPad. You can also use the Screen Mirroring option in the menu bar if you want to duplicate exactly what’s on your Mac’s screen. These use Sidecar, but you can also follow the instructions of your respective third-party mirroring app if you’d prefer.

5. Now, Blender should show on your iPad. You can now use Blender 3D with Apple Pencil or touch controls.

The reason why this method is great is because you can simply leverage the performance of the computer you already have. That means a very powerful Mac will be able to cut your rendering times down by quite a lot.

However, keep in mind that this requires a relatively powerful computer to be running in the background. If you’re at home and want to use Blender in a more flexible location, this is perfect.

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

Method 2: Running Blender on iPad via Cloud Computing (Using Vagon)

Looking for how to run Blender 3D on an iPad when you’re on the go or your computer isn’t fast enough? Well, if you’re looking for the closest thing to running it natively, then a cloud-based computing platform like Vagon will do the trick. It’ll run Blender on a powerful computer in the cloud and stream your inputs and return the output in real time.

1. The first thing that you’re going to do is sign up for Vagon. Once that’s done, you can set up a cloud computer with the specs that you desire.

2. Now, grab your iPad, open your web browser, and sign into your Vagon account.

3. You can now open Blender from the interface that Vagon presents you with and you’ll be able to use Blender, right on your iPad, even if you’re miles away from your computer. All you need is a solid internet connection.

4. You can use your Apple Pencil, but you’ll find the best results when using an external keyboard and mouse connected to your iPad.

5. Any projects you create can have their files saved to Vagon’s cloud storage or onto your iPad itself, after which you can easily export them to other apps.

This frees you of the need to buy a powerful computer with a strong GPU and it’ll let you access Blender reliably no matter where you are, which is much better than having to mirror. You get high-performance computing anywhere. Plus, it is incredibly easy to set up.

Blender Alternatives for iPad

If you want to do fully-fledged 3D modeling on iPad using an application that runs natively, there are other options that you can explore. None of these will have a feature set as rich as Blender, such as Python scripting, but they are great options for simpler tasks or when you need to model or animate quickly on the go.

• Shapr3D: This app is one of the best applications you can use to design 3D models on iPad, but it is a little different from apps like Blender since Shapr3D is CAD software. It’s a different workflow, but it is extremely capable.

• Nomad Sculpt: If you’re big on zBrush, Nomad Sculpt is just like that for the iPad. Sculpting is a great 3D modeling technique when trying to create humans and creatures and you can do a lot right on your iPad.

Practical Benefits of Using Blender on an iPad

You came in asking, can I use Blender 3D on my iPad; and now you know the answer is yes, with certain workarounds. But the real question is, what are the benefits of doing so? Let me tell you.

First off, you get the advantage of using a proper, fully-featured application intended for 3D modeling. Blender beats any alternative made specifically for a mobile platform like iPadOS. Then, you get the perk of being able to take your Blender rig with you anywhere since it is lighter and thinner than any computer out there.

With the Apple Pencil, you gain some versatility and flexibility that you can’t achieve with a mouse and keyboard, especially when sculpting. Plus, you get the convenience of being able to work on your tablet when mobile and switch to your computer when you get home. It is seamless.

Learn about Rigs and all the Blender 3D terms from our Blender 3D Glossary.

Conclusion

There’s no native Blender app for iPad, but you can still create 3D models from the convenience of your iPad. Whether it is mirroring Blender from your Mac to your iPad using Sidecar or other apps, or using Vagon to run Blender on cloud computers, you have options. You can also just use an alternative 3D modeling app made for iPad.

Choose the one that works best for your needs, your workflow, and your budget. You won’t be disappointed. However, using Vagon lets you run Blender on a high-powered cloud computer, regardless of where you are.

FAQs:

1. What platforms is Blender available for?

   • You can use Blender on Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is no official Blender release for mobile platforms.

2. What are the recommended system requirements to run Blender on macOS?

   • The team at Blender recommends 32GB of RAM, macOS 14, and Apple Silicon to run the app well. However, more demanding projects can easily push the limits so you’ll want a very good computer for Blender.

3. If I use Blender via Vagon on my iPad, where are my projects and files stored?

   • Like an actual computer, you will have storage drives available to you on Vagon’s cloud computer which is essentially cloud storage. You will be able to access this from anywhere. However, you will also have the chance to download files to the iPad.

4. What is the input method when using Blender on an iPad?

   • Apple’s iPad has different input methods you can use. A keyboard and mouse combination will be the best, but you can also use touch controls and even the Apple Pencil.

5. How much does using Blender on Vagon cost?

   • It primarily depends on the performance of the cloud computers that you request as well as how long you use them, but working on Vagon costs as little as $0.99 an hour.