Software · head to head
Alibre Design vs Houdini
The short version
- Only Houdini has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Alibre Design perpetual licences do not include updates; maintenance is a separate yearly plan starting at $50 per year for CAD support and updates; Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
- They diverge on capability: Alibre Design covers Parametric modeling, Houdini covers Procedural modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Alibre Design and Houdini actually diverge.
| Attribute | Alibre Design | Houdini |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, MacOS, Linux |
| Founded | 1997 | 1987 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Alibre Design
- Parametric modeling
- Assemblies
- Sheet metal
- 2D drawings
- BOM
- CAM software
- PDM
- License key
Only in Houdini
- Procedural modeling
- VFX
- Simulations
- Particle systems
- Pyro FX
- Ocean tools
- Rigging
- Maya
Both cover
- Rendering
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Alibre Design
- Parametric 3D solid modelling for mechanical partsnot Houdini
- Producing 2D manufacturing drawings from 3D modelsnot Houdini
- Designing parts for 3D printing and small shop machiningnot Houdini
Houdini
- Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot Alibre Design
- Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot Alibre Design
- Building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipelinenot Alibre Design
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Alibre Design
- Perpetual licences do not include updates; maintenance is a separate yearly plan starting at $50 per year for CAD support and updates
- Sheet metal, PDM data management and rendering are Design Expert only at $1,999
- Scripting is excluded from the $199 Atom3D edition
- CAM capability is sold as separate EZ-Mill, EZ-Turn and EZ-EDM products costing up to $2,999
- A dedicated account manager is excluded from Atom3D
Houdini
- Houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
- Houdini Indie cannot be used in the same pipeline as commercial versions of Houdini
- Houdini Indie and Apprentice save to their own .hipnc file format, which commercial Houdini pipelines do not share
- The free Apprentice edition is non commercial, caps render resolution at 1920x1080 and watermarks output images
- Houdini Indie ships with only 2 render tokens
- Full DOP level simulation node access requires Houdini FX at $4,495 per workstation; Core at $1,995 exposes only SOP level pre built simulation assets
- Extra render tokens cost $195
Pricing, plan by plan
Alibre Design
$29/month- Atom3D$199/month
- Basic modeling
- Design$999/month
- Professional CAD
- Expert$1999/month
- Full features
Houdini
Free- ApprenticeFree
- Learning version
- Non-commercial
- Indie$269/month
- Revenue limit $100K
- Core$1995/month
- Full commercial
- FX$4495/month
- Full + simulations
Which should you pick?
Choose Alibre Design if
- You need parametric modeling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want assemblies.
Choose Houdini if
- You need procedural modeling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want vfx.
Questions people ask
- Is Alibre Design or Houdini better?
- Neither clearly leads. Alibre Design starts at $29/month and Houdini at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Alibre Design or Houdini?
- Houdini has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Alibre Design and Free for Houdini.
- Does Alibre Design or Houdini run on more platforms?
- Alibre Design runs on Windows. Houdini runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- Can I use Houdini for free?
- Yes. Houdini has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Alibre Design starts at $29/month.
- What is Alibre Design best used for?
- Alibre Design is most often used for parametric 3d solid modelling for mechanical parts, producing 2d manufacturing drawings from 3d models, designing parts for 3d printing and small shop machining. Of those, parametric 3d solid modelling for mechanical parts and producing 2d manufacturing drawings from 3d models are not what Houdini is typically brought in for.
- What can Alibre Design do that Houdini cannot?
- Alibre Design covers Parametric modeling, Assemblies, Sheet metal, 2D drawings. Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems. Both handle Rendering, Windows support.
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