3D & CAD · head to head
Arnold vs Inventor
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Arnold the Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.; Inventor autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product
- They diverge on capability: Arnold covers Ray tracing, Inventor covers Parametric modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Arnold and Inventor actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (3D & CAD).
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 Arnold
- Ray tracing
- GPU rendering
- Production shading
- OSL
- Denoising
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- Cinema 4D
Only in Inventor
- Parametric modeling
- Assembly design
- Sheet metal
- Simulation
- Rendering
- Technical documentation
- Frame generator
- AutoCAD
Both cover
- License management
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Arnold
- Film productionnot Inventor
- Animationnot Inventor
- VFXnot Inventor
Inventor
- Mechanical designnot Arnold
- Product developmentnot Arnold
- Manufacturing documentationnot Arnold
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Arnold
- The Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.
Inventor
- Autodesk publishes no licence price through UK G-Cloud: every listing found there is reseller delivered training at 750 to 1,500 pounds per day rather than software licensing, and neither AWS Marketplace nor GSA carries the product
Pricing, plan by plan
Arnold
$29/month- Arnold$360/month
- Standalone renderer
Inventor
$29/month- Inventor$2085/month
- Full mechanical design
- Simulation
- Documentation
- Product Design & Manufacturing Collection$2475/month
- Inventor + AutoCAD + more
Which should you pick?
Choose Arnold if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want gpu rendering.
Choose Inventor if
- You need parametric modeling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want assembly design.
Questions people ask
- Is Arnold or Inventor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Arnold starts at $29/month and Inventor at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Arnold or Inventor?
- Arnold starts at $29/month and Inventor at $29/month.
- Does Arnold or Inventor run on more platforms?
- Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Inventor runs on Windows.
- What is Arnold best used for?
- Arnold is most often used for film production, animation, vfx. Of those, film production and animation are not what Inventor is typically brought in for.
- What can Arnold do that Inventor cannot?
- Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Inventor covers Parametric modeling, Assembly design, Sheet metal, Simulation. Both handle License management, Windows support.