3D & CAD · head to head
Arnold vs Blender
The short version
- Only Blender has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Blender rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines
- They diverge on capability: Arnold covers Ray tracing, Blender covers 3D modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Arnold and Blender actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Blender
- 3D modeling
- Sculpting
- Animation
- Rigging
- Rendering
- Compositing
- Video editing
- 2D animation
Both cover
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Arnold
- Film productionnot Blender
- Animationnot Blender
- VFXnot Blender
Blender
- 3D modeling and animationnot Arnold
- Visual effectsnot Arnold
- Game developmentnot Arnold
- Architectural visualizationnot Arnold
- Video editingnot 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.
Blender
- Rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines
- Limited real-time viewport performance for very large scenes
Pricing, plan by plan
Arnold
$29/month- Arnold$360/month
- Standalone renderer
Blender
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Blender review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Arnold if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want gpu rendering.
Choose Blender if
- You need 3d modeling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want sculpting.
Questions people ask
- Is Arnold or Blender better?
- Neither clearly leads. Arnold starts at $29/month and Blender at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Arnold or Blender?
- Blender has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Arnold and Free for Blender.
- Does Arnold or Blender run on more platforms?
- Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Blender runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use Blender for free?
- Yes. Blender has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arnold starts at $29/month.
- 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 Blender is typically brought in for.
- What can Arnold do that Blender cannot?
- Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Blender covers 3D modeling, Sculpting, Animation, Rigging. Both handle Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Blender: Can I use Blender commercially for free?
Yes. Blender is distributed under the GNU GPL license, meaning it is completely free to use for any purpose, including commercially or for education, with no licensing fees or restrictions.
SourceBlender: What operating systems does Blender support?
Blender is cross-platform and runs equally well on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh computers.
SourceBlender: Can I extend Blender's functionality?
Yes. Blender has a flexible Python-controlled interface and you can use hundreds of add-ons by the community or create your own using Blender's accessible Python API.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
- Arnold vs Enscape
- Arnold vs V-Ray
- Arnold vs FreeCAD
- Arnold vs KeyShot
- Arnold vs Lumion
- Arnold vs Houdini
- Arnold vs Inventor
- Arnold vs Mudbox
- Arnold vs Corona Renderer
- Arnold vs D5 Render
- Arnold vs Twinmotion
- Arnold vs LightWave 3D
- Arnold vs OpenSCAD
- Arnold vs PrusaSlicer
- Arnold vs Siemens NX
- Arnold vs ZBrush
- Arnold vs 3D-Coat
- Arnold vs Alibre Design
- Arnold vs Clip Studio Paint
- Arnold vs Toon Boom Harmony
- Arnold vs Vyond
- Blender vs Enscape
- Blender vs V-Ray
- Blender vs FreeCAD
- Blender vs KeyShot
- Blender vs Lumion
- Blender vs Houdini
- Blender vs Inventor
- Blender vs Mudbox
- Blender vs Corona Renderer
- Blender vs D5 Render
- Blender vs Twinmotion
- Blender vs LightWave 3D
- Blender vs OpenSCAD
- Blender vs PrusaSlicer
- Blender vs Siemens NX
- Blender vs ZBrush
- Blender vs 3D-Coat
- Blender vs Alibre Design
- Blender vs Clip Studio Paint
- Blender vs Toon Boom Harmony
- Blender vs Vyond