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Arnold vs Prospect

Arnold logo

Arnold

3D & CAD

Advanced Monte Carlo ray tracing renderer

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prospect logo

Prospect

Proposal & Quote

VR for architectural visualization

From
$225/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Prospect no longer available as a standalone product; has been discontinued and replaced by other solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Arnold covers Ray tracing, Prospect covers BIM visualization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arnold and Prospect actually diverge.

Attributes where Arnold and Prospect differ
AttributeArnoldProspect
Starting price$29/month$225/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxVR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest)
Category3D & CADProposal & Quote
Founded19982014

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Prospect

  • BIM visualization
  • Real-scale viewing
  • Collaboration
  • Annotations
  • Revit
  • SketchUp
  • Rhino
  • Navisworks

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arnold

  • Film productionnot Prospect
  • Animationnot Prospect
  • VFXnot Prospect

Prospect

  • VR Gamingnot Arnold
  • AR Marketingnot Arnold
  • Virtual Trainingnot Arnold
  • 3D Visualizationnot Arnold
  • Immersive Experiencesnot 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.

Prospect

  • No longer available as a standalone product; has been discontinued and replaced by other solutions
  • Acquisition by The Wild in 2021 resulted in product discontinuation and transition to Workshop XR
  • No ongoing development, bug fixes, or feature updates since acquisition

Pricing, plan by plan

Arnold

$29/month
  • Arnold$360/month
    • Standalone renderer

Prospect

$225/month
  • Team$350/month
    • Multiuser VR collaboration
    • Design review tools
    • Voice communication

Which should you pick?

Choose Arnold if

  • You need ray tracing.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want gpu rendering.
Arnold review

Choose Prospect if

  • You need bim visualization.
  • You work on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
  • You also want real-scale viewing.
Prospect review

Questions people ask

Is Arnold or Prospect better?
Neither clearly leads. Arnold starts at $29/month and Prospect at $225/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arnold or Prospect?
Arnold starts at $29/month and Prospect at $225/month.
Does Arnold or Prospect run on more platforms?
Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Prospect runs on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
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 Prospect is typically brought in for.
What can Arnold do that Prospect cannot?
Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL. Prospect covers BIM visualization, Real-scale viewing, Collaboration, Annotations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prospect: What is Prospect by IrisVR?

Prospect was an immersive VR application that converted 3D design files from Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, and Navisworks into virtual reality walkthroughs with one click. It enabled AEC teams to conduct design reviews, collaborate in VR, and present projects to clients immersively.

Source
Prospect: Is Prospect still available?

No. Prospect by IrisVR was acquired by The Wild in February 2021 and has been discontinued. Autodesk Workshop XR is now the recommended successor for AEC teams migrating from Prospect.

Source
Prospect: How was Prospect priced?

Prospect's Team plan cost approximately $350 per workstation per month when billed annually. Earlier pricing information from 2020 showed starting prices around $225. Custom enterprise pricing was available.

Source
Prospect: What VR headsets did Prospect support?

Prospect was compatible with major VR headsets including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and later Meta Quest. Support depended on the runtime and connection method available.

Source
Prospect: What was Prospect's biggest advantage?

Prospect's one-click conversion from native design files (Revit, Rhino, SketchUp) into immersive VR experiences was its primary value proposition, enabling non-VR specialists to easily create compelling design reviews and client presentations.

Source
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