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CAD · head to head

BricsCAD vs Mari

BricsCAD logo

BricsCAD

CAD

DWG-based CAD platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BricsCAD the Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: BricsCAD covers DWG native, Mari covers High-resolution painting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BricsCAD and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where BricsCAD and Mari differ
AttributeBricsCADMari
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierNoYes
Founded20021996

Identical on both: platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 BricsCAD

  • DWG native
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • BIM
  • Sheet metal
  • Mechanical
  • LISP support
  • AutoCAD compatible

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

BricsCAD

  • 2D drafting as a DWG native alternative to AutoCADnot Mari
  • 3D mechanical design and assembly modellingnot Mari
  • BIM modelling and construction documentationnot Mari

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot BricsCAD
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot BricsCAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BricsCAD

  • The Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
  • Lite is sold as a network licence only with a 5 seat minimum
  • Mechanical excludes BIM tools and BIM excludes mechanical and surveying tools, so cross discipline work needs Ultimate at 1,176 euro
  • Importing 3D geometry and PMI from other CAD systems requires the Communicator add on at 294 euro per year
  • Network licences require the customer to run their own licence server
  • Maintenance is included for the first year only and renewal is a separate annual charge on perpetual licences
  • Listed prices exclude local taxes
  • Bricsys now trades as Octave and the product site has moved to bricscad.octave.com

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

BricsCAD

$29/month
  • Lite$550/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Pro$875/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Ultimate$1575/month
    • All features

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Which should you pick?

Choose BricsCAD if

  • You need dwg native.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
BricsCAD review

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is BricsCAD or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. BricsCAD starts at $29/month and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BricsCAD or Mari?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for BricsCAD and Free for Mari.
Does BricsCAD or Mari run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BricsCAD starts at $29/month.
What is BricsCAD best used for?
BricsCAD is most often used for 2d drafting as a dwg native alternative to autocad, 3d mechanical design and assembly modelling, bim modelling and construction documentation. Of those, 2d drafting as a dwg native alternative to autocad and 3d mechanical design and assembly modelling are not what Mari is typically brought in for.
What can BricsCAD do that Mari cannot?
BricsCAD covers DWG native, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BricsCAD: Does BricsCAD offer a trial?

Yes, BricsCAD offers a 30-day trial to 'Start designing in BricsCAD today'.

Source
Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
BricsCAD: Is BricsCAD free for any users?

Yes, BricsCAD is available at no cost for students and schools.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
BricsCAD: What product tiers does BricsCAD offer?

BricsCAD offers five tiers: Lite (essential 2D CAD), Pro (professional 2D & 3D CAD), Mechanical (2D & 3D mechanical CAD), BIM (2D & 3D building modeling), and Ultimate (integrated 2D & 3D for multiple disciplines). Specific pricing for each tier is not disclosed on the website.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
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