3D & CAD · head to head
BricsCAD vs Houdini
The short version
- Only Houdini 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; Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
- They diverge on capability: BricsCAD covers DWG native, Houdini covers Procedural modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which BricsCAD and Houdini actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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 BricsCAD
- DWG native
- 2D drafting
- 3D modeling
- BIM
- Sheet metal
- Mechanical
- LISP support
- AutoCAD compatible
Only in Houdini
- Procedural modeling
- VFX
- Simulations
- Particle systems
- Pyro FX
- Ocean tools
- Rigging
- Rendering
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 Houdini
- 3D mechanical design and assembly modellingnot Houdini
- BIM modelling and construction documentationnot Houdini
Houdini
- Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot BricsCAD
- Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot BricsCAD
- Building reusable procedural assets for a studio 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
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
BricsCAD
$29/month- Lite$550/month
- 2D drafting
- Pro$875/month
- 2D + 3D
- Ultimate$1575/month
- All 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 BricsCAD if
- You need dwg native.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want 2d drafting.
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 BricsCAD or Houdini better?
- Neither clearly leads. BricsCAD 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, BricsCAD or Houdini?
- Houdini has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for BricsCAD and Free for Houdini.
- Does BricsCAD or Houdini run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Houdini for free?
- Yes. Houdini 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 Houdini is typically brought in for.
- What can BricsCAD do that Houdini cannot?
- BricsCAD covers DWG native, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM. Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.