3D & CAD · head to head
V-Ray vs Fusion 360
The short version
- Only Fusion 360 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product; Fusion 360 requires paid subscription for professional use
- They diverge on capability: V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Fusion 360 covers 3D CAD modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which V-Ray and Fusion 360 actually diverge.
| Attribute | V-Ray | Fusion 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux | Web, Windows, macOS |
| Category | 3D & CAD | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1997 | 1982 |
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 V-Ray
- Ray tracing
- Global illumination
- GPU rendering
- CPU rendering
- Materials
- Lighting
- VR output
- Scene intelligence
Only in Fusion 360
- 3D CAD modeling
- Simulation
- CAM programming
- PCB design
- Cloud collaboration
- Autodesk ecosystem
- Manufacturing partners
- PLM systems
Both cover
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
V-Ray
- Photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisationnot Fusion 360
- Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot Fusion 360
Fusion 360
- Product designnot V-Ray
- Prototypingnot V-Ray
- Manufacturingnot V-Ray
- 3D printingnot V-Ray
- Simulationnot V-Ray
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
V-Ray
- Licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
- Subscription terms renew automatically
- Cloud rendering runs on separately purchased credits, with the Pro tier at $25.30 a month for 1,000
- Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
Fusion 360
- Requires paid subscription for professional use
- Cloud-based, requires internet connection
- Free tier limited to students and educators
Pricing, plan by plan
V-Ray
$29/month- V-Ray Solo$60/month
- 1 workstation
- 5 render nodes
- V-Ray Premium$80/month
- Multiple apps
- Cloud credits
Fusion 360
Free- Personal UseFree
- Non-commercial use
- Basic CAD tools
- Cloud storage
- Commercial$70/month
- Full CAD/CAM/CAE
- Simulation
- Rendering
Which should you pick?
Choose V-Ray if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want global illumination.
Choose Fusion 360 if
- You need 3d cad modeling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
- You also want simulation.
Questions people ask
- Is V-Ray or Fusion 360 better?
- Neither clearly leads. V-Ray starts at $29/month and Fusion 360 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, V-Ray or Fusion 360?
- Fusion 360 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for V-Ray and Free for Fusion 360.
- Does V-Ray or Fusion 360 run on more platforms?
- V-Ray runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Fusion 360 runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
- Can I use Fusion 360 for free?
- Yes. Fusion 360 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. V-Ray starts at $29/month.
- What is V-Ray best used for?
- V-Ray is most often used for photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisation, real time and ray traced rendering inside cad and 3d applications. Of those, photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisation and real time and ray traced rendering inside cad and 3d applications are not what Fusion 360 is typically brought in for.
- What can V-Ray do that Fusion 360 cannot?
- V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Fusion 360 covers 3D CAD modeling, Simulation, CAM programming, PCB design. Both handle Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Fusion 360: Is Fusion 360 free?
Fusion 360 is free for students, educators, and academic institutions with full features. It offers a 30-day free trial for all users, and a limited personal-use license for hobbyists and makers.
SourceFusion 360: How much does Fusion 360 cost for professionals?
Fusion 360 professional subscriptions start at $85/month, $680/year, or $2,040 for a 3-year commitment. Startups that qualify can get a discount starting at $150.
SourceFusion 360: Does Fusion 360 support 3D modeling, CAD, and CAM?
Yes. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based platform that integrates 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE (simulation), and PCB design in one software.
SourceRelated pages
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