Software · head to head
V-Ray vs Gravity Sketch
The short version
- Only Gravity Sketch 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; Gravity Sketch free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
- They diverge on capability: V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Gravity Sketch covers VR design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which V-Ray and Gravity Sketch actually diverge.
| Attribute | V-Ray | Gravity Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux | VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web) |
| Founded | 1997 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Gravity Sketch
- VR design
- Desktop app
- Surface modeling
- Collaboration
- Import/export
- Presentation mode
- Alias
- Unity
Both cover
- Rhino
- Blender
- Windows support
- MacOS 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 Gravity Sketch
- Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot Gravity Sketch
Gravity Sketch
- Spatial 3D design and conceptualisation in VRnot V-Ray
- Collaborative product design sessionsnot V-Ray
- Conceptual model generationnot V-Ray
- Engineering and design team collaboration in immersive environmentnot 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
Gravity Sketch
- Free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
- File format support limited to OBJ and STL on free plan; other formats require paid plan
- Evaluation tools (surface contours, viewpoints, section tool) not available on free tier
- VR access requires Meta Quest, Steam, or web app; limited to specific platforms
- Data localisation only available on Enterprise plan
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
Gravity Sketch
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Gravity Sketch review.
Which should you pick?
Choose V-Ray if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want global illumination.
Choose Gravity Sketch if
- You need vr design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
- You also want desktop app.
Questions people ask
- Is V-Ray or Gravity Sketch better?
- Neither clearly leads. V-Ray starts at $29/month and Gravity Sketch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, V-Ray or Gravity Sketch?
- Gravity Sketch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for V-Ray and Free for Gravity Sketch.
- Does V-Ray or Gravity Sketch run on more platforms?
- V-Ray runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Gravity Sketch runs on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
- Can I use Gravity Sketch for free?
- Yes. Gravity Sketch 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 Gravity Sketch is typically brought in for.
- What can V-Ray do that Gravity Sketch cannot?
- V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Gravity Sketch covers VR design, Desktop app, Surface modeling, Collaboration. Both handle Rhino, Blender, Windows support, MacOS support.
Related pages
More on Gravity Sketch
Keep looking
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- Gravity Sketch vs Mudbox
- Gravity Sketch vs Corona Renderer
- Gravity Sketch vs D5 Render
- Gravity Sketch vs Twinmotion
- Gravity Sketch vs LightWave 3D
- Gravity Sketch vs OpenSCAD
- Gravity Sketch vs PrusaSlicer
- Gravity Sketch vs Siemens NX
- Gravity Sketch vs ZBrush
- Gravity Sketch vs 3D-Coat
- Gravity Sketch vs Alibre Design
- Gravity Sketch vs ARCore
- Gravity Sketch vs ARKit
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- Gravity Sketch vs Apple Vision Pro
- Gravity Sketch vs Unity AR Foundation
- Gravity Sketch vs HTC Vive
- Gravity Sketch vs 8th Wall
- Gravity Sketch vs Lens Studio
- Gravity Sketch vs Vuforia
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- Gravity Sketch vs Spark AR Studio
- Gravity Sketch vs TikTok Effect House
- Gravity Sketch vs Instagram AR Effects
- Gravity Sketch vs Magic Leap 2