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V-Ray vs Prospect

V-Ray logo

V-Ray

CAD

Professional 3D rendering software

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prospect logo

Prospect

Proposals

VR for architectural visualization

From
$225/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product; Prospect no longer available as a standalone product; has been discontinued and replaced by other solutions
  • They diverge on capability: V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Prospect covers BIM visualization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which V-Ray and Prospect actually diverge.

Attributes where V-Ray and Prospect differ
AttributeV-RayProspect
Starting price$29/month$225/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxVR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest)
CategoryCADProposals
Founded19972014

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 V-Ray

  • Ray tracing
  • Global illumination
  • GPU rendering
  • CPU rendering
  • Materials
  • Lighting
  • VR output
  • Scene intelligence

Only in Prospect

  • BIM visualization
  • Real-scale viewing
  • Collaboration
  • Annotations
  • Navisworks
  • Vr support
  • Pc support
  • Quest support

Both cover

  • SketchUp
  • Rhino
  • Revit

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 Prospect
  • Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot Prospect

Prospect

  • VR Gamingnot V-Ray
  • AR Marketingnot V-Ray
  • Virtual Trainingnot V-Ray
  • 3D Visualizationnot V-Ray
  • Immersive Experiencesnot 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

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

V-Ray

$29/month
  • V-Ray Solo$60/month
    • 1 workstation
    • 5 render nodes
  • V-Ray Premium$80/month
    • Multiple apps
    • Cloud credits

Prospect

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

Which should you pick?

Choose V-Ray if

  • You need ray tracing.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want global illumination.
V-Ray 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 V-Ray or Prospect better?
Neither clearly leads. V-Ray 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, V-Ray or Prospect?
V-Ray starts at $29/month and Prospect at $225/month.
Does V-Ray or Prospect run on more platforms?
V-Ray runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Prospect runs on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
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 Prospect is typically brought in for.
What can V-Ray do that Prospect cannot?
V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Prospect covers BIM visualization, Real-scale viewing, Collaboration, Annotations. Both handle SketchUp, Rhino, Revit.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

V-Ray: What is included in Chaos software subscriptions?

All Chaos subscriptions include free support, access to a large community of professionals, continuous updates, and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Annual subscriptions save 45% versus monthly billing. Use of AI credits voids the refund right.

Source
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
V-Ray: Does Chaos offer enterprise pricing?

Yes, Chaos provides enterprise pricing plans for teams with more than 10 licenses. Enterprise customers should contact the Chaos sales team directly for custom pricing quotes tailored to their specific needs.

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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