Software · head to head
V-Ray vs Prospect
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.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which V-Ray and Prospect actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 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.
Choose Prospect if
- You need bim visualization.
- You work on VR Headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest).
- You also want real-scale viewing.
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
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.
SourceProspect: 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.
SourceProspect: 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.
SourceProspect: 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.
SourceProspect: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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