Software · head to head
V-Ray vs Vectorworks
The short version
- Each has a real cost: V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product; Vectorworks the Internet Archive's capture of Vectorworks' products page on 12 December 2019 named seven distinct editions and add-on modules, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals, Designer, Vision, and the Braceworks/ConnectCAD add-ons, each with its own 'Buy Now' link, but no price figure appeared on the page itself.
- They diverge on capability: V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Vectorworks covers BIM modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which V-Ray and Vectorworks actually diverge.
| Attribute | V-Ray | Vectorworks |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux | Windows, MacOS |
| Founded | 1997 | 1985 |
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), 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 Vectorworks
- BIM modeling
- 2D/3D design
- Documentation
- Rendering
- GIS integration
- Entertainment design
- Landscape tools
- Lumion
Both cover
- Cinema 4D
- License management
- 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 Vectorworks
- Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot Vectorworks
Vectorworks
- Building designnot V-Ray
- Landscape designnot V-Ray
- Stage designnot 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
Vectorworks
- The Internet Archive's capture of Vectorworks' products page on 12 December 2019 named seven distinct editions and add-on modules, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals, Designer, Vision, and the Braceworks/ConnectCAD add-ons, each with its own 'Buy Now' link, but no price figure appeared on the page itself.
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
Vectorworks
$29/month- Architect$2495/month
- BIM
- Architecture tools
- Landmark$2495/month
- Landscape design
- GIS
- Design Suite$3295/month
- All modules combined
Which should you pick?
Choose V-Ray if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want global illumination.
Choose Vectorworks if
- You need bim modeling.
- You work on Windows, MacOS.
- You also want 2d/3d design.
Questions people ask
- Is V-Ray or Vectorworks better?
- Neither clearly leads. V-Ray starts at $29/month and Vectorworks at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, V-Ray or Vectorworks?
- V-Ray starts at $29/month and Vectorworks at $29/month.
- Does V-Ray or Vectorworks run on more platforms?
- V-Ray runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Vectorworks runs on Windows, MacOS.
- 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 Vectorworks is typically brought in for.
- What can V-Ray do that Vectorworks cannot?
- V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Vectorworks covers BIM modeling, 2D/3D design, Documentation, Rendering. Both handle Cinema 4D, License management, Windows support, MacOS support.
Related pages
More on Vectorworks
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- V-Ray vs Enscape
- V-Ray vs FreeCAD
- V-Ray vs KeyShot
- V-Ray vs Lumion
- V-Ray vs Houdini
- V-Ray vs Arnold
- V-Ray vs Inventor
- V-Ray vs Mudbox
- V-Ray vs Corona Renderer
- V-Ray vs D5 Render
- V-Ray vs Twinmotion
- V-Ray vs LightWave 3D
- V-Ray vs OpenSCAD
- V-Ray vs PrusaSlicer
- V-Ray vs Siemens NX
- V-Ray vs ZBrush
- V-Ray vs 3D-Coat
- V-Ray vs Alibre Design
- Vectorworks vs Enscape
- Vectorworks vs FreeCAD
- Vectorworks vs KeyShot
- Vectorworks vs Lumion
- Vectorworks vs Houdini
- Vectorworks vs Arnold
- Vectorworks vs Inventor
- Vectorworks vs Mudbox
- Vectorworks vs Corona Renderer
- Vectorworks vs D5 Render
- Vectorworks vs Twinmotion
- Vectorworks vs LightWave 3D
- Vectorworks vs OpenSCAD
- Vectorworks vs PrusaSlicer
- Vectorworks vs Siemens NX
- Vectorworks vs ZBrush
- Vectorworks vs 3D-Coat
- Vectorworks vs Alibre Design