Software · head to head
D5 Render vs Gravity Sketch
The short version
- Each has a real cost: D5 Render windows-only application with no macOS support; Gravity Sketch free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
- They diverge on capability: D5 Render covers Real-time ray tracing, Gravity Sketch covers VR design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which D5 Render and Gravity Sketch actually diverge.
| Attribute | D5 Render | Gravity Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Windows | VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web) |
| Founded | 2019 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 D5 Render
- Real-time ray tracing
- GI
- Asset library
- Video export
- LiveSync
- Geo-location
- SketchUp
- Revit
Only in Gravity Sketch
- VR design
- Desktop app
- Surface modeling
- Collaboration
- Import/export
- Presentation mode
- Alias
- Blender
Both cover
- Rhino
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
D5 Render
- Architectural visualizationnot Gravity Sketch
- Interior rendersnot Gravity Sketch
Gravity Sketch
- Spatial 3D design and conceptualisation in VRnot D5 Render
- Collaborative product design sessionsnot D5 Render
- Conceptual model generationnot D5 Render
- Engineering and design team collaboration in immersive environmentnot D5 Render
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
D5 Render
- Windows-only application with no macOS support
- Requires dedicated NVIDIA GPU, limiting hardware compatibility
- Community edition restricted to non-commercial use only
- Teams plan at USD 75/seat/month becomes expensive for larger organizations
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
D5 Render
Free- CommunityFree
- Full rendering engine with real-time ray tracing
- Unlimited projects
- High-resolution image and panorama output
- Pro$38/month
- 16K stills and panoramas
- 4K video
- Frame sequence rendering
- Teams$75/month
- All Pro features
- Multi-seat licensing
- Team collaboration
Gravity Sketch
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Gravity Sketch review.
Which should you pick?
Choose D5 Render if
- You need real-time ray tracing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want gi.
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 D5 Render or Gravity Sketch better?
- Neither clearly leads. D5 Render starts at Free and Gravity Sketch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, D5 Render or Gravity Sketch?
- D5 Render starts at Free and Gravity Sketch at Free.
- Does D5 Render or Gravity Sketch run on more platforms?
- D5 Render runs on Windows. Gravity Sketch runs on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
- Can I use D5 Render for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is D5 Render best used for?
- D5 Render is most often used for architectural visualization, interior renders. Of those, architectural visualization and interior renders are not what Gravity Sketch is typically brought in for.
- What can D5 Render do that Gravity Sketch cannot?
- D5 Render covers Real-time ray tracing, GI, Asset library, Video export. Gravity Sketch covers VR design, Desktop app, Surface modeling, Collaboration. Both handle Rhino, Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
D5 Render: What is the pricing for D5 Render Pro?
D5 Render Pro costs USD 38/month or USD 360/year. Annual billing saves 20-21% compared to monthly payments.
SourceD5 Render: Is there a free version of D5 Render?
Yes. D5 Render Community edition is free for non-commercial use. It includes the full rendering engine with real-time ray tracing, unlimited projects, and approximately 2,000 library models and materials.
SourceD5 Render: Does D5 Render work on macOS?
No. D5 Render is a Windows-only application that requires a dedicated NVIDIA GPU. There is no Mac version available.
D5 Render: What are the output resolution capabilities in Pro?
D5 Render Pro supports 16K stills and panoramas, 4K video, frame sequence rendering, and VR output with full Showreel capabilities.
Related pages
More on Gravity Sketch
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- Gravity Sketch vs Houdini
- Gravity Sketch vs Arnold
- Gravity Sketch vs Inventor
- Gravity Sketch vs Mudbox
- Gravity Sketch vs Corona Renderer
- 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
- Gravity Sketch vs Meta Quest
- 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
- Gravity Sketch vs A-Frame
- Gravity Sketch vs Babylon.js
- Gravity Sketch vs Microsoft HoloLens 2
- Gravity Sketch vs Niantic Lightship
- Gravity Sketch vs PlayStation VR2
- Gravity Sketch vs Spark AR Studio
- Gravity Sketch vs TikTok Effect House
- Gravity Sketch vs Instagram AR Effects
- Gravity Sketch vs Magic Leap 2