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Mari vs FreeCAD

Mari logo

Mari

Software

3D painting for film and games

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FreeCAD logo

FreeCAD

Software

Open-source parametric 3D CAD modeler

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreeCAD has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter; FreeCAD no vendor support or professional services available; community-driven support only
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, FreeCAD covers Parametric modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and FreeCAD actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and FreeCAD differ
AttributeMariFreeCAD
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
Founded19962002

Identical on both: platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), 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 Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Only in FreeCAD

  • Parametric modeling
  • Part design
  • Assembly
  • Drafting
  • FEM simulation
  • Path/CAM
  • Architecture
  • BIM

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot FreeCAD
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot FreeCAD

FreeCAD

  • Mechanical engineering designnot Mari
  • Architectural modellingnot Mari
  • Product design and prototypingnot Mari
  • CAM/CNC path generationnot Mari

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

FreeCAD

  • No vendor support or professional services available; community-driven support only
  • Requires users to self-host and maintain the software; no cloud version available

Pricing, plan by plan

Mari

$29/month
  • Mari$1906/month
    • Full features

FreeCAD

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreeCAD review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Choose FreeCAD if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want part design.
FreeCAD review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or FreeCAD better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at $29/month and FreeCAD at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or FreeCAD?
FreeCAD has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Mari and Free for FreeCAD.
Does Mari or FreeCAD run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. FreeCAD runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use FreeCAD for free?
Yes. FreeCAD has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mari starts at $29/month.
What is Mari best used for?
Mari is most often used for painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games, handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline. Of those, painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games and handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline are not what FreeCAD is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that FreeCAD cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. FreeCAD covers Parametric modeling, Part design, Assembly, Drafting. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.
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