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CAD · head to head

Mari vs KeyShot

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
KeyShot logo

KeyShot

CAD

Real-time 3D rendering and animation

From
$1299/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari 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; KeyShot professional plan costs £108.25/month per user; total cost for small teams can be substantial
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, KeyShot covers Real-time rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and KeyShot actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and KeyShot differ
AttributeMariKeyShot
Starting priceFree$1299/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows
Founded19962003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

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
  • Nuke
  • Katana

Only in KeyShot

  • Real-time rendering
  • Ray tracing
  • Animation
  • Material library
  • HDR lighting
  • VR output
  • GPU rendering
  • Denoising

Both cover

  • Maya
  • Floating licenses
  • Windows support
  • MacOS 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 KeyShot
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot KeyShot

KeyShot

  • Product rendering and visualisationnot Mari
  • Real-time ray tracing for design reviewnot Mari
  • 3D animation and motion graphicsnot Mari
  • Interactive 3D product presentationsnot 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

KeyShot

  • Professional plan costs £108.25/month per user; total cost for small teams can be substantial
  • 3-year commitment reduces to £3,897 per user, but locks in pricing for extended period
  • Network Rendering, Studio VR, and Cloud Rendering are paid add-ons (£29-£99/month additional)
  • No clear platform support information; likely Windows-only based on CAD tool integrations

Pricing, plan by plan

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

KeyShot

$1299/year
  • KeyShot Professional$1299/year
    • Non-transferable individual seat license
    • Complete 3D visualization toolkit
    • AI capabilities included
  • KeyShot Business$1599/year
    • Transferable individual seat licenses
    • Centralized seat management
    • Network Rendering options
  • KeyShot Enterprise$null/year
    • Custom billing options and flexible terms
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
    • Dedicated Customer Success Manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Choose KeyShot if

  • You need real-time rendering.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want ray tracing.
KeyShot review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or KeyShot better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and KeyShot at $1299/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or KeyShot?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mari and $1299/year for KeyShot.
Does Mari or KeyShot run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. KeyShot runs on Windows.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. KeyShot starts at $1299/year.
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 KeyShot is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that KeyShot cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. KeyShot covers Real-time rendering, Ray tracing, Animation, Material library. Both handle Maya, Floating licenses, Windows support, MacOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
KeyShot: What is the difference between KeyShot Professional and Business licenses?

Professional ($1,299/year) is for individual designers with non-transferable seats. Business ($1,599/year) includes transferable seats, centralized management, and is designed for team use. Professional does not include network rendering options.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
KeyShot: Can I pay monthly for KeyShot instead of annually?

No, KeyShot pricing is structured around annual subscriptions. Professional is $1,299/year ($108.25/month equivalent) and Business is $1,599/year ($133.25/month equivalent). 3-year terms offer lower per-year costs.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
KeyShot: What add-on costs should I budget for KeyShot Studio VR?

KeyShot Studio VR costs $99/month or $1,188/year separately. Network Rendering is $32/month ($384/year) and NX Plugin is $29/month ($348/year).

Source
KeyShot: Is educational pricing available for KeyShot?

Yes, KeyShot offers EDU tier licensing for eligible students and faculty at $95/year, providing access to identical core features and AI capabilities as paid plans.

Source
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