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CAD · head to head

Mari vs Lumion

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lumion logo

Lumion

CAD

Architectural visualization made easy

From
$29/month
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; Lumion enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, Lumion 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 Lumion actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and Lumion differ
AttributeMariLumion
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows
Founded19961998

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
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Only in Lumion

  • Real-time rendering
  • Content library
  • Effects
  • Video animation
  • VR export
  • LiveSync
  • Revit
  • SketchUp

Both cover

  • Windows 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 Lumion
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot Lumion

Lumion

  • Architectural visualizationnot Mari
  • Client 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

Lumion

  • Enterprise tier is priced by quote only, labelled Let's talk in the vendor's own pricing data, alongside otherwise self-serve tiers with published dollar and pound figures

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

Lumion

$29/month
  • Standard$1499/month
    • Core features
  • Pro$2999/month
    • Full features
    • More content

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 Lumion if

  • You need real-time rendering.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want content library.
Lumion review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or Lumion better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and Lumion at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or Lumion?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mari and $29/month for Lumion.
Does Mari or Lumion run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Lumion runs on Windows.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lumion 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 Lumion is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that Lumion cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. Lumion covers Real-time rendering, Content library, Effects, Video animation. Both handle Windows 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
Lumion: Where can I find Lumion pricing information?

Specific pricing details are not published on Lumion's public website. Interested customers need to visit the full Lumion website or contact the sales team directly for quotes.

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
Lumion: Does Lumion offer a free trial?

A free trial is available for Lumion, though the specific trial duration and included features are not detailed on the main website.

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
Lumion: What is Lumion's licensing model?

Lumion is a commercial software product for architects and 3D rendering professionals. Licensing details and purchase options require contacting the sales team directly.

Source
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