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CAD · head to head

Mari vs Rhino 3D

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rhino 3D logo

Rhino 3D

CAD

3D computer graphics and CAD application

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Rhino 3D windows-only for certain features including 3D digitizing hardware support
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, Rhino 3D covers NURBS modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and Rhino 3D actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and Rhino 3D differ
AttributeMariRhino 3D
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, Mac, iOS
Founded19961980

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Rhino 3D

  • NURBS modeling
  • Surface modeling
  • 3D visualization
  • Grasshopper
  • Rendering
  • Grasshopper
  • KeyShot
  • V-Ray

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 Rhino 3D
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot Rhino 3D

Rhino 3D

  • NURBS-based 3D modelling for product design and engineeringnot Mari
  • Precision engineering and prototyping (aerospace, automotive, jewellery)not Mari
  • Generative design with Grasshopper visual programmingnot Mari
  • Mesh editing and point cloud processingnot 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

Rhino 3D

  • Windows-only for certain features including 3D digitizing hardware support
  • Performance depends on hardware capabilities; complex projects require better equipment
  • Pre-release/Work-in-Progress builds may contain bugs and are not production ready

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

Rhino 3D

Free
  • EvaluationFree
    • 90-day trial
    • All features included
    • No credit card required
  • Student License$195/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Support included
    • Service releases
  • Commercial License$995/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Support included
    • Service releases
  • Student Upgrade$95/mo
    • Perpetual license
    • Requires prior license key
    • Support included

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 Rhino 3D if

  • You need nurbs modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, iOS.
  • You also want surface modeling.
Rhino 3D review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or Rhino 3D better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and Rhino 3D at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or Rhino 3D?
Mari starts at Free and Rhino 3D at Free.
Does Mari or Rhino 3D run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Rhino 3D runs on Windows, Mac, iOS.
Can I use Mari for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Rhino 3D is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that Rhino 3D cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. Rhino 3D covers NURBS modeling, Surface modeling, 3D visualization, Grasshopper. 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
Rhino 3D: How much does Rhino 3D cost?

Student licenses cost EUR 195, commercial licenses cost EUR 995. Both are perpetual one-time purchases. Upgrades from prior versions cost EUR 95 for students and EUR 595 for commercial users.

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
Rhino 3D: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 90-day evaluation license is available free with no credit card required. Full features are included and commercial use is allowed.

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
Rhino 3D: Can Rhino 3D licenses be shared across multiple users?

Commercial versions support floating licenses that can be shared. Student licenses are limited to single-user perpetual licenses. All licenses include support and service releases.

Source
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