Software · head to head
Modo vs V-Ray
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Modo foundry announced on November 7, 2024 that it is winding down development of Modo after the Modo 17.1 release, with no further feature or maintenance releases anticipated; V-Ray licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
- They diverge on capability: Modo covers Polygon modeling, V-Ray covers Ray tracing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Modo and V-Ray actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Modo
- Polygon modeling
- Subdivision surfaces
- Sculpting
- UV tools
- Procedural modeling
- Rendering
- Animation
- MeshFusion
Only in V-Ray
- Ray tracing
- Global illumination
- GPU rendering
- CPU rendering
- Materials
- Lighting
- VR output
- Scene intelligence
Both cover
- License management
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Modo
- Polygon and subdivision surface modelling for media and entertainment assetsnot V-Ray
- Look development and rendering of product and character modelsnot V-Ray
V-Ray
- Photorealistic rendering for architecture and product visualisationnot Modo
- Real time and ray traced rendering inside CAD and 3D applicationsnot Modo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Modo
- Foundry announced on November 7, 2024 that it is winding down development of Modo after the Modo 17.1 release, with no further feature or maintenance releases anticipated
- Support continues only until each customer's current contract term expires
- Foundry does not guarantee that Modo will keep working on future operating system updates because no patches will be issued, and recommends customers migrate to alternative 3D workflows
- Perpetual licences keep working but receive no further updates, bug fixes or support
- The Modo forums closed in December 2024 and downloads, docs and the support knowledgebase were committed only until November 2025
V-Ray
- Licences are subscription only with no perpetual option listed for any product
- Subscription terms renew automatically
- Cloud rendering runs on separately purchased credits, with the Pro tier at $25.30 a month for 1,000
- Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
Pricing, plan by plan
Modo
$29/month- Indie$599/month
- Full Modo
- Revenue limit $100K
- Modo$1898/month
- Full commercial license
V-Ray
$29/month- V-Ray Solo$60/month
- 1 workstation
- 5 render nodes
- V-Ray Premium$80/month
- Multiple apps
- Cloud credits
Which should you pick?
Choose Modo if
- You need polygon modeling.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want subdivision surfaces.
Choose V-Ray if
- You need ray tracing.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want global illumination.
Questions people ask
- Is Modo or V-Ray better?
- Neither clearly leads. Modo starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Modo or V-Ray?
- Modo starts at $29/month and V-Ray at $29/month.
- Does Modo or V-Ray run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Modo best used for?
- Modo is most often used for polygon and subdivision surface modelling for media and entertainment assets, look development and rendering of product and character models. Of those, polygon and subdivision surface modelling for media and entertainment assets and look development and rendering of product and character models are not what V-Ray is typically brought in for.
- What can Modo do that V-Ray cannot?
- Modo covers Polygon modeling, Subdivision surfaces, Sculpting, UV tools. V-Ray covers Ray tracing, Global illumination, GPU rendering, CPU rendering. Both handle License management, Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.