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CAD · head to head

Modo vs Plasticity

Modo logo

Modo

CAD

Creative 3D modeling and rendering

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plasticity logo

Plasticity

CAD

CAD for artists

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Plasticity limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • They diverge on capability: Modo covers Polygon modeling, Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Modo and Plasticity actually diverge.

Attributes where Modo and Plasticity differ
AttributeModoPlasticity
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu
Founded19962023

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Modo

  • Polygon modeling
  • Subdivision surfaces
  • Sculpting
  • UV tools
  • Procedural modeling
  • Rendering
  • Animation
  • MeshFusion

Only in Plasticity

  • Smooth surface modeling
  • Fillet operations
  • Boolean operations
  • Mesh export
  • Fast workflow
  • Artist-friendly
  • Blender
  • Game engines

Both cover

  • 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 Plasticity
  • Look development and rendering of product and character modelsnot Plasticity

Plasticity

  • Concept designnot Modo
  • Hard surface modelingnot 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

Plasticity

  • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • Young product with shorter track record; fewer industry case studies and community resources
  • No parametric history tree; may require different workflow for some users accustomed to feature-based modeling
  • Premium pricing for Indie users despite being positioned as affordable alternative

Pricing, plan by plan

Modo

$29/month
  • Indie$599/month
    • Full Modo
    • Revenue limit $100K
  • Modo$1898/month
    • Full commercial license

Plasticity

On request
  • Indie$149/one-time

Which should you pick?

Choose Modo if

  • You need polygon modeling.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want subdivision surfaces.
Modo review

Choose Plasticity if

  • You need smooth surface modeling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
  • You also want fillet operations.
Plasticity review

Questions people ask

Is Modo or Plasticity better?
Neither clearly leads. Modo starts at $29/month and Plasticity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Modo or Plasticity?
Modo starts at $29/month and Plasticity at On request.
Does Modo or Plasticity run on more platforms?
Modo runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
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 Plasticity is typically brought in for.
What can Modo do that Plasticity cannot?
Modo covers Polygon modeling, Subdivision surfaces, Sculpting, UV tools. Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling, Fillet operations, Boolean operations, Mesh export. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Plasticity: What is Plasticity designed for?

Plasticity is a NURBS-based 3D modeler designed for concept and product design, prioritizing an artist-friendly workflow over parametric history-based modeling.

Source
Plasticity: What platforms does Plasticity support?

Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS (Intel and M-Series), Linux, and Ubuntu using Parasolid's geometric modeling kernel.

Source
Plasticity: What is the pricing model for Plasticity?

Plasticity is a one-time purchase: Indie tier costs $149 and Studio tier is available at a higher price point. A 30-day free trial is available.

Source
Plasticity: Does Plasticity integrate with Blender?

Yes. Plasticity includes a Blender Bridge add-on that enables live-linking between Plasticity and Blender, allowing you to preview Plasticity models inside Blender with proper materials and lighting.

Source
Plasticity: What key features distinguish Plasticity from other CAD tools?

Plasticity features streamlined UI with context-sensitive widgets, chordal fillets, key bindings familiar to Blender users, radial menus, Dimension and Measure commands for absolute constraints, and handles complex Boolean operations on dense geometry.

Source
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