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Manufacturing · head to head

Fusion 360 vs Houdini

Fusion 360 logo

Fusion 360

Manufacturing

Cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Houdini logo

Houdini

3D & CAD

Procedural 3D animation and VFX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fusion 360 requires paid subscription for professional use; Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • They diverge on capability: Fusion 360 covers 3D CAD modeling, Houdini covers Procedural modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fusion 360 and Houdini actually diverge.

Attributes where Fusion 360 and Houdini differ
AttributeFusion 360Houdini
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOSWindows, MacOS, Linux
CategoryManufacturing3D & CAD
Founded19821987

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Fusion 360

  • 3D CAD modeling
  • Simulation
  • CAM programming
  • PCB design
  • Cloud collaboration
  • Autodesk ecosystem
  • Manufacturing partners
  • PLM systems

Only in Houdini

  • Procedural modeling
  • VFX
  • Simulations
  • Particle systems
  • Pyro FX
  • Ocean tools
  • Rigging
  • Rendering

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fusion 360

  • Product designnot Houdini
  • Prototypingnot Houdini
  • Manufacturingnot Houdini
  • 3D printingnot Houdini
  • Simulationnot Houdini

Houdini

  • Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot Fusion 360
  • Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot Fusion 360
  • Building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipelinenot Fusion 360

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fusion 360

  • Requires paid subscription for professional use
  • Cloud-based, requires internet connection
  • Free tier limited to students and educators

Houdini

  • Houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD
  • Houdini Indie cannot be used in the same pipeline as commercial versions of Houdini
  • Houdini Indie and Apprentice save to their own .hipnc file format, which commercial Houdini pipelines do not share
  • The free Apprentice edition is non commercial, caps render resolution at 1920x1080 and watermarks output images
  • Houdini Indie ships with only 2 render tokens
  • Full DOP level simulation node access requires Houdini FX at $4,495 per workstation; Core at $1,995 exposes only SOP level pre built simulation assets
  • Extra render tokens cost $195

Pricing, plan by plan

Fusion 360

Free
  • Personal UseFree
    • Non-commercial use
    • Basic CAD tools
    • Cloud storage
  • Commercial$70/month
    • Full CAD/CAM/CAE
    • Simulation
    • Rendering

Houdini

Free
  • ApprenticeFree
    • Learning version
    • Non-commercial
  • Indie$269/month
    • Revenue limit $100K
  • Core$1995/month
    • Full commercial
  • FX$4495/month
    • Full + simulations

Which should you pick?

Choose Fusion 360 if

  • You need 3d cad modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want simulation.
Fusion 360 review

Choose Houdini if

  • You need procedural modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want vfx.
Houdini review

Questions people ask

Is Fusion 360 or Houdini better?
Neither clearly leads. Fusion 360 starts at Free and Houdini at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fusion 360 or Houdini?
Fusion 360 starts at Free and Houdini at Free.
Does Fusion 360 or Houdini run on more platforms?
Fusion 360 runs on Web, Windows, macOS. Houdini runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Fusion 360 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fusion 360 best used for?
Fusion 360 is most often used for product design, prototyping, manufacturing, 3d printing. Of those, product design and prototyping are not what Houdini is typically brought in for.
What can Fusion 360 do that Houdini cannot?
Fusion 360 covers 3D CAD modeling, Simulation, CAM programming, PCB design. Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fusion 360: Is Fusion 360 free?

Fusion 360 is free for students, educators, and academic institutions with full features. It offers a 30-day free trial for all users, and a limited personal-use license for hobbyists and makers.

Source
Fusion 360: How much does Fusion 360 cost for professionals?

Fusion 360 professional subscriptions start at $85/month, $680/year, or $2,040 for a 3-year commitment. Startups that qualify can get a discount starting at $150.

Source
Fusion 360: Does Fusion 360 support 3D modeling, CAD, and CAM?

Yes. Fusion 360 is a cloud-based platform that integrates 3D modeling, CAD, CAM, CAE (simulation), and PCB design in one software.

Source
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