Software · head to head
Redshift vs Octane Render
Redshift
Software
World's first fully GPU-accelerated biased renderer
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Redshift redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page; Octane Render studio+ is limited to 10 render nodes by default
- They diverge on capability: Redshift covers Out-of-core rendering, Octane Render covers Unbiased rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Redshift and Octane Render actually diverge.
| Attribute | Redshift | Octane Render |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 | 2008 |
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 Redshift
- Out-of-core rendering
- Proxy system
- AOVs
- Motion blur
- Production shading
- Houdini
- Maxon account
- Floating licenses
Only in Octane Render
- Unbiased rendering
- Out-of-core geometry
- AI denoising
- Network rendering
- Unity
- Unreal
- Cloud licensing
Both cover
- GPU rendering
- Maya
- 3ds Max
- Cinema 4D
- Blender
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Redshift
- Production renderingnot Octane Render
- Motion graphicsnot Octane Render
Octane Render
- GPU accelerated unbiased rendering from Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya or Houdininot Redshift
- Network rendering across multiple GPU nodesnot Redshift
- Producing photoreal stills and animation for product and archviz worknot Redshift
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Redshift
- Redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page
Octane Render
- Studio+ is limited to 10 render nodes by default
- Monthly billing costs 23.95 euro per month against 19.99 euro per month on the yearly plan
- Offline USB dongle support is restricted to annual subscriptions and the dongle costs an extra 49 euro
- The offline dongle must be updated every 4 months and blocks access to cloud features
- There is no free tier, only a demo version
- OctaneRender is GPU only, so hardware compatibility must be tested before purchase
Pricing, plan by plan
Redshift
$29/month- Redshift$45/month
- Full GPU rendering
- Maxon One$149.91/month
- Redshift + C4D + ZBrush
Octane Render
$29/month- Prime$19.99/month
- 1 GPU
- Studio$39.99/month
- 2 GPUs
Which should you pick?
Choose Redshift if
- You need out-of-core rendering.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want proxy system.
Choose Octane Render if
- You need unbiased rendering.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want out-of-core geometry.
Questions people ask
- Is Redshift or Octane Render better?
- Neither clearly leads. Redshift starts at $29/month and Octane Render at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Redshift or Octane Render?
- Redshift starts at $29/month and Octane Render at $29/month.
- Does Redshift or Octane Render run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Redshift best used for?
- Redshift is most often used for production rendering, motion graphics. Of those, production rendering and motion graphics are not what Octane Render is typically brought in for.
- What can Redshift do that Octane Render cannot?
- Redshift covers Out-of-core rendering, Proxy system, AOVs, Motion blur. Octane Render covers Unbiased rendering, Out-of-core geometry, AI denoising, Network rendering. Both handle GPU rendering, Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D.