Software · head to head
Houdini vs BricsCAD
The short version
- Only Houdini has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Houdini houdini Indie at $299 per year requires annual gross revenue under $100K USD; BricsCAD the Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
- They diverge on capability: Houdini covers Procedural modeling, BricsCAD covers DWG native.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Houdini and BricsCAD actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Houdini
- Procedural modeling
- VFX
- Simulations
- Particle systems
- Pyro FX
- Ocean tools
- Rigging
- Rendering
Only in BricsCAD
- DWG native
- 2D drafting
- 3D modeling
- BIM
- Sheet metal
- Mechanical
- LISP support
- AutoCAD compatible
Both cover
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Houdini
- Procedural 3D modelling and environment generationnot BricsCAD
- Visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodiesnot BricsCAD
- Building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipelinenot BricsCAD
BricsCAD
- 2D drafting as a DWG native alternative to AutoCADnot Houdini
- 3D mechanical design and assembly modellingnot Houdini
- BIM modelling and construction documentationnot Houdini
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
BricsCAD
- The Lite edition has no 3D modelling, surveying or point cloud support
- Lite is sold as a network licence only with a 5 seat minimum
- Mechanical excludes BIM tools and BIM excludes mechanical and surveying tools, so cross discipline work needs Ultimate at 1,176 euro
- Importing 3D geometry and PMI from other CAD systems requires the Communicator add on at 294 euro per year
- Network licences require the customer to run their own licence server
- Maintenance is included for the first year only and renewal is a separate annual charge on perpetual licences
- Listed prices exclude local taxes
- Bricsys now trades as Octave and the product site has moved to bricscad.octave.com
Pricing, plan by plan
Houdini
Free- ApprenticeFree
- Learning version
- Non-commercial
- Indie$269/month
- Revenue limit $100K
- Core$1995/month
- Full commercial
- FX$4495/month
- Full + simulations
BricsCAD
$29/month- Lite$550/month
- 2D drafting
- Pro$875/month
- 2D + 3D
- Ultimate$1575/month
- All features
Which should you pick?
Choose Houdini if
- You need procedural modeling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want vfx.
Choose BricsCAD if
- You need dwg native.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want 2d drafting.
Questions people ask
- Is Houdini or BricsCAD better?
- Neither clearly leads. Houdini starts at Free and BricsCAD at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Houdini or BricsCAD?
- Houdini has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Houdini and $29/month for BricsCAD.
- Does Houdini or BricsCAD run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Houdini for free?
- Yes. Houdini has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BricsCAD starts at $29/month.
- What is Houdini best used for?
- Houdini is most often used for procedural 3d modelling and environment generation, visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodies, building reusable procedural assets for a studio pipeline. Of those, procedural 3d modelling and environment generation and visual effects simulation for pyro, fluids, cloth and rigid bodies are not what BricsCAD is typically brought in for.
- What can Houdini do that BricsCAD cannot?
- Houdini covers Procedural modeling, VFX, Simulations, Particle systems. BricsCAD covers DWG native, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support, Linux support.