CAD · pricing
LightWave 3D pricing
No tier breakdown is published on the record we hold for LightWave 3D. Below is what is on record, and how it compares with the cad tools listed alongside it.
As of 30 August 2026, LightWave 3D pricing is $999/one-time. Figures are the vendor's list prices as recorded on this page's last check; the vendor's site is the final word.
- Entry price
- $999/one-time
- Model
- Not recorded
- Tiers
- -
- Free tier
- Not on record
What is on record
The LightWave 3D catalogue entry carries a starting price of $999/one-time, but no tier breakdown. The category comparison below is still useful, and the LightWave 3D review carries the full feature record.
What the product covers
The full LightWave 3D feature record, grouped as the catalogue groups it. This is the product as a whole; the record does not map every feature onto a specific tier.
Other
- Modeler
- Layout
- Animation
- Rendering
- VPR
- FiberFX
- Dynamics
Integrations
- Unity
- Unreal
- After Effects
Security
- License key
Platform
- Windows support
- MacOS support
People bring LightWave 3D in for animation, vfx, product visualization. If that is not the job you are buying for, the alternatives to LightWave 3D are worth a look before you commit to a tier.
How that compares in CAD
Across the 3 cad tools in this directory that publish a starting price, the median entry point is $2945/month. LightWave 3D starts at $999/one-time, which puts it below the middle of its category.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Rated | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LightWave 3D (this page) | $999/one-time | - | - | |
| Carlson Software | $4450/one-time | One-time purchase | - | vs LightWave 3D |
| RealityScan | Free, then $1250/year | Free below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year | - | vs LightWave 3D |
| CloudCompare | Free | Open source, no licence fee | - | vs LightWave 3D |
| Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler | On request | quote | - | vs LightWave 3D |
| MicroSurvey CAD | $2945/one-time | One-time purchase | - | vs LightWave 3D |
| Nomad Sculpt | On request | One-time purchase | - | vs LightWave 3D |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry, they are not reviews hosted on Softwr. How each figure is used is set out on the LightWave 3D badges page.
Before you pay for LightWave 3D
Three things this page cannot tell you, and all three change the bill. The record carries a price and a billing period but not the unit - per-seat and flat-rate pricing are indistinguishable in this data, so a five-person team may be looking at five times the figure above. It carries no annual rate, so any discount for paying yearly is not something this page can quote. And it carries no trial length.
What it can tell you is the shape of the ladder: not published on the record we hold. With no free tier on record, the cheapest way to answer the rest is to compare LightWave 3D against the tools that do have one before committing.
LightWave 3D runs on windows, macos, linux, and is published by NewTek (Vizrt) of San Antonio, TX. The full record is on the LightWave 3D review, and the rest of the category is under best cad tools.
LightWave 3D pricing questions
- How much does LightWave 3D cost?
- LightWave 3D starts at $999/one-time. No tier-by-tier breakdown is published on the record we hold.
- Does LightWave 3D have a free plan?
- Not on the record we hold. Whether a free trial is offered is not something this record captures, so check the vendor's site.
- Is LightWave 3D expensive for a cad tool?
- It starts below the middle of its category. Across the 3 cad tools in this directory that publish a starting price, the median entry point is $2945/month; LightWave 3D starts at $999/one-time.
- Which cad tools can I use without paying?
- 2 of the 8 cad tools listed alongside LightWave 3D have a free tier: RealityScan, CloudCompare.
- What am I actually paying for with LightWave 3D?
- The record lists 13 features across 4 areas: other, integrations, security, platform. In practice it is brought in for animation, vfx, product visualization.
- Does LightWave 3D charge per user?
- The record carries a price and a billing period, but not the unit that price is charged in. Per-seat and flat-rate billing look identical in this data, so check the vendor's page before budgeting for a team.
- Are these LightWave 3D prices current?
- They are what the catalogue entry holds, refreshed when the entry is. Vendors change pricing without notice and nobody at Softwr re-verifies each tier by hand, so treat this as a structured summary and the vendor's own pricing page as the authority.
- What should I compare LightWave 3D against before paying?
- The closest cad tools in this directory are Carlson Software, RealityScan, CloudCompare, Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler. Each has a side-by-side comparison with LightWave 3D covering price, platforms and features.