NURBS modeller bought once, built for designers rather than engineers
11 researched notes
Rhino 3D
3D computer graphics and CAD application
As of 30 August 2026, Rhino 3D is free to use. Rhinoceros 3D is a commercial 3D computer graphics and computer-aided design application software. Softwr lists it under CAD. Rhino 3D is made by Robert McNeel & Associates, launched in 1980, available on Windows, macOS, iOS.
Overview
What Rhino 3D does
Rhinoceros 3D is a commercial 3D computer graphics and computer-aided design application software. It's widely used for industrial design, architecture, marine design, jewelry design, automotive design, CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, and the multimedia and graphic design industries.
What people use it for
- NURBS-based 3D modelling for product design and engineering
- Precision engineering and prototyping (aerospace, automotive, jewellery)
- Generative design with Grasshopper visual programming
- Mesh editing and point cloud processing
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Rhino 3D.
- Windows-only for certain features including 3D digitizing hardware support
- Performance depends on hardware capabilities; complex projects require better equipment
- Pre-release/Work-in-Progress builds may contain bugs and are not production ready
Pricing
What Rhino 3D costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Evaluation
Free
- 90-day trial
- All features included
- No credit card required
- Commercial use allowed
Student License
€195
- Perpetual license
- Support included
- Service releases
- Commercial use allowed
Commercial License
€995
- Perpetual license
- Support included
- Service releases
- Floating license support
Student Upgrade
€95
- Perpetual license
- Requires prior license key
- Support included
Commercial Upgrade
€595
- Perpetual license
- Floating license support
- Requires prior license key
Capabilities
Features
NURBS modeling
Surface modeling
3D visualization
Grasshopper
Rendering
Grasshopper
Integration with Grasshopper
KeyShot
Integration with KeyShot
V-Ray
Integration with V-Ray
CAM software
Integration with CAM software
3D printing
Integration with 3D printing
License management
License management security feature
File encryption
File encryption security feature
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
How much does Rhino 3D cost?
Student licenses cost EUR 195, commercial licenses cost EUR 995. Both are perpetual one-time purchases. Upgrades from prior versions cost EUR 95 for students and EUR 595 for commercial users.
SourceIs there a free trial?
Yes, a 90-day evaluation license is available free with no credit card required. Full features are included and commercial use is allowed.
SourceCan Rhino 3D licenses be shared across multiple users?
Commercial versions support floating licenses that can be shared. Student licenses are limited to single-user perpetual licenses. All licenses include support and service releases.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Rhino 3D
- Company
- Robert McNeel & Associates
- Based in
- Seattle, WA
Keep looking
Where to go from Rhino 3D
- Rhino 3D alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Rhino 3D pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Rhino 3D badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All CAD softwareThe full category
- Best CAD softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best CAD software for
Compare Rhino 3D with
- MoI (Moment of Inspiration)
- Plasticity
- IronCAD
- Tinkercad
- CATIA
- CloudCompare
- V-Ray
- KeyShot
- Bentley MicroStation
- Twinmotion
- Houdini
- Modo
- KiCad
- Redshift
- MicroSurvey CAD
- MoI (Moment of Inspiration)
- IronCAD
- Arnold
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Rhino 3D, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Rhino 3D
Rhino 3D alternatives
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Rhino 3D pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Rhino 3D
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