The 25 Best 3D Rendering Software
Most of the 3d cg software comes with built-in renderer, but built-in renderer always not good choice for every project. There are dozens of different renderer available across the web, and artist needs to choose right renderer as per project requirements.
This is the collection of 25 best 3d rendering software available across the web. It contains GPU / CPU based, biased / unbiased, physically based, photo-realistic, real-time, fastest, easy and production quality rendering software.
So why you waiting for, Light, Camera, Render!
Note – Please check the hardware requirements of respective renderer.
A feature rich, high performance 3D rendering software that creates images of outstanding quality and unsurpassed realism based on advanced ray tracing techniques.
Developers: Nvidia
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage, CATIA, Creo Elements/Pro, Cinema 4D, FreeForm, Domus3D, ViSoft
License: Proprietary software
The world’s first GPU accelerated and physically correct, photo-realistic rendering solution.
Developer: NVIDIA
Plug-ins: CATIA, 3ds Max, Bunkspeed, Maya, Cinema 4D
License: Commercial software
A rendering engine that uses advanced techniques, for example global illumination algorithms such as path tracing, photon mapping, irradiance maps and directly computed global illumination.
Developer: Chaos Group
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya, Modo, Nuke, Rhinoceros, Sketchup, Softimage
License: Proprietary commercial software
Today, RenderMan has been completely modernized, with a state-of-the-art ray tracing architecture that’s setting new standards for speed and memory efficiency.
Developer: Pixar
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: Maya and Katana
License: Proprietary commercial software
It uses the video card in your computer to render photorealistic results fast…really fast. This allows the user to create stunning works in a fraction of the time of traditional CPU based renderers.
Developers: OTOY (present), Refractive Software
Standalone: Windows XP and later, Mac OS X Lion or later, Linux
Plug-ins: ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, Inventor, Softimage, Blender, Carrara, Cinema 4D, Lightwave 3D, Modo, Daz Studio, Poser, Rhinoceros 3D, SketchUp
License: Proprietary commercial software
The fastest and easiest to use 3D rendering software available. In just a few steps you can create amazing visuals straight from your 3D models.
Developer: Luxion, Inc.
Standalone: Windows and Mac (32-bit and 64-bit)
License: Proprietary commercial software
Corona Renderer is a new high-performance (un)biased photorealistic renderer.
Developer: Render Legion s.r.o.
Standalone: 64-bit Microsoft Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 or newer)
Plug-ins: 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Maya
License: Commercial software
The technology behind Maxwell Render enables users to render 3D scenes in a stunningly realistic and predictable way, resulting in images that are indistinguishable from photographs.
Developer: Next Limit Technologies
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: 3ds Max, ArchiCAD, Softimage, Bonzai3d, Cinema 4D, FormZ, Houdini, Lightwave, Maya, Modo, Revit, Rhinoceros, Sketchup, SolidWorks
License: Proprietary commercial software
Ease of use combined with ultra fast rendering and excellent quality is what makes Lumion the ideal solution for your rendering projects.
Developers: Act-3D
Standalone: 64-bit Windows Vista, 7 or 8
License: Commercial software
An unbiased, physically based and photorealistic renderer which simulates the physics of light to achieve near-perfect image realism.
Developer: Glare Technologies
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: SketchUp, Blender, Revit, Cinema 4D, 3DS Max, Maya
License: Proprietary commercial software
A physically based and unbiased rendering engine. Based on state of the art algorithms, LuxRender simulates the flow of light according to physical equations, thus producing realistic images of photographic quality.
Developers: A small group of programmers
Standalone: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows
Plug-ins: Blender, 3DS Max, SketchUp, C4D, DAZ Studio, XSI, Poser, Carrara, Maya
License: Free and open-source
Our flagship product, Toolbag 2 is a powerful, standalone real-time renderer bundled in a tidy package. GPU-powered. Physically accurate.
Developer: Marmoset
Standalone: Windows Vista SP2 (64-bit) and OS X 10.9 “Mavericks”
License: Proprietary commercial software