It's supported by donations from individuals and a development fund. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window).īlender is 100% free and open source. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

Professionals working on complete productions across all pipeline stages are better off with industry-standard options such as Maya, our Editors' Choice winner for professionals all around, or Houdini, our Editors' Choice for special effects. It's an attractive choice for beginners, who can use it to dabble in the world of 3D art. Who is Blender for? Can you make professional-grade 3D art with it? Is Blender a truly great 3D tool, or, as in NetZero's case, is it an example of getting what you pay for?īlender is a strong 3D package for certain disciplines that come early in the professional 3D production pipeline, like digital sculpting and 3D modeling. Get past the feel-good message, though, and anyone interested in Blender needs to ask themselves a few questions before sinking time into learning the tool. Unlike NetZero, Blender has made its name as the leader in free 3D animation software amid other programs that cost thousands of dollars. The same year, the 3D modeling and animation software Blender was released publicly online as freeware with a similar mission. Its service was spotty at best and it was loaded with ads, but it was still free. In 1998, NetZero set out on a mission to offer free dial-up internet access to all.

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