Blender
Free, open-source 3D creation suite for modelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and more.
Our verdict
What it does well
- Free and open source under the GNU GPL, with no paid tier
- One suite covers modelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and tracking
- Extendable with Python add-ons; Cycles path-tracing renderer included
Where it falls short
- The official macOS download is for Apple Silicon only and needs macOS 13 or newer
- Large feature set means a long learning curve
- Add-ons that use the Python API must be shared under a GPL-compatible licence
Blender describes itself as the free and open source 3D creation suite. Its website lists modelling, sculpting and UV work, rendering with the Cycles path-tracing engine, camera and object tracking, animation and rigging, and drawing 2D art in a 3D viewport.
Official downloads cover Windows (x64 and Arm), macOS (Apple Silicon) and Linux (x64). It is also listed on the Microsoft Store, Snap Store and Steam. The site states Blender is free and open source permanently and asks for donations to the Development Fund.
The licence page says the source is licensed under the GNU GPL, with some modules such as Cycles under Apache 2.0. Files you create with Blender are yours to use.
Last updated 16 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money