This is a list of 17 Best Free 3D Modeling Software For Windows. A 3D model can be defined as a model which represents an object in a 3D graphical mode and the process of creating a 3D model is known as 3D modeling. 3D modeling has evolved a lot with the growth of computer technology.It is now commonly used in various industries, such as: Architecture, Medical science, Gaming, Animation, Film.
Sometimes you need more than just words to tell a story. Colors, depth and movement can communicate a message in ways that words simply cannot.
That’s where 3D modeling softwarecomes in.
What are the best free 3D modeling software in 2019?
- K-3D
- Blender
- SketchUp
- Sculptris
- Wings 3D
- Seamless3D
- BricsCAD Shape
These tools, similar tofree CAD software andBIM, enable users to sculpt three-dimensional models of objects and characters and subsequently enhance thosegraphic designcreations with realistic detailing.
3D modeling software is commonly used in entertainment spaces, such as film or video game creation. However, they can also be utilized for building design or marketing and advertising.
And believe it or not, you can get some of those tools for free.
The list we’ve outlined here includes any 3D modeling solution with an available free offering. It should be noted that this does not include products that are only free on a temporary basis, such as limited trial versions for new users. They may only support one user or one project, but they’re truly free offerings. Scaling, however, will often require full investments.
These products alone have well over 350 validated user reviews on G2 Crowd as of August 19, 2018, and only represent a small portion of the 90-plus 3D modeling software offerings listed on our platform. Whenever possible, the products are ranked by user satisfaction score from an in-depth analysis of the best free 3D modeling software.
1. K-3D
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Overview: This free 3D modeling software combines flexible plugins with a data visualization pipeline architecture for transforming data from one format to another. K-3D is a user-friendly and powerful tool that that makes it ideal for amateur and experienced artists alike.
Pricing: K-3D is completely free, which means that users have full access to all features at no cost.
Image courtesy of K-3D
What Users Say
What users like
“[I] tested a number of alternatives. This is the tool with the features, speed and stability for you.”
—K-3D reviewby a user in graphic design
What users dislike
“[It’s a] great program all around; only complaint [is I] just wish it had some sort of quick getting started guide.”
— K-3D review by a user in graphic design
Features:
- Camera mode:This free drawing software offers users the option forpan/tilt, zoom, dolly, modeling and tripod modes.
- 3D primitives:K-3D offers cone, circle, cushion, cylinder, disk, grid, paraboloid, polyhedron, sphere and torus.
- Rendering:This free 3D modeling tool has rendering functionalities and supports a number of different rendering engines.
2. Blender
G2 Crowd Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Overview: Blender is free and open-source 3D creation software. This tool offers functionality to support 3D pipeline, 3D modeling, animation, rendering, video editing, game creation and more.
Pricing: Blender is completely free, open-source 3D creation suite.
Image courtesy of Blender
What Users Say
What users like
“Definitely the best free and open-source 3D modeling tool out there. The insanely high number of features available makes it as good as other AAA products on the market. It's a great resource for 3D modeling, sculpting, high quality rendering, and animation and game making.'
— Blender reviewby Nicola F.
What users dislike
“The only thing I dislike is that Blender can be difficult to use in the beginning. If you are new to 3D modeling or coming from another program, you'll need to spend a good amount of time to get used to the interface and hotkeys.”
—Blender reviewby Raphael H.
Recommendations to others considering this product
“It's a steep learning curve, but don't let that turn you away. Spend some time diving into it and you'll be up to speed surprisingly fast. I'm not even the artist of my team and I was able to pick it up only casually playing around with it for a few weeks.”
—Blenderreviewby Kenton H.
Features:
- Sculpting:Blender allows users to sculpt objects with 20 different brush sets and provides multi-res sculpting support and more.
- Cycles:Blender’s rendering engine Cycles has functionalities for lighting, shading, layers and passes, motion blur and more.
- Pipeline:This feature allows files to be imported and exported in a variety of different file types.
- Game creation:The 3D models created with Blender can be segued into game creation. The module in this free 3D modeling software allows you to export your 3D models to any third-party game engine.
3. SketchUp
G2 Crowd star rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars
Overview: SketchUp is ageneral-purpose CAD solution with powerful 3D modeling capabilities. While it is commonly used in fields such as building design, architecture and engineering, this solution enables line drawing, shape rotation, and push and pull surfaces to make a 3D model of anything you desire. SketchUp also offers a free library of pre-existing 3D models to select and work from.
Pricing: SketchUp offers three different pricing plans:
- SketchUp Free: This is an ideal option for simple 3D modeling. This includes SketchUp Free for Web, 10 GB of cloud storage, five seats on the platform and free models from 3D Warehouse.
- SketchUp Shop: This option is available $119/year and is geared toward users who intend to turn their models into real objects. SketchUp for Web, import/export for CAD files and vector images, unlimited storage, unlimited seats for SketchUp, solid tools, tech support and more are available in this plan.
- SketchUp Pro: This pricing plan is available for a flat rate of $695. This gets you SketchUp Pro for Desktop, extensible apps and plugins, LayOut for 2D documentation, import/export for CAD and vector files and a lifelong license.
Image courtesy of SketchUp
What Users Say
What users like
“I love how easy SketchUp is to find, learn, and use. It's a great tool for 3D modeling beginners to get an idea of how to push and pull objects, faces, and manipulate images in a 3D environment easily.”
—SketchUp reviewby Amanda P.
What users dislike
“If compared to other 3D modeling software, SketchUp is less precise and a less powerful modeling tool. In most of the cases, SketchUp fills its duties in architecture. And it's not meant to be a tool for precision modeling, it's a way to sketch up volumes and objects.”
—SketchUp reviewby Matteo P.
Recommendations to others considering this product
“This program really helps the preliminary design of the product or project and when the client sees a 3D model of their design, the more apt they are to want to move forward and are impressed with your skills as a designer.”
—SketchUp reviewby Benjamin W.
Features:
- Sections:Apply names and symbol to various sections in your design to make them easier to find and organize. You can also hide large amounts of geometry in your sections.
- Drawing:Create linework with scaled vector graphics with SketchUp’s drawing functionalities. You can also import .DWG files directly into the platform.
- Documentation:Turn your 3D models into documents. Once you use SketchUp’s 3D modeling capabilities to create your design, you can export it as a PDF.
4. Sculptris
G2 Crowd star rating: 3.9 out of 5.0 stars
Overview: Sculptris is the free and limited version of another 3D modeling tool,ZBrush. This free 3D modeling software is specifically geared toward those who are new to this space.
Pricing: While Sculptris is a completely free 3D modeling solution, users can upgrade to ZBrush for $895/seat.
Image courtesy of Sculptris
What Users Say
What users like
“I like Sculptris because it makes 3D sculpting and designing so easy and user friendly. The website also offers so good free tutorials to help you get started. I also like the different hotkeys that you can turn on and off. I was very impressed with the amount of features that it offers.”
—Sculptris reviewby Beth A.
What users dislike
“Sculptris is very hard to use with just a standard mouse. You really need to add a design pen or special trackpad to get all of the benefits that Sculptris offers. I wish the program offered more tools for sculpting.”
— Sculptris reviewby Martha T.
Recommendations to others considering this product
“Scuptris is a free and easy-to-use software for introducing yourself to digital sculpting. It is not a product that is being actively developed. It is free and openly available from Pixologic but is meant to be a transtional tool for getting people interested enough to want to buy ZBrush.”
— Sculptris review by Richard T.
Features:
- Dynamic Tessellation:This free 3D modeling software allows you to work without concern of your model’s geometry.
- Immersive Interfaces:Sculptris offers an intuitive and clean interface so users can easily access their design toolkits without cluttering up their workspace.
- Navigational Controls:Easily toggle between two different applications with this feature.
5. Wings 3D
G2 Crowd star rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Overview: Wings 3D is an open-source and free 3D modeling software.This tool is designedd for subdivision modeling, which is a method of representing a smooth surface over linear polygon mesh.
Pricing: Wings 3D is an open source and completely free 3D modeling solution, which means users have full access to these features at no additional cost.
Image courtesy of Wings 3D
What Users Say
What users like
“The application provides all of the basic tools like scale, move, rotate, cut, weld, extrude, bevel, and bridge. It also provides advanced tools like plane cut, intersect, inset, bend, sweep, circularize, and sheer. Like Blender, it takes a while to really get to know your way around; but once you get there, there's flat out nothing to touch it.”
— Wings 3D reviewby Jonathan David H.
What users dislike
“There is no support in Wings for animation. However, Wings does bear a lot of similarities and is very comparable to Blender as a very legitimate piece of freeware for 3D artists.”
— Wings 3D review by Jonathan David H.
Recommendations to others considering this product
“This is a piece of freeware at the end of the day. Wings 3D offers a comprehensive modeling toolset, an intuitive interface, support for materials and lights that allows beginners or professionals to create 3D content quickly. There is so much going for it, and the fact it may be overlooked by industry professionals is a moot point given the capabilities of this program.”
— Wings 3D review by Jonathan David H.
Features:
- Modeling Tools:This free 3D modeling software offers modeling tools, including those that support vector and magnet operations.
- Tweak Mode:Wings 3D allows for users to make quick adjustments to mesh.
- Editing Tools:This function allows for the editing of lighting, materials, textures, and vertex colors.
6. Seamless 3D
G2 Crowd star rating: Be the first towrite a review for Seamless 3D
Overview: This open-source and free 3D modeling platform is geared more toward seasoned artists and designers. As this platform has a freeform nature, it requires a bit more patience and practice to master its learning curve.
Pricing: Seamless 3D is an open-source and completely free 3D modeling solution. Users have full access to all features at no additional cost.
Image courtesy of Seamless 3D
What Users Say
Be the first to leave aSeamless 3D review!
Features
- Import/Export Files:Seamless 3D supports the importing and exporting for a number of different file formats, such as VRML, X3D Obj, BVH motion capture and more.
- Editing Tools:This platform has a number of different editing functionalities, such as WYSIWYG capabilities and an infinite undo and redo option.
- Animation:Animate your 3D models with Single skinned mesh animation using Seamless 3D’s intuitive animation bar.
7. BricsCAD Shape
G2 Crowd star rating: Be the first towrite a reviewfor BricsCAD Shape
Overview: BricsCAD Shape is a 3D modeling tool intended to help architects and engineers streamline their design and presentation work. While it is typically used for those industries, this tool also offers the ability to create 3D models of people, landscape, transportation or anything else needed to enhance your design.
Pricing: BricsCAD Shape is a completely free 3D modeling software.
Image courtesy of BricsCAD Shape
What Users Say:
Be the first to leave aBricsCAD Shape review!
Features
- Freeform Modeling:BricsCAD Shape offers easy wall creation, along with the tools to create doors, windows and profiles.
- Supplemental 3D Modeling:Create models of people, landscape and more to supplement the the design of your building.
- 3D Model Library:Utilize BricsCAD Shape’s library of preexisting 3D models and import your own.
Next steps for selecting your free 3D modeling software
Decide which features are a requirement in your free 3D modeling software. The features in the solution you select should allow you to effectively reach your business objective.
You should also consider how you would like to deploy your new solution, and if you may considering upgrading to a paid plan further down the line. Once you have chosen, read through some more verified user reviews to allow you to make the best decision for your business.
*Please note: User reviews may have been edited for grammar and spelling.
3D modeling is all around you. There are 3D models in the films and TV shows you watch, in the video games you play, and even in the blueprints for 3D printing. It’s all around us.
But 3D modeling isn’t easy, and 3D modeling software can be prohibitively expensive. If you know where you look, however, you can find full-featured 3D modeling software available that won’t cost you a dime.
The type of 3D modeling software you need depends on what you’re trying to do, as certain 3D modeling tools work best with certain types of design. Here’s a short overview of what’s out there:
- Blender: Artistic modeling, but also technical design
- FreeCAD: Engineering and technical design, popular with 3D print designers
- Wings 3D: Good all-around tool for artistic and technical design
- MeshMixer: Artistic modeling, 3D printing
- Tinkercad: Lightweight, entry-level 3D design
- Sculptris: Artistic modeling
- Unity with ProBuilder: Game development with 3D modeling plugin
Let’s take a look at the best free 3D modeling software you can lay your hands on, and which one’s right for you.
1. Blender
Blender features in a phenomenal number of free 3D modeling software guides. Why? Because it ticks so many boxes for a free piece of software. The range of tools outstrips most (if not all) other free competitors, and a healthy number of paid alternatives, too.
To really get to grips with Blender, I would advise finding an online tutorial series and following it. At least until you learn how to navigate Blender and switch between its many tools. And the tools are plentiful: 3D modeling, 3D editing, physical rendering, animation tools, compositing, texturing, material editing—even an integrated basic game engine for quick testing.
Furthermore, the Blender community is prolific and encouraging. If you don’t know something, ask. Chances are someone will have had the same issue, and the question will be long-since answered or resolved in one of the many fantastic Blender tutorials. Blender is donationware. This means it is free and always will be, but the developer does accept donations to keep development moving forward.
Download: Blender for Windows (64-bit) | Windows (32-bit) | Mac | Linux (64-bit) | Linux 32-bit
2. FreeCAD
We move from one of the undisputed best free 3D artistic modeling tools to one with a solid engineering focus. FreeCAD gives users chance to mimic the powerful CAD software suites to develop their own designs, completely free of charge (most CAD suites costs thousands to license).
FreeCAD uses the concept of “work benches.” The work bench is a set of predefined tools you use to work on different stages of your project. Furthermore, FreeCAD uses parametric modeling, meaning you can easily modify your model by heading through its design history and editing key parameters. Better still, you can use the FreeCAD open source library with other programs, as well as import new modules to extend the FreeCAD functionality without requiring any more software.
For many, it is an excellent, stress-free way of learning advanced CAD drawing without worrying about an expensive license. FreeCAD can directly compete with some of its paid-alternatives, too.
Download: FreeCAD for Windows (64-bit) | Windows (32-bit) | Mac | Linux (64-bit)
3. Wings 3D
Wings 3D is a powerful open source subdivision 3D modeler that is perfect for beginners. Wings 3D features a wide range of essential and useful 3D modeling tools but also allows for precise modeling with fine detail (it supports AutoUV for model texturing, too). However, Wings 3D offers no animation support. In that, it is purely for model design rather than a full studio.
Wings 3D is a good tool for beginners because it uses traditional polygonal 3D modeling techniques. Almost anything you learn about geometric meshes will translate to other 3D modeling software. Another plus point is the relatively simply interface (especially compared to some other tools), even if it feels somewhat outdated.
Download: Wings 3D for Windows (64-bit) | Windows (32-bit) | Mac | Linux (64-bit)
4. MeshMixer
Autodesk’s Meshmixer is one of the most popular triangular mesh modeling tools available for free. As an Autodesk product, Meshmixer bulges with useful features for manipulating and managing wire mesh designs, including hollowing, remeshing, print bed orientation, and drag-and-drop mesh mixing.
The drag-and-drop mesh mixing tool allows you to combine existing meshes into a single design with minimum fuss. It doesn’t take long before you’re combining extremely random objects to build fantastical or grotesque models that should never see the light of day. Usefully, Meshmixer doesn’t punish users without prior 3D design or meshing skills, while the interface is fairly easy to navigate.
Download: MeshMixer for Windows | Mac
5. Tinkercad
Tinkercad is another Autodesk development that brings 3D modeling and design to everyone. Rather than a piece of software, Tinkercad is a free online 3D design and 3D printing tool for anyone to enjoy. (Check out our beginners guide to 3D printingUltimate Beginner's Guide to 3D PrintingUltimate Beginner's Guide to 3D Printing3D printing was supposed to be the new 'Industrial Revolution.' It hasn't taken over the world yet, but I'm here to talk you through everything you need to know to get started.Read More for more information!)
You’ll quickly understand what this means once you give it a try. The Tinkercad interface is extremely basic, and your hand is gently guided toward your design destination with minimal fuss.
That said, Tinkercad allows for competent 3D model design. You won’t find the same range of tools Blender or FreeCAD, but Tinkercad is a perfect entry point for absolute beginners.
To use Tinkercad: Head to the Tinkercad website, create an account, and off you go.
6. Sculptris
Sculptris is another excellent free 3D sculpting tool that appeals to all levels of modeling abilities, professional modelers included. Sculptris developer Pixologic is well known and respected for its ZBrush sculpting and modeling suite. In a way, Sculptris is like a free trial for the fully-featured ZBrush suite.
Sculptris still features a huge number of modeling tools, and it is relatively easy to sculpt and texture a model. Beginners will find Sculptris quite forgiving, as well as noting that the layout and overall design is simple to learn. Pixologic includes a decent amount of tooltips and other hints within the program to keep you on track, too. Adding to those tooltips is a passionate community with a wealth of tutorials to help guide and inspire you.
Download: Sculptris for Windows | Mac
7. Unity with ProBuilder
Our final pick is slightly different. Unity is a free game development tool used to produce some massive titles (e.g. Kerbal Space Program, Hearthstone, Wasteland 2 & 3, Temple Run, Rust, Cities: Skylines). The beauty of the Unity platform is almost universal accessibility. Indeed, with the right Unity tutorialsThe Best Unity 3D Tutorials for BeginnersThe Best Unity 3D Tutorials for BeginnersWant to develop games with Unity, but don't know where to start? Try one of these awesome Unity 3D tutorials today.Read More, anyone can get started with it.
Unity also now owns the once-premium tool, ProBuilder, unlocking its extensive toolset for any user. ProBuilder “is a unique hybrid of 3D modeling and level design tools, optimized for building simply geometry but capable of detailed editing and UV unwrapping as needed.”
The ProBuilder Unity plugin is unlike any other 3D modeling tool on this list. You can follow tutorials to learn how to build a huge variety of 3D objects, too. And being a game development platform, you can import these designs into the main engine and walk around them, close-up.
Download: Unity for Windows | Mac
Download:ProBuilder (via the Unity Asset Store)
Go Forth and Start Creating 3D Models
The world of 3D modeling awaits you. You now know about tools for creative sculpting, technical sculpting, game development, for absolute beginners, and more. There are other 3D modeling tools available, but we feel that these are the best out there right now.
For more like this, check out the best budget 3D printersThe Best 3D Printers Under $500 in 2019The Best 3D Printers Under $500 in 2019Are you after an affordable 3D printer? Here are the best 3D printers under $500 to help you find the best one for your needs.Read More.
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Best Free 3d Modeling Software For Printing
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You forgot two of the most used, fusion 360 and onshape. Both are free for most people, easy to learn and quite powerful.