Alternatives to Rhino 3D

{"intro": "Rhino 3D is a Windows and macOS desktop modeler with parametric modeling, animation tools, rendering, and 3D-print export. It offers a free plan and a 90-day evaluation, while its commercial Rhino 8 license starts at $995 for one concurrent user and is billed as a permanent license. Student, faculty, upgrade, and school options change the price and eligibility. The evaluation ends after 90 days, when saving and plugins stop working.\n\nAn alternative can make more sense if you need Linux, browser, iOS, or Android access, or if sculpting is central to your work. Free tiers also differ: Onshape's free plan is for non-commercial use with public documents, while other products offer broader free access or paid trials. Compare parametric modeling, animation, rendering, sculpting, and 3D-print export, then weigh platform access and ongoing pricing against Rhino's desktop-only format and permanent-license cost.", "rows": [{"ref": "sw:houdini", "name": "Houdini", "best_for": "Sculpting and Linux desktop workflows", "pricing": "Free plan; paid from $299/yr", "key_difference": "Houdini adds sculpting and Linux support while retaining parametric modeling, animation, rendering, and 3D-print export.", "choose_when": "Choose it when sculpting or Linux access matters more than Rhino's Windows and macOS desktop focus."}, {"ref": "sw:sketchup", "name": "SketchUp", "best_for": "Browser, iOS, and Windows access", "pricing": "Free plan; paid from $10.75/user/mo annually; 7-day trial", "key_difference": "SketchUp offers browser and iOS access alongside Windows, rather than Rhino's Windows and macOS desktop access.", "choose_when": "Choose it when browser or iOS availability and a lower starting subscription price fit your workflow."}, {"ref": "sw:blender", "name": "Blender", "best_for": "Free open-source desktop 3D work", "pricing": "Free plan", "key_difference": "Blender is free and open source on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with sculpting and animation but no listed 3D-print export.", "choose_when": "Choose it when free open-source software and sculpting matter more than Rhino's 3D-print export."}, {"ref": "sw:onshape", "name": "Onshape", "best_for": "Browser-based parametric design", "pricing": "Free plan; paid from $1,500/user/yr", "key_difference": "Onshape runs in a browser on Android, iOS, and the web, while its free plan permits only non-commercial use with public documents.", "choose_when": "Choose it when browser and mobile access outweigh Rhino's desktop format and you can meet the free-plan terms."}, {"ref": "sw:solid-edge", "name": "Solid Edge", "best_for": "Cross-platform parametric modeling with a free tier", "pricing": "Free plan; 30-day trial", "key_difference": "Solid Edge adds Android, iOS, and web access to Windows, whereas Rhino is a Windows and macOS desktop product.", "choose_when": "Choose it when mobile or browser access and a free plan are more useful than Rhino's desktop-only access."}, {"ref": "sw:cinema-4d", "name": "Cinema 4D", "best_for": "Sculpting and animation on Linux, macOS, or Windows", "pricing": "14-day trial; no free plan", "key_difference": "Cinema 4D adds sculpting and Linux support, but has no free plan and lists only a 14-day trial.", "choose_when": "Choose it when sculpting and Linux access justify a paid product without a free tier."}, {"ref": "sw:shapr3d", "name": "Shapr3D", "best_for": "Parametric modeling across macOS and Windows", "pricing": "Free plan; paid from $299/user/yr; 14-day trial", "key_difference": "Shapr3D keeps macOS and Windows access but lacks animation and sculpting tools, unlike Rhino's animation capability.", "choose_when": "Choose it when parametric modeling and 3D-print export matter, but animation and sculpting do not."}]}