ambientCG vs Poliigon

ambientCG is a free library of downloadable assets for 3D art, architectural visualization, game development, VFX, and related work. Its collection includes PBR materials, HDRIs, Substance graphs, atlases, decals, photo textures, models, and terrain; the homepage lists 2,895 assets. Downloads are available in JPG and PNG. The assets use the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal license, permitting copying, changes, distribution, and commercial use without permission, and attribution is not required. You can browse and download on the website or use the API to search and download assets with code; its documentation lists v1, v2, and v3 endpoints. The creator cautions that the API may not be stable or reliable enough for enterprise applications. Documentation also covers use with Blender's Asset Browser. Patreon supporters may receive early access and easier batch downloads, and the homepage mentions ad-free browsing. Access to downloadable assets is free at free.

Poliigon provides 3D artists with a library of photorealistic textures, models, and HDRIs. The homepage describes more than 7,000 3D assets for architectural visualization, product rendering, game design, VFX, and animation. Other listed asset types include generators and Substance Designer files, with download formats such as JPG, PNG, TIFF, EXR, FBX, BLEND, and MAX. The site lists support for tools including Blender, SketchUp, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Maya, Houdini, Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD, Vectorworks, D5 Render, Lumion, KeyShot, Enscape, Unity, Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, and Substance tools. Polydex organizes local asset folders, identifies PBR textures, models, and HDRIs, and groups related files into single assets. Its Core plan costs nothing, billed Forever, and provides automatic identification, local search, and drag-and-drop import. Unlimited plans include premium and free library access and commercial licenses for assets downloaded during the subscription. Those plans prohibit mirroring large portions of the library or automating downloads; excessive use can restrict downloads for up to seven days.