Chaos Anima vs LightWave 3D
Chaos Anima
chaos.comLightWave 3D
lightwave3d.comSide by side
| Figure | Chaos Anima | LightWave 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $62.90/mo | £450/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 10 |
| Spec score · 3D Animation Software | 8.0 (#15) | 8.5 (#10) |
| Headquarters | Karlsruhe, Germany | England, UK |
| Integrations | The product page names 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, and Unreal Engine integrations and lists V-Ray, Corona, and Vantage among compatible renderers. | The Unreal Engine Bridge transfers objects, instances, textures, animations, camera moves, and lights in real time. |
| Purpose | Chaos Anima populates architectural scenes with photorealistic people, crowds, and dynamic traffic simulations. | LightWave 3D is software for creating 3D models, animations, and visual effects. |
| Support | Chaos includes learning resources, support, community access, continuous updates, and a 14-day money-back guarantee with purchase of any Chaos license. | The documentation directs users to support, bug-report and feature-request email addresses and community forums. |
Plans
Chaos Anima
- Anima Standalone$754.80 a year
- Corona Collection$994.80 a year
- V-Ray Collection$1,210.80 a year
LightWave 3D
- New LightWave 2025 Licence£795 a month
- LightWave 2025 Upgrade - LightWave 2024 users£450 a month
- LightWave 2025 Upgrade - LightWave 2023 or earlier users£550 a month
- 30-day trialFree
- LightWave 2025 Upgrade — LightWave 2024 users£450, paid once
- LightWave 2026 upgrade from 2025£450, paid once
- LightWave 2025 Upgrade — LightWave 2023 or earlier users£550, paid once
- LightWave 2026 upgrade from 2024 or earlier£550, paid once
- LightWave 2025 licence£795, paid once
- New LightWave 2026 licence£795, paid once
In their own words
LightWave 3D
LightWave 3D has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.