K-3D vs LightWave 3D
K-3D
k-3d.orgLightWave 3D
lightwave3d.comSide by side
| Figure | K-3D | LightWave 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | £450/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 10 |
| Spec score · 3D Animation Software | 7.9 (#20) | 8.5 (#10) |
| Spec score · 3D modeling software | 7.7 (#108) | 8.6 (#29) |
| Spec score · Animation Software | 7.6 (#87) | 8.7 (#21) |
| Documentation | Documentation is available through an archived wiki. | Documentation includes online 2025 and 2020 manuals plus a downloadable 3,600-plus-page 2020 manual PDF. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Rendering | The site describes native RenderMan support integrated with the K-3D interface. | LightWave 2025 includes RiPR, a GPU-assisted preview display mode, and Octane Render uses the 2024.1 API. |
| Support | The site points users to forums, a development mailing list, or issue submission for help. | The documentation directs users to support, bug-report and feature-request email addresses and community forums. |
Plans
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
K-3D
K-3D is free desktop software for 3D modeling and animation on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports procedural and parametric workflows, with interactive property changes and immediate results. A node-based visualization pipeline connects components and passes selections between modifiers. An undo tree supports both undo and redo operations. The site describes native RenderMan support within the K-3D interface, plus real-time mirroring and welding of one side of a model into a subdivision surface. Source code is released under the GNU General Public License. Downloads include macOS, Windows, and source code; development information also lists GNU/Linux, MacOS X, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, and other build platforms. Optional build integrations include Collada, DBus, GLX, Gnome VFS, GTS, ImageMagick, ODE, OpenCASCADE, and OpenEXR. Documentation is provided through an archived wiki, with forums, a development mailing list, and issue submission for support.
LightWave 3D
LightWave 3D has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.