Houdini

Procedural 3D software for effects, simulation and animation; the Apprentice edition is free for non-commercial work.

Free tier

Verified Oct 7, 2026

FBX: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Geometry and animation exchange; SideFX does not document Apprentice export limits
OBJ: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Geometry exchange; SideFX does not document Apprentice export limits
ABC: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Alembic caches are supported; SideFX does not document Apprentice export limits

Facts

Made by: SideFX
Website: www.sidefx.com/products/houdini/
License: License: Free tier
Pricing: Free tier with paid plansApprentice is free for non-commercial work. Renders cap at 1920x1080 and are watermarked, with its own file format.
Platforms: Windows
macOS
Linux
Self-hostable: No
Works offline: Yes
Account required: Yes
Telemetry: Apprentice uses a 30-day license that renews automatically and needs an internet connection about once a month.
Maturity: Stable
Maintenance: Status: Verified Oct 7, 2026

Autodesk Maya
Situational. Best for procedural effects and simulation work.
0 people switched
Cinema 4D
Situational. Best for node-based procedural and effects work.
0 people switched

This tool is closed source, so an editor re-checks it by hand at least every 180 days.

Last editor check: Oct 7, 2026.

License, pricing and status changes for this tool.

No changes recorded

When a repository or page check finds a change and an editor confirms it, it shows here and in the public change log.

Reviews are moderated: new accounts’ reviews are checked by an editor first. Ratings are shown on their own and do not change the ranking.

No published reviews yet.

Something wrong or out of date? Report outdated info.