If you’re a 3D designer, a user-friendly digital content creation (DCC) platform can speed up a project’s timeline. That means less time searching YouTube walk-throughs for simple functions and more time for innovative design. But just because something is easy to use doesn’t mean it’s intuitive for all users or use cases. Blender and Maya are two of the most popular 3D software; however, their use cases vary depending on the 3D project. In this article, we’ll compare Blender vs Maya and explain which is easier to use depending on your project, hardware, and budget.
Blender vs. Maya: What you need to know.
- Blender is an open-source DCC that offers plenty of community resources, plugins, and how-tos
- Maya is a robust 3D software as part of the AutoDesk suite specializing in realistic character and object design
- Maya has a steep learning curve for beginners, but its software ecosystem creates continuity and the potential to scale
- Blender, on the other hand, leans toward open-source learning and customization
Blender
Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation software that allows users to model, rig, animate, simulate, and render 3D graphics. It features a comprehensive set of tools and a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to beginners and professionals alike.
Blender is known for:
- It’s an open-source software
- A vast community of users and customizable plugins and features
- It’s versatility, from sculpting and rigging to animation and video
Yes, but Blender’s open-source nature makes it harder for 3D software beginners to use, which requires more research and patience.
Blender system requirements
Windows: Recommended Windows 10 or 11. 8 cores CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and GPU 8 GB VRAM
Linux: Distribution with glibc 2.28 or newer (64-bit). 8 cores CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and GPU 8 GB VRAM
Mac: Compatible with Apple M1, M2, and M3 processors. Requires macOS 11.2 (Big Sur) or newer
Blender cost
Blender is free to use for any purpose, including commercial and educational purposes. However, there are additional third-party add-ons and plugins that could require additional costs.
Maya
Maya is a 3D computer graphics software used in the film, television, and video game industries. It offers a powerful and flexible set of tools for modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, animating, and rendering 3D characters and objects.
Maya is known for:
- Lifelike character animation and realistic special effects
- Easy bundling and integration between other Autodesk products like 3ds Max, AutoCAD, and Fusion
But using Maya requires more 3D animation experience or familiarity with the software to get started.
Maya system requirements
Windows: Microsoft Windows 10, version 1809 or higher. Microsoft Windows 11. 64-bit Intel. 8 GB of RAM (16 GB or more recommended)
Apple: macOS 13.x, 12.x, 11.x. Apple Silicon arm64 or Intel x86
Linux: Red Hat® Enterprise 8.7 WS, Rocky Linux 8.7, Red Hat® Enterprise 9.3 W, Rocky Linux 9.3
Maya cost.
Free Trial?: Yes, Autodesk offers a 30-day free trial of Maya
1 month: $235
1 Year: $1,875
3 year: $5,625
Media & Entertainment Collection: $2,605 for one year (includes Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and Arnold)
What our team says on Blender vs. Maya
We reached out to our Kits Team, a group of passionate 3D designers, about the software and the comparison between Blender vs. Maya.
Here’s what they said about Blender:
“Blender is free to use and great for small-budget studios. The software regularly updates and has a large community of users and tons of learning resources. Plus, Blender has a large number of add-ons with which you can significantly expand the functionality and smooth out all the missing functions. It’s more diverse than most 3D programs. You can do a lot of things with it, but it is not an industry standard. It’s probably not the best built-in render engine, and it can be buggy while working with heavy scenes.” - Nikita Kulchitskiy, Material Artist at KitBash3D
“I think it would be fair to describe Blender as the ‘tinkerers DCC.’ It's a good base of tools and such, but needs work to make it work really well for you.” - Brandon Acree, Material Artist at KitBash3D
Here’s what they said about Maya:
“Maya needs no introduction. It’s used by studios worldwide as the standard across various industries, especially in animation. While its UI (user interface) might seem a bit outdated by today’s standards, it’s still quite user-friendly. My only issue is its invasive and complex DRM (digital rights management), which was one of the reasons I eventually switched to Blender a few years later.” - Tom Berczeller, Material Artist at KitBash3D
“Maya is best for animation and is a great modeling software. I think it's the best animation software, with good UI and optimized workflow.” - Alex Luna Garvin, Material Artist at KitBash3D
Blender vs Maya Consensus
Maya is a professional-level 3D design software that takes experience to utilize from the get-go but has huge potential in its software ecosystem.
In contrast, Blender’s open-source community offers plenty of resources for beginners but requires some research savvy to find the right ones for your project.
At KitBash3D, we’re software agnostic, and our kits are suited to any platform you choose. Explore Cargo and find out how to enhance your next Blender or Maya project. Happy KitBashing!
