Gaffer

Free plan LinuxWindows

What Gaffer is

Gaffer is a free, open-source node-based application for building, adjusting, iterating on, and rendering visual effects scenes. Its scene hierarchy and node graph support non-destructive work such as importing, combining, duplicating, splitting, and inspecting scenes. Users can script in Python and Open Shading Language (OSL). Listed renderers include Arnold, Cycles, 3Delight, and RenderMan, while Tractor is supported for workflows. Gaffer’s multi-threaded, deferred evaluation engine is designed for large 3D and 2D data sets. Its API and framework can be extended with custom modules, nodes, interface elements, renderers, render farms, and data types. The software is intended for look developers, lighters, compositors, VFX artists, and technical directors. Linux and Windows builds are available; Linux needs glibc 2.28 or higher, and Windows 10 or 11 must be 64-bit. An Nvidia GPU is recommended. Gaffer is released under the BSD License and is free for home or studio use. Documentation includes a user guide, API manual, and reference material.

Who it suits

Gaffer suits look developers, lighters, compositors, VFX artists, and technical directors who work with scene graphs and rendering workflows. Its scripting and extension framework may also fit users who need custom nodes or integrations.

What it does well

Free to use at home or in a studio.
Supports Python and Open Shading Language scripting.
Lists Arnold, Cycles, 3Delight, and RenderMan.
Its framework supports custom nodes and integrations.
Includes a user guide and API documentation.

What to know first

Linux requires glibc 2.28 or higher.
Windows builds require 64-bit Windows 10 or 11.
An Nvidia GPU is recommended.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Gaffer	Free to use at home or in a studio · released under the BSD License	Free

As gafferhq.org lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Gaffer website.
Download the Linux or Windows build for your operating system.
Confirm Linux has glibc 2.28 or higher, or that Windows 10/11 is 64-bit.
Install and launch Gaffer.
Use the user guide, API manual, or reference documentation to get oriented.

Verdict

Gaffer offers a free node-based scene workflow with scripting and extension options for VFX work. Check the operating system requirements and renderer compatibility against the intended setup.

Questions

Is Gaffer free?

Yes. Gaffer is free to use at home or in a studio and is released under the BSD License.

Which operating systems does Gaffer support?

Builds are offered for Linux and Windows. Linux requires glibc 2.28 or higher, and Windows 10 or 11 must be 64-bit.

Which renderers does Gaffer support?

Gaffer lists Arnold, Cycles, 3Delight, and RenderMan as supported renderers, with Tractor supported for workflows.

Can I script or extend Gaffer?

Yes. In-application scripting supports Python and OSL. Its API and framework support custom modules, nodes, interface elements, renderer and render-farm integrations, and new data types.

What documentation and community support are available?

Gaffer provides a user guide, API manual, and reference documentation. Users can also ask questions or discuss feature requests through the gaffer-dev mailing list, GitHub Discussions, and community Discord.

Facts from Gaffer's own pages

Community integrations: The Resources page describes a community-created ShotGrid integration with file management, asset loading, and publishing support. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Documentation: Gaffer provides a user guide, API manual, and reference documentation for enthusiasts and studios working in VFX. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Extensibility: Its API and framework let users add custom modules, nodes, and UI, integrate renderers and render farms, and implement new data types. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Hardware: An Nvidia GPU is recommended. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Operating systems: The download page offers Linux and Windows builds; Linux requires glibc 2.28 or higher, and Windows 10/11 must be 64-bit. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Performance: Gaffer’s multi-threaded, deferred evaluation engine is designed to work with large 3D and 2D data sets. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Renderers: The site lists Arnold, Cycles, 3Delight, and RenderMan as supported renderers, with Tractor also supported for workflows. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Scene workflows: Its node graph and scene hierarchy support non-destructive importing, building, manipulating, duplicating, combining, pruning, splitting, and inspecting scenes. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Scripting: Gaffer supports in-application scripting in Python and Open Shading Language (OSL). · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Security and compliance: The official pages opened describe Gaffer as open source under the BSD License and do not state security certifications or compliance claims. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Support: Users can ask questions and discuss feature requests on the gaffer-dev mailing list and GitHub Discussions; a community-run Discord is also listed. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Third-party integrations: The download page lists Arnold 7.4 and 7.5, Cycles 5.1.0, 3Delight 2, RenderMan 26.3/27.2/27.3, and Tractor 2 as compatible; Deadline support is available through an extension. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
Users: Gaffer is intended for look developers, lighters, compositors, VFX artists, and technical directors. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026
What it does: Gaffer is a free, open-source node-based VFX application for building, tweaking, iterating, and rendering scenes. · gafferhq.org, 9 Oct 2026

Where Gaffer stands on Freedom251

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