Side by side
appleseed vs Indigo Renderer
Both stand on 3d rendering software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+1
Choose appleseed if you want a free, open source renderer for animation or visual effects, with multiple rendering methods and production tools. Consider another option if you need a release newer than its listed 2.1.0-beta or expect a prompt reply through private email.
Visit appleseed Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Indigo Renderer if you need spectral light calculations, real-time previews or rendering across GPUs and multiple machines. The free version has resolution, branding, commercial-use and support limits; the full Indigo Renderer plan costs €595 once.
Visit Indigo RendererThe facts
| appleseed | Indigo Renderer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Indigo Renderer: €595, paid once |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | appleseedhq.net | indigorenderer.com |
| On 3d rendering software | #3 of 46 | #7 of 46 |
appleseed: what it does well
- Free plan is fully open source under the MIT license.
- Offers several rendering approaches, including path tracing and spectral rendering.
- Includes denoising, adaptive sampling, and resumable render checkpoints.
- Native integrations include Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, and Gaffer.
- Supports C++ and Python APIs and external C++ plugins.
What to know first
- The latest listed release is version 2.1.0-beta from September 21, 2019.
- Private email support may receive a slower response.
Indigo Renderer: what it does well
- Renders with CPUs or multiple GPUs through OpenCL.
- Spectral calculations are used throughout light transport.
- Real-time ray-traced and OpenGL previews support editing.
- Network Manager distributes rendering across multiple machines.
- Official integrations cover six named 3D applications.
What to know first
- Free version is limited to 0.7 megapixels.
- Free renders include an Indigo logo.
- Free version excludes commercial use and has forum-only support.
- Full Indigo Renderer plan costs €595 once.
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