{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "cinema-4d",
            "name": "Cinema 4D",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/cinema-4d",
            "tagline": "3D modeling, animation and motion graphics software from Maxon",
            "summary": "Cinema 4D is a 3D application from Maxon for modeling, animation, motion graphics, simulation and rendering. It is sold as a subscription, and Maxon One bundles it with the company's other 3D tools. It runs on Windows, including Windows on Arm, and on macOS.",
            "developer": "Maxon",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "subscription",
            "price_note": "Subscription; Maxon One bundles it with other Maxon tools",
            "free_to_use": false,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Modeling, animation, MoGraph and simulation in one app",
                "Redshift GPU rendering included with each subscription",
                "Runs on Windows on Arm and macOS"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Subscription pricing; the iPad version is not out yet",
                "Built for motion and VFX work rather than engineering CAD"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Cinema 4D covers the main stages of a 3D project in one application: modeling, animation, MoGraph motion graphics, simulation and rendering. The vendor's pages describe GPU rendering with Redshift as included with every Cinema 4D subscription. The audience named on the site includes motion designers, 3D artists, VFX artists and architectural visualization teams.\n\nCinema 4D runs on Windows, including Windows on Arm, and on macOS, and the vendor says an iPad version is coming in late 2026. Subscriptions can be bought alone or through Maxon One, which bundles Cinema 4D with the company's other 3D and motion design tools. It is a commercial product, so it is a different choice from Blender, which is free and open source."
        },
        {
            "slug": "houdini",
            "name": "Houdini",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.sidefx.com/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/houdini",
            "tagline": "Procedural 3D software for VFX, animation and game pipelines",
            "summary": "Houdini is procedural 3D software from SideFX for modeling, rigging, animation, VFX, lighting and rendering in film, TV, advertising and game pipelines. It runs on 64-bit Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs and several Linux distributions, and is licensed as Commercial, Indie or Education, with a free trial.",
            "developer": "SideFX",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos",
                "linux"
            ],
            "pricing": "paid",
            "price_note": "Commercial, Indie and Education licences; free trial",
            "free_to_use": false,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Procedural workflow across modeling, animation and VFX",
                "Indie licence for artists below set revenue or funding limits",
                "Runs on Windows, Apple Silicon Macs and Linux"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Intel Macs are not supported in Houdini 22",
                "Commercial licences are paid, and Indie has revenue and funding limits"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Houdini is procedural 3D software from SideFX, which describes it for modeling, rigging, animation, VFX, look development, lighting and rendering in film, TV, advertising and video game pipelines. The site lists Houdini Engine and the Karma renderer as separate products that work alongside it.\n\nHoudini 22 runs on 64-bit Windows 11, on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 11 or later, and on several Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04 and later. Intel Macs are not supported. Licences are Commercial for studios and artists doing commercial work, Indie for artists making less than $100K USD or working with less than $1 million USD in funding, and Education for non-commercial use. A free trial is offered. Houdini suits artists who need procedural control across a production pipeline, and it is less suited to hand sculpting, where ZBrush in this list is the closer tool."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only Houdini runs on Linux.",
        "Cinema 4D: subscription. Houdini: paid."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "3d-modeling-software",
            "name": "3D modeling software",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/3d-modeling-software",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "cinema-4d",
                    "rank": 2,
                    "score": 87.5,
                    "verdict": "Modeling, animation, motion graphics and rendering in one subscription application, with Redshift rendering included. Its strength is motion and VFX work, and it is paid, so Blender remains the free choice.",
                    "best_for": "Motion design and VFX on Windows and macOS",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS",
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Subscription"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "houdini",
                    "rank": 3,
                    "score": 86.5,
                    "verdict": "Procedural 3D software for film, TV and game pipelines on 64-bit Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs and Linux. The Indie licence applies only under revenue or funding limits, and it suits pipeline work more than hand modeling like ZBrush.",
                    "best_for": "Procedural VFX and game pipelines",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon), Linux",
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Paid licences; Indie tier; free trial"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "cinema-4d",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/cinema-4d-vs-houdini",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/cinema-4d-vs-houdini.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}