---
title: Houdini
canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/houdini/
category: 3D Modeling Software
points: 72
rank: 2 of 9
facts_checked: 2026-10-09
---

# Houdini

Node-based 3D program for procedural modeling, animation and effects, with a free Apprentice version for personal projects.

72 points out of 100. #2 of 9 3D modeling programs. Vendor: SideFX. Website: https://www.sidefx.com/

- Houdini Apprentice is free and limited to non-commercial projects; it renders at up to 1920x1080 and adds a watermark to most formats [3].
- Houdini Indie costs $299 for one year or $449 for two, for commercial entities with under $100K USD in annual gross revenue [2].
- Houdini Core and FX are sold as perpetual or rental licences, and the buy page shows no prices [1].
- It exports FBX, OBJ, glTF, STL and USD, but not STEP [11][12][13].
- It runs on Windows 11, Linux and Apple Silicon Macs; Windows 10 and older are not supported [4].

Verdict: Houdini suits artists who want to build models and effects from node networks, and it covers sculpting, UV tools, cloth and fluid simulation, Karma rendering and Python scripting [5][9][10][2]. The cheapest paid-work route is Indie at $299 a year [2]. The catch: the free Apprentice version bars paid work, and Indie is limited to $100K USD in annual gross revenue [2][3]. Best for: Artists who want procedural, node-driven modeling and simulation.

## Points

| Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems | Other systems | macOS, Linux | 4/8 | Supports Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 11 or later, and 64-bit Linux distributions. No web or iPad version listed [4]. |
| Licence | Free version without a time limit | Yes | 10/10 | Apprentice is a free version for personal projects; its licence renews every thirty days automatically, with no end date shown [3]. |
| Licence | Free version allowed for paid work | No | 0/6 | Apprentice must be used on non-commercial projects only [3]. |
| Licence | One-off licence you keep | Yes | 8/8 | Commercial products come with perpetual or rental licence types [1]. |
| Licence | Open source | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's licence agreement page [15]. |
| Licence | Free licence for students | Not published | 0/4 | Education licences are bought through the cart; the page does not say they are free [1][14]. |
| Modelling tools | Precise curve and solid modeling | Yes | 5/5 | Documentation lists Bezier/NURBS surfaces among Houdini's primitive types [6]. |
| Modelling tools | Digital sculpting | Yes | 5/5 | The Sculpt node reshapes a surface with push, pull, flatten and smooth brushes [5]. |
| Modelling tools | Node-based procedural modeling | Yes | 5/5 | Geometry nodes inside Geo objects generate geometry; the node list is documented for the current release [16][5]. |
| Modelling tools | Rigging and animation | Yes | 5/5 | Documents keyframe animation with an animation editor, and KineFX rigging for characters [7][8]. |
| Modelling tools | Physics simulation | Yes | 4/4 | Vellum handles cloth, hair, grains, fluids and softbodies [9]. |
| Modelling tools | UV unwrapping | Yes | 4/4 | SOP list includes UV Flatten, UV Layout, UV Pelt and UV Project [5]. |
| Modelling tools | Built-in ray-traced renderer | Yes | 5/5 | Karma, "Houdini's physically-based path tracer", is included with Indie [19][2]. |
| Modelling tools | Scripting and add-ons | Yes | 5/5 | Python scripting through the Houdini Object Model, documented in the manual [10]. |
| Formats | Built-in export formats | FBX, OBJ, glTF, STL, USD | 5/6 | FBX and glTF export [11][17][18]; OBJ and STL read and write [12]; USD node writes USD files [13]. STEP is not listed. |
| Price | Cheapest way to use it for paid work | $24.92/mo | 7/12 | Indie, $299 for one year divided by 12. It allows commercial use under a $100K USD annual gross revenue cap [2]. |
| Price | Full-feature trial | Not published | 0/3 | The Try page offers the free Apprentice version; it states no timed trial of the full program [3]. |

## Plans

| Plan | Price | Per month (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | Free [3] | $0 |
| Indie (1 year) | $299/year [2] | $24.92 |
| Indie (2 years) | $449 for 2 years [2] | $18.71 |
| Core and FX | Not shown [1] | - |

The Indie price is shown for a one-year or two-year term [2]. Core and FX prices are not shown on the buy page [1].

## Strengths

- Free Apprentice version has a thirty-day licence that renews automatically and includes virtually all Houdini FX features, according to SideFX [3].
- Geometry nodes inside Geo objects generate geometry [16].
- Karma XPU renderer is built into Indie [2].
- Python scripting is documented through the Houdini Object Model [10].
- Vellum covers cloth, hair, grains, fluids and softbodies [9].

## Limits

- Apprentice is for non-commercial projects only and watermarks most renders [3].
- Indie is limited to $100K USD in annual gross revenue and to three licences per studio [2].
- Indie uses its own file format for saving scenes [2].
- Windows 10 and older, and Windows Server, are not supported [4].
- No STEP export is listed [12].

## Vendor claims (not scored)

- SideFX says Apprentice gives access to virtually all features of Houdini FX [3].

## Sources

1. [Buy Houdini](https://www.sidefx.com/buy/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
2. [Houdini Indie](https://www.sidefx.com/products/houdini-indie/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
3. [Try Houdini Apprentice](https://www.sidefx.com/get/try-houdini/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
4. [Houdini system requirements](https://www.sidefx.com/Support/system-requirements/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
5. [SOP nodes](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/sop/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
6. [Primitives](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/model/primitives.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
7. [Animation](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/anim/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
8. [Character](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/character/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
9. [Vellum](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/vellum/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
10. [Python scripting](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/hom/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
11. [Import and export](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/io/index.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
12. [Geometry file formats](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/io/formats/geometry_formats.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
13. [USD render node](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/out/usd.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
14. [Houdini licensing](https://www.sidefx.com/Support/licensing/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
15. [Houdini license agreement](https://www.sidefx.com/legal/license-agreement/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
16. [Houdini documentation](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
17. [Filmbox (FBX)](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/io/fbx.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
18. [glTF](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/io/gltf.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-08
19. [Karma](https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/solaris/karma.html), SideFX, accessed 2026-10-09