Autodesk Maya and Blender, one of its free alternatives, side by side.
Autodesk's 3D application for modeling, rigging, animation and effects, sold as a subscription.
Best for a free all-purpose 3D suite
| Fact | Autodesk Maya | Blender |
|---|---|---|
| License | License: Paid | License: Open sourceGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Maintenance | Status: Verified | Status: Active |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| No account needed | No | Yes |
| Parity with Autodesk Maya | The reference | 86% |
License classes: Paid and Open source. Status rules: Active means a commit in the last 90 days. See the methodology.
How Blender covers what people use Autodesk Maya for.
| Feature | Blender |
|---|---|
| Modeling | |
| Polygon and subdivision modeling | Yes |
| Animation | |
| Rigging, skinning and constraints | YesNote 1Armatures, weight painting and constraints; rig conventions and tools differ from Maya's |
| Keyframe animation and graph editor | YesNote 2Dope Sheet, Graph Editor and NLA |
| Effects | |
| Cloth, fluid and particle simulation | YesNote 3Cloth, fluid, smoke and particle systems are built in |
| Rendering | |
| Built-in production renderer | YesNote 4Cycles and EEVEE; Arnold is not included |
| Pipeline | |
| Python scripting and plug-in API | PartialNote 5Full Python API, but Maya scripts and plug-ins do not carry over |
| USD, Alembic and FBX interchange | PartialNote 6Reads and writes USD, Alembic and FBX; studio pipeline tooling is thinner |
| Parity score | 86% |
| Format | Autodesk Maya | Blender |
|---|---|---|
| .ma | Opens and savesFull fidelity | NoNote 1Export FBX or OBJ from Maya first |
| .mb | Opens and savesFull fidelity | NoNote 2Export FBX or OBJ from Maya first |
| .fbx | Opens and savesFull fidelity | Opens and savesNote 3Meshes, rigs and animation carry over; materials are simplifiedPartial fidelity |
| .obj | Opens and savesFull fidelity | Opens and savesFull fidelity |