Compare Blender and LightWave 3D 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (76.9% of reviews)
Small-Business (78.6% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
No pricing available
Blender
Star Rating
(297)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (76.9% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about BlenderLightWave 3D
Star Rating
(29)3.9 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (78.6% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about LightWave 3DSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that Blender excels in rendering capabilities, particularly with its "Cycles" rendering engine, which offers high-quality textures and lighting, achieving a score of 9.6. In contrast, LightWave 3D, while still competent, received a lower score of 8.8 in aerial rendering, indicating it may not match Blender's quality in this area.
- Reviewers mention that Blender's sculpting tools are highly rated at 8.6, providing a robust experience for artists. LightWave 3D, however, has not received the same level of acclaim in this category, suggesting that Blender may be the better choice for those focused on detailed sculpting.
- G2 users highlight Blender's superior file support, particularly its compatibility with STL (9.1) and OBJ (9.4) formats, making it a versatile option for various projects. LightWave 3D's file support, while adequate, does not reach the same level of versatility, which could limit users working with diverse file types.
- Users on G2 report that Blender's community support and resources are extensive, contributing to its high quality of support rating at 8.5. In contrast, LightWave 3D's support is rated lower at 6.9, indicating that users may find it more challenging to get help when needed.
- Reviewers say that Blender's ease of setup is a standout feature, scoring a perfect 9.1, which is particularly beneficial for new users. LightWave 3D, while still user-friendly, has a slightly lower ease of use rating at 7.4, suggesting that it may require a steeper learning curve for beginners.
- Users report that Blender's generative AI features, such as AI Text-to-3D (6.5), are still developing but show promise, whereas LightWave 3D lacks significant generative AI capabilities, which may be a deciding factor for users interested in cutting-edge technology.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Blender
No pricing availableLightWave 3D
No pricing availableFree Trial
Blender
No trial information availableLightWave 3D
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
9.0
248
7.6
27
Ease of Use
7.1
250
7.4
27
Ease of Setup
9.1
17
Not enough data
Ease of Admin
8.6
13
Not enough data
Quality of Support
8.5
217
6.9
25
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.2
10
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
9.2
245
6.5
27
Features by Category
Design
8.6
122
Not enough data
8.3
121
Not enough data
8.2
115
Not enough data
7.9
114
Not enough data
8.5
121
Not enough data
Move
8.7
123
Not enough data
9.0
127
Not enough data
8.8
128
Not enough data
Store & Manage
8.6
114
Not enough data
8.3
123
Not enough data
7.8
112
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
File Support
9.1
22
Not enough data
8.8
15
Not enough data
9.4
25
Not enough data
File Editing
9.1
20
Not enough data
9.3
23
Not enough data
Software Integrations
8.0
15
Not enough data
8.9
22
Not enough data
Software Type
7.1
11
Not enough data
9.5
24
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Library
8.3
24
Not enough data
8.5
22
Not enough data
Rendering
9.5
23
Not enough data
9.5
23
Not enough data
9.6
23
Not enough data
9.2
23
Not enough data
8.8
20
Not enough data
8.9
19
Not enough data
Integrations
8.2
14
Not enough data
8.2
21
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Editing
6.3
5
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
7.6
7
Not enough data
8.1
7
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
7.4
7
Not enough data
8.7
5
Not enough data
Platform
9.6
8
Not enough data
9.4
9
Not enough data
9.0
5
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Compatibility
8.8
7
Not enough data
8.3
9
Not enough data
8.9
9
Not enough data
Functionality
8.5
8
Not enough data
7.5
6
Not enough data
9.0
10
Not enough data
9.2
8
Not enough data
Project Management
9.0
8
Not enough data
9.3
7
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Blender and LightWave 3D are categorized as Animation, 3D Modeling, and 3D Rendering
Unique Categories
LightWave 3D has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Blender
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
LightWave 3D
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Animation
11.7%
Computer Games
9.5%
Design
8.8%
Computer Software
7.1%
Graphic Design
6.4%
Other
56.5%
Animation
32.1%
Design
14.3%
Marketing and Advertising
7.1%
Graphic Design
7.1%
Publishing
3.6%
Other
35.7%
Most Helpful Reviews
Blender
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Jackson Eli H.
Verified User
It is a tool that is free, we can get many easy to follow tutorials, you don't need a great processor for simple things, you have many options to mold the objects. It is compatible with Linux, Windows, Mac OS X,, Solaris, IRIX and FreeBSD. It uses very...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User in Individual & Family Services
There isn't much i dislike about blender. I never studied it and got a job where they used Blender and learnt it in a matter of days.
LightWave 3D
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Piotr D.
Verified User in Animation
I love LW's surfacing capabilities - nodal editor, more-than-adequate out of the box renderer, modeling capacity, greatly expanded by active community. I actually like that modeler is separate from scene editor (Layout) - while you render your scene out,...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Roberto L.
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
Model and scene editor (called layout) are 2 different software, animation and modelling tools not are update to the new "technology" like mesh fusion of Luxology Modo. Lightwave not is supported and is out of production.
Jackson Eli H.
Verified User
It is a tool that is free, we can get many easy to follow tutorials, you don't need a great processor for simple things, you have many options to mold the objects. It is compatible with Linux, Windows, Mac OS X,, Solaris, IRIX and FreeBSD. It uses very...
Piotr D.
Verified User in Animation
I love LW's surfacing capabilities - nodal editor, more-than-adequate out of the box renderer, modeling capacity, greatly expanded by active community. I actually like that modeler is separate from scene editor (Layout) - while you render your scene out,...
Verified User in Individual & Family Services
There isn't much i dislike about blender. I never studied it and got a job where they used Blender and learnt it in a matter of days.
Roberto L.
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
Model and scene editor (called layout) are 2 different software, animation and modelling tools not are update to the new "technology" like mesh fusion of Luxology Modo. Lightwave not is supported and is out of production.
Discussions
Do professionals use blender?
3 comments
DH
Yes, professionals use Blender for various purposes, such as creating 3D models, animations, visual effects, games, and more. Blender is a powerful and...Read more
Better user manual on sculpting is needed.
2 comments
VK
Manage your bankroll carefully. Set a budget for each betting session and wager only a certain percentage of it on each bet. Track your bets. Even if you are...Read more
Can blender come up with a Mobile only 3D Models availability for Porting applications over Mobile
2 comments
RL
If you are asking if Blender can view models on mobile devices.......you can do this. You will need to export your file as an .obj file format. Once you’ve...Read more
LightWave 3D has no discussions with answers
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