Blender vs Cinema 4D: License, Platforms, and the Public Price Page
One tool is free software whose output you own. The other is a subscription whose public price page did not show a number.
Blender lines are from the blender.org license, FAQ and requirements pages. Cinema 4D lines are from maxon.net/en/cinema-4d and maxon.net/en/buy, checked 2026-10-22. Cinema 4D is not in our directory.
License
Blender’s license page says the software is GNU GPL. You may use it for any purpose, and what you create, including .blend files, images and movies, is your sole property. The download FAQ says Blender can be downloaded free of charge.
Cinema 4D’s product page says that to use the application you register for a MyMaxon account and accept Maxon’s EULA. It describes a subscription: every Cinema 4D subscription includes Redshift GPU rendering, 5 Team Render nodes, and access to Cineversity training. That is a commercial license. We did not copy the EULA into this post.
Platforms
Blender’s requirements page says there are versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. It also says Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or later, and that Blender 4.5 LTS is the last release to support Intel Macs and macOS 11.2.
Cinema 4D’s product-page FAQ says it runs on Windows, including Windows on Arm, and on macOS, and that it is coming to iPad in late 2026. That answer does not list Linux.
Price
Blender’s FAQ says the program can be downloaded free of charge. The license page does not list a paid plan.
On 2026-10-22 the public page at maxon.net/en/buy did not print a currency amount. The text on that page says to save 30% or more with annual billing, that the bundles shown are for the first year, that subscriptions renew automatically, and that actual VAT and pricing appear in the cart. This post does not fill in a number the page did not print.
The Cinema 4D product page does offer a trial: download the Maxon App for a 14-day free trial, and every trial includes Cinema 4D, Redshift, and the full Maxon One suite. A trial length is not a subscription price.
Side by side
| Topic | Blender | Cinema 4D |
|---|---|---|
| License | GNU GPL. Files you create, including .blend files, are your property. | A subscription. The product page requires a MyMaxon account and the EULA. |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS and Linux. Blender 5.0 and later on Mac need Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or later. | Windows, including Windows on Arm, and macOS. iPad is described as coming in late 2026. Linux is not listed. |
| Price | Free of charge, according to the download FAQ. | The public buy page did not list a price on 2026-10-22. |
What we are not comparing
Cinema 4D is not in our directory, so this post does not rank it against other tools and does not name a quality winner. We have not rendered the same scene in both programs.
The license detail for Blender, including add-ons and .blend files, is in Blender’s GPL. For choosing by job among tools we do list, read how to choose a Blender alternative and the alternatives table. A browser tool already in the directory is covered in Blender vs Spline. Every post is on the Front blog index.
Keep reading on Front
Every post, newest first, is on the Front blog index.
- Blender’s GPL license: what blender.org says about the software and about files you make.
- How to choose a Blender alternative: the full decision guide for 3D tools.
- Blender vs Spline: a head-to-head for browser-based 3D.
- Is Blender worth it?: the costs of using free 3D software.
FAQ
Is Cinema 4D free like Blender?
No. Blender’s FAQ says it is free of charge. Cinema 4D is sold as a subscription. On 2026-10-22 the public buy page did not print the amount.
Does Cinema 4D run on Linux?
The product-page FAQ lists Windows, including Windows on Arm, and macOS, and says an iPad version is coming in late 2026. It does not list Linux. Blender’s requirements page does list Linux.
Can I sell work I make in Blender?
Blender’s license page says yes. What you create is your sole property, and commercial use by artists and studios is allowed. That sentence is about Blender, not about Cinema 4D.