# by software
Pick your software.
Free or paid, generalist or specialist. Every software has a free path, a paid path, and a career fit. Start with what you actually want to make.
FREE · OPEN SOURCE
Blender
Free generalist 3D suite. Modelling, animation, sculpting, VFX, video. Fastest route in for a UK beginner.
Free forever
See Blender courses →
SUBSCRIPTION · STUDIO STANDARD
Maya
Autodesk’s studio-standard for VFX and animation. What Framestore, DNEG, and Cinesite pipelines are built around.
£1,918 / yr commercial
See Maya courses →
PROCEDURAL · FX SPECIALIST
Houdini
SideFX procedural powerhouse. FX, simulations, procedural environments. Where senior VFX pay lives.
Free (Apprentice) · £215/yr Indie
See Houdini courses →
GAME ENGINE · REAL-TIME
Unreal Engine
Epic’s real-time engine. Games, virtual production, previsualisation. The UK studios cluster hires hard for this.
Free under $1M revenue
See Unreal courses →
MOTION GRAPHICS STANDARD
Cinema 4D
Maxon’s motion-graphics workhorse. Pairs with After Effects and Redshift. The go-to for UK broadcast and ad-agency work.
£719 / yr subscription
See Cinema 4D courses →
DIGITAL SCULPTING
ZBrush
Maxon sculpting standard for high-detail characters and creatures. Core to VFX, games, collectible design.
£328 / yr subscription
See ZBrush courses →
See all 9 software guides →
# software cost ladder
What the software actually costs.
All prices in GBP, rounded, last verified 2026-01. Student and indie tiers apply where the licence terms allow.
| Software |
Free tier |
Student |
Indie |
Commercial |
| Blender |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
| Maya |
– |
Free (edu) |
– |
£1,918 / yr |
| Houdini |
Apprentice free |
£215 / yr |
£215 / yr |
£3,830 / yr |
| Unreal Engine |
Free under $1M |
Free |
Free under $1M |
5% royalty above $1M |
| Cinema 4D |
– |
£99 / yr |
– |
£719 / yr |
| ZBrush |
– |
£165 / yr |
– |
£328 / yr |
| After Effects |
– |
£16.24 / mo |
– |
£25.28 / mo |
| Nuke |
Non-commercial free |
£398 / yr Indie |
£398 / yr |
£4,290 / yr |
| Substance Painter |
– |
£15 / yr |
£173 / yr |
£433 / yr |
Verified prices in Mint. Amber = subscription. Last checked 2026-01-15. See the full cost-stack guide for VAT, currency, and licence-tier rules.