Best LightWave 3D Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from 3D modeling software ranked against LightWave 3D on the same published basis.
- 1LightWave 3D vs Rhino 3D
- 2LightWave 3D vs Houdini
- 3LightWave 3D vs SketchUp
- 4LightWave 3D vs Spline
- 5LightWave 3D vs Blender
- 6LightWave 3D vs Onshape
- 7LightWave 3D vs Solid Edge
- 8LightWave 3D vs Shapr3D
- 9LightWave 3D vs SelfCAD
- 10LightWave 3D vs ZBrush
- 11LightWave 3D vs 3DCoat
- 12LightWave 3D vs Bforartists
- 13LightWave 3D vs Meshy
- 14LightWave 3D vs T-FLEX CAD
- 15LightWave 3D vs Daz 3D
- 16LightWave 3D vs SOLIDWORKS
- 17LightWave 3D vs MeshInspector
- 18LightWave 3D vs MeshLab
- 19LightWave 3D vs 3DF Zephyr
- 20LightWave 3D vs Womp
LightWave 3D alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhino 3D | 9.0 | Free plan | $95/mo | Windows, Mac |
| 2 | Houdini | 8.9 | Free plan | $7.92/mo | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3 | SketchUp | 8.8 | Free plan | $0.90/mo | iOS, Web, Windows |
| 4 | Spline | 8.7 | Free plan | $15/mo | Android, Web |
| 5 | Blender | 8.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Onshape | 8.6 | Free plan | $125/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 7 | Solid Edge | 8.6 | No | — | Android, iOS, Web, Windows |
| 8 | Shapr3D | 8.5 | Free plan | $24.92/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 9 | SelfCAD | 8.5 | Free plan | $11.67/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 10 | ZBrush | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Windows, Mac |
| 11 | 3DCoat | 8.3 | No | €379/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | Bforartists | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 13 | Meshy | 8.3 | Free plan | $20/mo | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 14 | T-FLEX CAD | 8.2 | No | — | Linux, Windows |
| 15 | Daz 3D | 8.2 | Free plan | — | Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | SOLIDWORKS | 8.2 | No | $4/mo | Mac, Web, Windows |
| 17 | MeshInspector | 8.2 | Free plan | $25/mo | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 18 | MeshLab | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 19 | 3DF Zephyr | 8.1 | Free plan | €199/mo | Windows |
| 20 | Womp | 8.1 | Free plan | $9.99/mo | Web |
Make your platform an alternative to LightWave 3D
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about LightWave 3D alternatives
What is the best alternative to LightWave 3D?
Rhino 3D, number 1 in 3D modeling software with a score of 9.0 out of 10. The others here: Houdini, SketchUp, Spline and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to LightWave 3D?
Rhino 3D is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 16 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to LightWave 3D?
Yes: Blender.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.