--- title: Plasticity canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/plasticity/ category: 3D Modeling Software points: 33 rank: 8 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-09 --- # Plasticity Solid and surface modeler sold as a one-off licence with 12 months of updates. 33 points out of 100. #8 of 9 3D modeling programs. Vendor: Nick Kallen / Plasticity. Website: https://www.plasticity.xyz/ - Indie costs $175 once, for one person, with commercial use allowed [2]. - Both paid editions include 12 months of updates, and the installed version keeps working afterwards [2][3]. - A 30-day free trial exists, but it is for non-commercial use with limited export [2][3]. - Runs on Windows 10+, macOS 12+ and Ubuntu 22+ [1]. - Exports STEP, OBJ and STL; FBX is import only [6]. Verdict: Plasticity suits people who want solid and NURBS surface modeling without a subscription. Indie is $175 once and Studio $299, both with commercial use and 12 months of updates [2][5]. The catch: no animation, simulation, rendering or scripting appears in the manual, and the free option is only a 30-day non-commercial trial [3][4][11]. Best for: Hard-surface and product designers who want to buy once instead of subscribing. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Other systems | macOS, Linux | 4/8 | Windows 10+, macOS 12+ and Ubuntu 22+ are listed; no web or iPad version is listed [1]. | | Licence | Free version without a time limit | No | 0/10 | The plans are a 30-day trial, Indie and Studio; the FAQ lists no permanent free version [2][3]. | | Licence | Free version allowed for paid work | No | 0/6 | No free version exists, and the trial is non-commercial only [3]. | | Licence | One-off licence you keep | Yes | 8/8 | Licences are perpetual; you can keep using a version without restrictions after 12 months of updates [3]. | | Licence | Open source | No | 0/5 | The EULA licenses only the compiled application and bars access to its source code [7]; the repository's LGPL-3.0 notice does not show the application's code is public [8]. | | Licence | Free licence for students | Yes | 4/4 | Free academic licence for the Indie edition, non-commercial use [1][3]. | | Modelling tools | Precise curve and solid modeling | Yes | 5/5 | Built on Parasolid and xNURBS; the manual has a NURBS overview and solid modeling tools [4][11]. | | Modelling tools | Digital sculpting | Not published | 0/5 | No mesh brush sculpting is published; the feature page mentions only 'sculpting tools for Class-A surfaces' [4][11]. | | Modelling tools | Node-based procedural modeling | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's feature page or manual index [4][11]. | | Modelling tools | Rigging and animation | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's feature page or manual index [4][11]. | | Modelling tools | Physics simulation | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's feature page or manual index [4][11]. | | Modelling tools | UV unwrapping | Not published | 0/4 | Not published in the manual. 'Unwrap Face' is a solid command that never mentions UVs or textures [10]. | | Modelling tools | Built-in ray-traced renderer | Not published | 0/5 | Render Mode only changes viewport shading, and the page names no ray tracer [9]. | | Modelling tools | Scripting and add-ons | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's feature page or manual index; only Blender and Cinema 4D bridges are listed [4][11]. | | Formats | Built-in export formats | STEP, OBJ, STL | 3/6 | Export table lists STEP, Parasolid, OBJ, STL, SVG and 3MF on Indie and Studio; FBX is import only [6]. | | Price | Cheapest way to use it for paid work | $4.86/mo | 9/12 | Indie, $175 one-off, divided by 36 months; commercial use allowed [2][5]. | | Price | Full-feature trial | No | 0/3 | A 30-day trial exists, but the vendor says it has feature limits such as reduced export and watermarks [3]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Free trial | Free for 30 days [2][3] | $0 | | Indie | $175 once [2] | - | | Studio | $299 once [2][5] | - | Prices exclude local taxes. Updates after the first 12 months need a renewal or a new licence [2][3]. ## Strengths - One-off licence: you keep the version you have after the 12-month update window ends [3]. - Names NURBS surface modeling and a Parasolid solid-modeling kernel [4]. - Free academic licence for non-commercial use, Indie edition [1][3]. - Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux [1]. ## Limits - No permanent free version; the trial lasts 30 days, bars commercial use and limits exports [2][3]. - Companies with more than 10 employees must buy Studio at $299 [2]. - The manual and feature pages show no animation, simulation, UV or scripting tools [4][11]. - FBX is import only, and the export list has no glTF or USD [6]. ## Sources 1. [Plasticity](https://www.plasticity.xyz/), Plasticity, accessed 2026-10-09 2. [Plasticity plans and pricing](https://www.plasticity.xyz/buy), Plasticity, accessed 2026-10-09 3. [Plasticity FAQ](https://www.plasticity.xyz/faq), Plasticity, accessed 2026-10-09 4. [Plasticity product tour](https://www.plasticity.xyz/product), Plasticity, accessed 2026-10-09 5. [License types and features](https://doc.plasticity.xyz/getting-started/license-types-and-features), Plasticity manual, accessed 2026-10-09 6. [Import and export](https://doc.plasticity.xyz/plasticity-essentials/import-export), Plasticity manual, accessed 2026-10-09 7. [Plasticity end-user licence agreement](https://www.plasticity.xyz/eula), Plasticity, accessed 2026-10-09 8. [nkallen/plasticity LICENSE](https://github.com/nkallen/plasticity/blob/master/LICENSE), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-09 9. [Render Mode](https://doc.plasticity.xyz/plasticity-essentials/render-mode), Plasticity manual, accessed 2026-10-09 10. [Unwrap Face](https://doc.plasticity.xyz/solid/unwrap-face), Plasticity manual, accessed 2026-10-09 11. [Plasticity manual](https://doc.plasticity.xyz/), Plasticity manual, accessed 2026-10-09