Different 3D modeling applications require different means to access them. Some applications are accessed with one-time-only payments, some require signing up for a one-year or multi-year license, some require a monthly subscription, and some are simply free to use. Under which of these categories does Blender 3D fall?
If you want to use the Blender application, then you can do so free of charge without the need of any payment fees or subscriptions. However, you will require a subscription if you want to access the Blender cloud service, which offers additional training and resources.
As a 3D artist, we want to ensure that our software is powerful enough for the projects we want to complete. But it always helps to find software that allows us to do what we want without breaking the bank balance.
Why Is Blender Free?
Blender is free because it is an open-source application run by a nonprofit charity organization known as the Blender foundation.
Because Blender is open source, it must be made freely available for anyone to download and use for personal and professional projects.
One of the requirements of the open source software is for the source code of the application to also be downloadable so that artists can take blender in its raw format and then edit the way Blender functions to suit their needs.
Will I Ever Need To Pay For Blender?
Blender 3D falls under the GNU general public license version 2, and because it falls under this license, Blender will never be able to be distributed for any monetary value it must always be available for free.
Not only does this license ensure that Blender will be free for the immediate future, but it will also remain free for the long term. That is the intention of Ton Roosendaal, the software creator and the head of the Blender foundation, which develops the application.
How Comes I Need To Pay A Subscription For The Blender Cloud?
In addition to the Blender application, the blender foundation also allows us to use what is known as the blender cloud this is a web-based service that derives from the main blender websites as a subdomain and is used as a valuable resource for both learning and working with the software
With the blender cloud, we can perform many additional tasks with our software, and we can do so by enabling what is known as the blender cloud add-on. This is a type of plug-in that is used by Blender to improve the functionality of the software.
Enabling the blender cloud add-on requires you to use an additional add-on known as the blender ID authenticator, which will allow you to insert your e-mail and password.
This is important because the blender cloud is a service, unlike the blender application itself. While Blender 3D is free software, the blender cloud is not free and does require a monthly subscription for you to access all of its features.
This is despite the fact that the blender cloud is also run by the blender foundation, who created Blender 3D.
So why is it that we have an open-source application like Blender, but we then have an additional service that requires a monthly subscription?
The answer here is in the question. the blender cloud is an additional service that is used to enhance the capabilities of Blender, and make it easier to use in various workflows.
For the Blender cloud to be maintained a subscription is required to continue to fund the development and features of the cloud.
It does not fall under the same GNU general public license that the Blender software does. Every penny that you invest within this subscription, though, does go towards the continued development of both the Blender cloud and the Blender software.
Also, a part of the Blender cloud service is the blender studio which is where we can access various training resources such as courses, documentation, and production lessons, as well as additional blog posts on various blender-related topics. Again this is a part of the Blender cloud service and falls under the same subscription fee.
How Much Is The Blender Cloud Service?
It should be noted that the blender cloud service is completely optional, and personally, I didn’t use the Blender cloud for the first six years that I used the blender software.
If you want to start using the Blender cloud service, then the monthly fee is around 10 euros. You can choose either manual or automatic renewal and change the time frame from one month to 3, 6, or 12 months.
Note that going for a longer renewal can save a little bit of money. But again, this is all entirely optional, And you are free just to use the Blender software if you cannot afford the subscription.
Thanks For Reading The Article
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