shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Blender?

The Freedom to Create - blender.org

Worth it. If you need a full 3D modeling, animation, and VFX pipeline at zero cost, Blender is effectively the default choice. Skip it if you need vendor SLAs, official support contracts, or a gentle beginner experience.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 25+ relevant public sources; many search results returned kitchen-appliance blender reviews and were excluded.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Blender

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Indie 3D artists and hobbyists
  • Studios wanting a free full 3D pipeline
  • 3D printing enthusiasts
  • Small teams priced out of paid 3D suites

Not for

  • Enterprises needing vendor SLAs, indemnity, or official support contracts
  • Beginners wanting simple, guided UX for quick one-off models
  • Teams whose compliance rules restrict open-source desktop tools
  • Anyone needing only basic 3D tweaks — the full pipeline is overkill

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Malware has circulated in malicious .blend asset files; only download models from trusted sources

medium

Donation-funded: reportedly only 1 in 200 users pays, raising long-term roadmap risk

medium

Restrict auto-run scripts to trusted files per the official security manual

medium

Multiple CVEs over the years; keep Blender updated to the latest release

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source — full 3D creation suite
  • Rated 4+ across 318 G2 reviews
  • Used in VFX and award-winning productions per official user stories
  • 45,224 companies tracked using it
  • Large active community: r/blender, r/blenderhelp, BlenderArtists forums

Cons

  • Steep learning curve; many buyers search for easier alternatives
  • No official vendor support; community forums only
  • Funding strain: reportedly only 1 in 200 users donates
  • AI funding policy sparked community backlash
  • Recurring CVEs mean you must patch promptly

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 18 sources - Normal CVE history for a desktop app; the biggest real-world risk is malware hidden in third-party .blend model files.

official x4review x4security x7news x3
  • CVE-2022-2831, A flaw in Blender disclosed Aug 2022.
  • CVE-2026-60103, Blender buffer overflow vulnerability reported Jul 2026.
  • Multiple vulnerabilities (GLSA-202403-02), Gentoo advisory covering several Blender flaws, Mar 2024.
  • Malware via .blend asset files, StealC V2 infostealer distributed through 3D model files (Nov 2025).

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 18

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Fully free, no paid tier
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Steep curve; beginners seek easier tools
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Full pipeline: modeling, animation, VFX
  • Support quality: 3/5. Community forums; no official support found
  • Security posture: 3/5. Routine CVEs; asset-file malware risk
  • 4+/5 G2 rating 318 reviews
  • $0 Starting price Free & open source
  • Yes Free tier Full app, no paid tier
  • 45,224 Companies using Per TheirStack tech data

Pricing

Blender

$0

  • Full 3D creation suite
  • Open source
  • Optional Development Fund donations

Security

Normal CVE history for a desktop app; the biggest real-world risk is malware hidden in third-party .blend model files.

  • CVE-2022-2831A flaw in Blender disclosed Aug 2022.10
  • CVE-2026-60103Blender buffer overflow vulnerability reported Jul 2026.11
  • Multiple vulnerabilities (GLSA-202403-02)Gentoo advisory covering several Blender flaws, Mar 2024.12
  • Malware via .blend asset filesStealC V2 infostealer distributed through 3D model files (Nov 2025).13

What users say

G2 reviewers consistently praise the product across 318 reviews, and Reddit communities like r/blender and r/blenderhelp show a large, active user base.

Alternatives

Compare Blender with each alternative.

Companies that use it

  • Dell
  • Nvidia
Full analysis

Based on 25+ relevant public sources; many search results returned kitchen-appliance blender reviews and were excluded.

Free, open-source 3D suite that rivals paid tools — if you can stomach a steep learning curve and no vendor support.

Methodology

Based on 25+ relevant public sources; many search results returned kitchen-appliance blender reviews and were excluded.

Sources

  1. Blender — The Free and Open Source 3D Creation Softwareblender.org
    official
  2. Blender (software) — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official
  3. Blender on Steamstore.steampowered.com
    official
  4. Blender Reviews 2026 — G2g2.com
    review
  5. Blender Products — 318 G2 Reviewsg2.com
    review
  6. Autodesk vs Blender (2026)rfp.wiki
    review
  7. Companies that use Blender — TheirStacktheirstack.com
    news
  8. Only 1 in 200 Blender Users Pays Anythingyoutube.com
    news
  9. Upcoming Blender Development Fund and AI Policiesblender.org
    news
  10. CVE-2022-2831 Detail — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  11. CVE-2026-60103: Blender Buffer Overflow — SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  12. GLSA-202403-02: Blender Multiple Vulnerabilities — Tenabletenable.com
    security
  13. Hackers Hijack Blender 3D Assets — The Hacker Newsthehackernews.com
    security
  14. A stealer hiding in Blender 3D models — Kasperskykaspersky.com
    security
  15. Scripting & Security — Blender Manualdocs.blender.org
    security
  16. Blender CVEs — OpenCVEapp.opencve.io
    security
  17. Blender User Storiesblender.org
    official
  18. r/blenderhelpreddit.com
    review

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