Best 3D Modeling Software for Mac: 3D Printing with Mac OS
- If you’ve got some experience, or looking to level up your 3D design skills, this is the perfect 3D software for you. Fusion 360 is a 3D software that offers the ability to create extremely detailed 3D models, but isn’t the best option for beginners. Price: Free, with Premium features $12/month.
- Aug 21, 2018 3D Design Programs that Won’t Run on Apple’s Mac. Most 3D design programs are available for Windows and Mac users alike. However, some 3D design software that is not available for Mac OS includes Solidworks (62), 3DS Max (55), and Inventor (55). While these are not many, they still represent quite popular 3D modeling software packages.
Not all 3D modeling software is available for every operating system. That’s why we compiled a list of the most popular 3D design programs for Mac users. Read on to discover the top 20!
The list of the most used 3D design software for Mac (see below) is based upon our list of the 25 most popular 3D modeling programs. However, we excluded software that is not available or not suitable for the Mac OS. This leaves us with the ultimate 3D modeling list for Macintosh users.
The Ranking: 3D Modeling Software for Mac Users
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The two most used 3D modeling software programs for Macintosh devices are freeware program Blender (score: 80) and freemium software SketchUp (75). Blender is known for its enormous design freedom and its endless number of tools and functions – however, it’s also known for its steep learning curve. SketchUp, on the other hand, is said to be rather beginner-friendly and great for architectural and geometric objects. However, it’s not suited for creating organic structures.
Next come three programs from the Autodesk family: its professional high-end programs AutoCAD (59) and Maya (59) as well as its beginner-friendly free-to-use online app Tinkercad (51) all score well with Mac users. ZBrush (49), a professional 3D sculpting software, comes in 6th. Its free light version, named Sculptris (19), made it to rank 15.
After ZBrush, Cinema 4D (43), 123D Design (42), OpenSCAD (38), and Rhinoceros (36) complete the list of the top 10.
Screenshot of SketchUp, a popular 3D modeling software with Mac users.
The Popularity Score for 3D Modeling Programs
We calculated the popularity of a 3D modeling software for Mac based on their ‘popularity score’ in the 3D printing community. The popularity score consists of mentions and fans on social media, page authority, forum mentions, video mentions, 3D printing database mentions, and Google results. This score is especially helpful if you’re looking for a modeling software for Mac that is widely used for 3D printing, so you can be assured of an online community to brainstorm with and help you out if you get stuck.
3D Design Programs that Won’t Run on Apple’s Mac
Most 3D design programs are available for Windows and Mac users alike. However, some 3D design software that is not available for Mac OS includes Solidworks (62), 3DS Max (55), and Inventor (55). While these are not many, they still represent quite popular 3D modeling software packages. In our original list which includes all platforms, these programs ranked 3rd, 6th, and 7th among the most popular.
Some good news to end with: there are more and more options for Mac users. For example, Rhino 5 is available for Mac. Since many 3D design apps run online now (browser-based), programs like Tinkercad and 3DTin are also accessible from any device. With Cheetah3D there’s also a 3D design software which is exclusively available for Mac OS.
Are you new to the world of 3D modeling and 3D printing? Make sure to avoid these 5 common mistakes in order to create stunning designs. Do you already know how to create printable 3D files? Then simply upload them to our website, choose from more than 100 materials and finishes, and let us take care of printing your object.
Free 3d Drawing App For Mac
Most programs on Windows have an alternative available on the Mac with the notable exception of CAD/CAM programs; there are relatively few popular CAD/CAM programs that run on OSX.
The list below is a good starting point for Mac-friendly 3D CAD programs:
OnShape
OnShape (Free - $80/Month)- OnShape is a new cloud-based CAD program from the same team that created Solidworks. It runs completely in the browser so it runs on PC, OS/X or even an iPad. There’s a range of pricing options and for many users, it’s totally free.
solidThinking
http://www.solidthinking.com/(Call them for pricing) solidThinking offers a number of CAD programs that seem to be very powerful. They seem to have a business model where you contact them for demos and pricing so they may only be an option if you’re really comitted to learning more about their products.
Via Cad
Best 3d Software For Mac
http://www.punchcad.com/($99) Via CAD is a very capable 2D/3D CAD program that uses a “real” CAD kernel and it capable of creating good parts for relatively little money.
Sketchup
http://sketchup.com/($500 for Pro or Free for Standard) Sketchup is a very easy-to-use CAD program that scales well from tiny parts up to complete buildings. If you don’t have a lot of CAD experience, then you may find this to be a gentle introduction to the whole process.
One thing to note- only the Pro version is able to export an STL file for use in CNC applications. There are plugins available for free that add this function to the free version. Googling “Sketchup STL Plugin” should give you a list of the options that are currently available.
3d Cad Software For Mac
FreeCAD
https://www.freecadweb.org/(Free) FreeCAD is a totally free and open-source parametric CAD package. Many of the open-source CAD/CAM options are a little rough because they are not incredibly popular so they don’t get as much development attention as more popular open-source programs.
That being said, FreeCAD is worth a look if you want a parametric CAD program that doesn’t have huge maintenence fees (like many do) or risk having the price terms changed in the future (like Inventor Fusion).