Blender
Also called blender 3d, blender foundation
A free 3D suite: model, animate, render, and Grease Pencil. blender.exe is the process. It is not Maya.
What you need to know
Blender is a free 3D suite. Maya is Autodesk's paid package.
Blender models, animates, and renders under a GPL license. Maya is Autodesk. A .blend file is this app.
- What is it?
- Free 3D suite
- Still current?
- Yes, see Current status
- Official download?
- Use the vendor link in this article
What is Blender?
Blender is an open-source 3D application. Scenes live in a .blend file. The Windows executable is blender.exe.
If you have never used it
Blender is a free 3D suite. Model, sculpt, animate, render, and Grease Pencil live in one app. It is not Maya. Download the Windows build from blender.org/download. A .blend file is this app.
What is it used for?
Meshes and sculpt brushes. Maya and ZBrush overlap. This is still blender.exe.
Cycles and EEVEE. Maya uses Arnold or other renderers. The .blend file stays here.
2D animation inside Blender. After Effects is not this.
Who is it for?
- Hobbyists and studios using a free 3D suite
- People comparing Blender to Maya
- Anyone who saw blender.exe and thought it was a kitchen app
Current status
Blender (1994) is a current free 3d suite from Blender Foundation. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.blender.org/download/.
How old is it?
Blender started in 1994 at NeoGeo and became a Foundation project in 2002. It is older than many paid 3D seats and it is still GPL. Current LTS and current stable are the two trains people mean.
Versions
Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.
System requirements
Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.
Minimum
| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor |
|---|---|
| RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. |
Resource profile
- CPU demand
- Follows what you open inside the app
- RAM demand
- Follows documents, tabs, or libraries
Installed processes
These executables belong to this product when it is installed.
| blender.exe | Main Windows executable |
|---|
Startup components
Blender does not need to start with Windows.
File locations
| Typical install | C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\ |
|---|
File formats
Common problems
Add-on broke after an upgrade
Enable add-ons per Blender version. This is not a Maya plugin path.
GPU render not listed
Cycles needs a GPU Blender documents. Update the vendor driver first.
Getting unstuck
Confirm blender.exe
Program Files\Blender Foundation is the app. Steam builds also exist.
Install from blender.org
LTS vs current are both official. Pick one train.
Factory Startup if the UI vanished
File > Defaults > Load Factory Settings. This is not Maya's prefs.
Alternatives
Maya, 3ds Max, and Cinema 4D overlap. Maya does not replace a .blend pipeline.
Official help and downloads
Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.
| Download | www.blender.org/download/ Official installer or vendor page |
|---|---|
| Help | docs.blender.org/ Vendor support |
| Official site | www.blender.org/ Start here, not a random exe host |
Related hardware
Blender lists current Windows 10 or 11 64-bit. Cycles wants a GPU with enough VRAM.
Technical details
Technical details
Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.
Sources and verification
Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.
- Blender official site · Vendor product page
- Blender help · Vendor support
- Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.
Was this article useful?
A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.
Thanks. That helps us improve this page.