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Paid plans start at $27.50/mo. There's also a free plan.
Autodesk 3ds Max starts at $27.50 per user per month, but that is the annual-only Indie plan for creators with under $100,000 in yearly creative-work revenue. Standard costs $255 month to month or $2,010 per year; Autodesk also lists $168 per month with annual billing, which adds up to $2,016 over 12 months. Eligible students and educators can use the Education Plan free. Flex is metered in tokens rather than sold as a fixed subscription.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3ds Max Standard Subscription | $168 | $255 | Regular professional 3D work |
| 3ds Max Indie | $27.50 | — | Eligible lower-revenue creators |
| Autodesk Flex | — | Quote | Occasional or changing usage |
| Education Plan | $0 | $0 | Eligible students and educators |
| Business Success Plan | — | Quote | Organizations needing expert support |
| Enterprise Plan | — | Quote | Large organizations needing a custom plan |
Add-ons and overages
- Flex tokens: $99 for 33 tokens or $300 for 100 tokens
- Business Success Plan upgrade: approximately $200 US SRP for eligible offerings
What a team pays per month
| Plan | 1 seat | 5 seats | 10 seats | 25 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3ds Max Standard Subscription | $168 | $840 | $1,680 | $4,200 |
| 3ds Max Indie | $27.50 | $137.50 | $275 | $687.50 |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Annual billing arithmetic
The listed $168 monthly equivalent totals $2,016 over 12 months, while the included annual price is $2,010. Confirm the checkout total.
Indie eligibility limits
The $330 annual plan requires creative-work revenue under $100,000 per year and is annual-only; it allows one license per user or organization.
Flex token burn
3ds Max uses 6 tokens per day. Packages cost $99 for 33 tokens or $300 for 100, and tokens expire one year after purchase.
Support upgrade threshold
Business Success is listed at approximately $200 US SRP for eligible offerings, but upgrading requires at least 50 eligible product subscriptions.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Regular professional 3D work | 3ds Max Standard Subscription | Choose it for ongoing use: it includes one named user and installation on up to three computers, with access on one device at a time. |
| Eligible lower-revenue creators | 3ds Max Indie | At $330 per year, it is the lowest paid listed option if your creative-work revenue is under $100,000 annually. |
| Occasional or changing usage | Autodesk Flex | Use prepaid tokens instead of a fixed subscription; check the 6-token daily rate and one-year expiration before buying a package. |
04Is Autodesk 3ds Max worth the money?
3ds Max has a broad professional toolset for modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering, including Arnold and OpenUSD workflows. The catch is the Standard price: $255 month to month is a substantial commitment for occasional use, while the lower Indie price comes with revenue and annual-billing restrictions. Flex can suit intermittent work, but its daily token charge makes usage worth tracking. The software runs only on 64-bit Windows, so it is not a fit for every setup.
Autodesk 3ds Max pricing FAQ
Is 3D Max better than Blender?
We can’t make a fair feature or price comparison from the available information because it contains no Blender pricing or specifications. Autodesk lists 3ds Max features including polygon, spline, and mesh modeling, Arnold rendering, animation tools, simulations, and OpenUSD workflows. Which tool fits depends on your requirements and budget.
Is 3ds Max 2027 stable?
The pricing information here doesn’t provide release notes, known issues, or stability data for 3ds Max 2027, so we can’t verify whether that version is stable. Check Autodesk’s release documentation and support information for version-specific details before moving production work to it.
What is 3ds Max?
Autodesk 3ds Max is proprietary professional software for 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering. Autodesk describes it as a tool for creating assets, game environments, visual effects, and architectural visualizations. It includes modeling tools, Arnold rendering, character animation features, simulation tools, and OpenUSD workflows.
What are the system requirements for Autodesk 3ds Max?
The available product information says 3ds Max runs exclusively on 64-bit Windows. It does not publish specific processor, memory, graphics-card, or storage requirements here. Arnold supports CPU and GPU ray tracing, but that feature description alone does not establish the minimum hardware needed.