What is Blender?
Blender is a complete 3D creation suite — modelling, sculpting, UV work, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering and video editing — released as free software by the Blender Foundation. It needs no registration and makes no network connection, and anything you create with it is yours to use commercially. Since version 5.0 it runs only on Apple Silicon and requires macOS 13 Ventura or newer, so Intel Macs must stay on Blender 4.5 LTS. It suits anyone who needs professional 3D tools without a licence fee.
Verified product facts
- Type
- 3D modelling appEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- Yes
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- Blender FoundationDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Current version
- 5.2.2 LTSDeveloper-stated
- Official website
- www.blender.org/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Blender does at a glance.
Polygon modelling and sculpting
UV unwrapping and texturing
Rigging and animation
With a timeline
Physics simulation
For cloth, fluids, smoke and particles
Cycles and EEVEE renderers
Video sequence editor
Python scripting API
Portable install
Runs from a folder
What you can use Blender for
- Modelling and sculpting 3D objects
- Rigging and animating characters on a timeline
- Rendering stills and animation with Cycles or EEVEE
- Editing a video sequence in the built-in editor
- Scripting repeated tasks through the Python API
Who is Blender for?
- Anyone who needs professional 3D tools without a licence fee
- Artists and studios that must keep commercial rights to what they create
- Users who need to work without registration or a network connection
Who is Blender not for?
- Intel Mac users on the current version — Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon, and Intel Macs must stay on Blender 4.5 LTS
- Anyone on macOS 12 or earlier — Blender 5.0 and later require macOS 13 Ventura
- Users who want to publish closed-source add-ons — add-ons written against the Python API must be GPL-compatible if shared
Strengths and trade-offs
What Blender does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Free software under the GPL with no licence fee, registration or internet connection required.
- Covers modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering and video editing in one application.Developer-stated
- Content you create with Blender remains your property and may be used commercially.
- Runs without installation — it can be launched from a folder or a USB stick.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 Ventura or newer; Intel Macs must remain on Blender 4.5 LTS.
- The macOS download is an Apple Silicon build only — there is no Intel macOS package for the current version.
- Recommended specifications are substantial: 32 GB of RAM, 8 GB of VRAM and a 1920x1080 display.Developer-stated
- Add-ons written against Blender's Python API must be published under a GPL-compatible licence if they are shared.
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation Developer-stated
- Download the macOS .dmg from blender.org; Blender is portable and needs no installation.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Opens directly into the 3D viewport with no account, licence key or sign-in step.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Self-contained and portable — it makes no network connection, and some bundled add-ons that would need one are disabled by default and ask permission first.
- Apple Silicon
- Supported
What it does
Blender is a complete 3D creation suite rather than a single tool: modelling, sculpting, UV unwrapping, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering and video editing all live in one application. It is developed by the Blender Foundation and released as free software.
Two properties follow from that and are worth stating plainly:
- No registration and no network access. Blender makes no internet connection and needs none to run. Bundled add-ons that would use the network are disabled on install and ask permission before connecting.
- Your work is yours. The Blender Foundation states that everything you
create — including
.blendfiles and rendered output — is your sole property and may be used commercially.
Licensing
The source is licensed GPL version 2 or later, and the Foundation notes that GPL version 3 or later is the licence to use for distributing Blender binaries. Individual components differ: the Cycles render engine is Apache 2.0, and bundled libraries use the Python, zlib, MIT and BSD licences.
One consequence is easy to miss: Blender’s Python API is integral to the software, so add-ons written against it must be shared under a GPL-compatible licence if they are published.
macOS support
This is the requirement that will decide whether Blender runs on a given Mac:
- Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 Ventura or newer.
- Blender 4.5 LTS is the last release to support Intel and macOS 11.2.
The current macOS download is blender-5.2.2-macos-arm64.dmg — an Apple
Silicon build with no Intel equivalent. Intel Macs are not stranded, but they
are pinned to the 4.5 LTS line, and Blender continues to publish previous
versions indefinitely.
Requirements
Blender’s minimum and recommended specifications differ sharply:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | macOS 13 Ventura | macOS 26 Tahoe |
| CPU | Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon |
| RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB |
| Display | — | 1920x1080 |
Blender is portable: it can run from a folder or a USB stick with no installation, which also makes it easy to keep several versions side by side.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Blender, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
5.2.2 LTS
Current long-term-support release; the macOS package is an Apple Silicon build.
Source: Official website
Questions about Blender
Is Blender free?
Yes. Blender is free software released under the GNU General Public License, with no licence fee, no registration and no paid tier.
Can I sell work I make with Blender?
Yes. The Blender Foundation states that what you create with Blender is your sole property, including .blend files and rendered output, and that it may be used commercially by artists, studios and researchers.
Does Blender still run on Intel Macs?
Not on the current version. Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or newer. Blender 4.5 LTS is the last release supporting Intel and macOS 11.2, and remains available for download.
Does Blender need an internet connection?
No. Blender makes no network connection and needs none to function. Some bundled add-ons can use the internet, but they are disabled on install and ask permission before doing so.
What is the latest Blender version?
5.2.2 LTS, released on 15 September 2026. The macOS package is blender-5.2.2-macos-arm64.dmg.
Similar apps
Related in purpose, but not a straight swap.
Krita
Free and open-source digital painting application for illustrators and animators.
Both are free, open-source creative tools, but Krita paints 2D images while Blender works in three dimensions.
Works well with
Not a replacement — apps commonly used alongside this one.
DaVinci Resolve
Editing, colour, VFX and audio post in one app, with a free version.
Blender handles 3D modelling and rendering while DaVinci Resolve handles colour and finishing, a common post-production pairing.
HandBrake
Video transcoder for converting media to modern formats.
Blender renders video and HandBrake transcodes the output for delivery, covering the step after rendering.
GIMP
Free and open-source image editor for retouching, compositing and artwork.
Blender's output often needs texture and image work, which GIMP covers as a free companion tool.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
