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Compare 3ds Max Design and LightWave 3D 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (63.6% of reviews)
Small-Business (78.6% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$460 per quarter
No pricing available
3ds Max Design
Star Rating
(277)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (63.6% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$460 per quarter
Browse all 3 pricing plansLightWave 3D
Star Rating
(29)3.9 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (78.6% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Not enough data
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about LightWave 3D3ds Max Design vs LightWave 3D
- Reviewers felt that 3ds Max Design meets the needs of their business better than LightWave 3D.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that 3ds Max Design is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of 3ds Max Design over LightWave 3D.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
LightWave 3D
No pricing availableFree Trial
3ds Max Design
Free Trial is available
LightWave 3D
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
8.5
258
7.6
27
Ease of Use
6.7
258
7.4
27
Ease of Setup
6.7
34
Not enough data
Ease of Admin
6.9
27
Not enough data
Quality of Support
7.6
226
6.9
25
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.2
29
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
7.5
254
6.5
27
Features by Category
Design
8.1
62
Not enough data
7.9
63
Not enough data
7.7
64
Not enough data
6.8
56
Not enough data
8.2
65
Not enough data
Move
8.2
64
Not enough data
8.7
69
Not enough data
9.1
67
Not enough data
Store & Manage
8.0
58
Not enough data
8.2
60
Not enough data
7.7
61
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Animation
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
3ds Max Design and LightWave 3D are categorized as Animation, 3D Modeling, and 3D Rendering
Unique Categories
3ds Max Design is categorized as VR Visualization and VR Game Engine
LightWave 3D has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
3ds Max Design
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
LightWave 3D
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Architecture & Planning
26.7%
Design
16.5%
Animation
6.6%
Computer Games
5.1%
Graphic Design
3.7%
Other
41.4%
Animation
32.1%
Design
14.3%
Marketing and Advertising
7.1%
Graphic Design
7.1%
Publishing
3.6%
Other
35.7%
Discussions
I need a 3d max exterior design
2 Comments
MG
This tutorial succinctly summarizes the most effective way to convert an image to a 3d object in 3ds Max: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtkvRFMVsdsRead more
Is 3ds max free?
2 Comments
OW
Not really, its for commercial use. However, there are licenses tailored for educational use too (students and academicians)Read more
What is the difference between 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design?
2 Comments
AP
3ds Max Design version has an additional module for lighting analysis (Exposure) useful for architects, and - unlike the Max version - it does not include...Read more
LightWave 3D has no discussions with answers
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