Best VFX software of 2025

Visual effects are the result of an artist’s creativity with advanced technical skills to turn imaginary images into reality. Curious about the most popular VFX software of 2025? Keep scrolling!

Here are some common software programs used in VFX studios. Keep in mind that each studio integrates these tools into its own workflow and may also develop proprietary software. Additionally, as technology evolves, software continues to change, so continuous learning and adaptability are essential.

Maya is a 3D software widely used by artists, modelers, and animators in the film, television, and gaming industries. While some users find it challenging to learn, it encompasses various aspects of the VFX pipeline, including dynamic simulations, texturing, and animation. As the industry standard for animation and a leading tool in shading, Maya is present in nearly every VFX studio, and at least one major VFX-heavy film has utilized it. The software has earned multiple Academy Awards, including one for Scientific and Technical Achievement in 2003 and another for Technical Achievement in 2008.

Nuke is a professional-grade software recognized as an industry standard for digital compositing and visual effects in film and television post-production. Known for its powerful node-based workflow, it enables artists to create intricate visual effects. Major studios such as Walt Disney Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation have incorporated Nuke into their production pipelines.

Modo is a professional 3D software developed by The Foundry, used in the film, gaming, and design industries for modeling, animation, texturing, and rendering. It provides a comprehensive toolset for sculpting, lighting, and rendering, enabling users to design, model, animate, and render within a single environment. With support for multiple file formats, Modo seamlessly integrates into various production pipelines.

Mudbox is a 3D digital sculpting and painting software developed by Autodesk, widely used in film, game development, and visual effects. Known for its intuitive interface and layer-based workflow, it allows artists to add fine details and textures to their models with ease. Originally developed as an internal tool at Weta Digital, Mudbox later became a commercial product and is now maintained by Autodesk.

Adobe After Effects is a powerful software primarily used for motion graphics, compositing, and animation. It is commonly utilized in commercial production and integrates seamlessly with Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, as well as collaboration tools like Frame.io.

Houdini is a 3D animation software widely used in various aspects of visual effects (VFX), including simulation, lighting, modeling, animation, shading, and texturing. Known for its advanced procedural workflow, it excels in creating complex simulations such as smoke, fire, water, destruction, and intricate particle effects. In 2018, Houdini contributed to SideFX winning the Academy Award of Merit. With over two decades of continuous innovation, it has become the industry standard for generating realistic natural phenomena, destruction effects, and other digital simulations in VFX.

ZBrush is a professional 3D sculpting software that enables artists to create highly detailed models with intricate shapes and textures. Recognized as an industry standard for digital sculpting, it is known for its advanced brush system and real-time sculpting capabilities. In 2014, Pixologic co-founder Ofer ‘Pixolotor’ Alon received an Academy award for his contributions to ZBrush. The software is widely used in VFX-heavy films, playing a crucial role in productions such as Avatar, The Avengers, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit.

3ds Max is a professional 3D graphics software used for creating detailed models, animations, and visual content. Commonly utilized in video game development and film production, it is widely used in VFX for modeling and shading, as well as texturing, rigging, animation, lighting, and simulation. It is a staple in nearly every VFX studio.

Cinema 4D, developed by Maxon, is a professional 3D software for animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering. While it is primarily used in motion graphics for commercials, it is gaining popularity in traditional VFX. Within the effects pipeline, it serves various functions, including modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, shading, lighting, and simulation.

3DEqualizer is one of the most widely used 3D tracking software solutions for integrating live-action footage with digital effects. Since its introduction in 1997, it has become a key tool for matchmoving in the visual effects industry. Its technological advancements earned it a Technical Achievement Award in 2001.

Mocha Pro is a high-end visual effects software best known for its advanced planar tracking capabilities. Widely regarded as a leading tool for motion tracking and rotoscoping, it has played a significant role in VFX production. Mocha Pro’s contributions to the film industry earned it an Academy Award for technical achievement.

Photoshop is an image editing, graphic design, and digital painting software developed by Adobe. In the VFX industry, it is commonly used for texturing, matte painting, compositing, digital painting, and concept art.

Substance Painter is a 3D painting software designed for texturing and creating realistic materials on 3D models. With real-time painting capabilities and a focus on physically based rendering (PBR) workflows, it is widely used by game developers, animation studios, and VFX artists to enhance their digital assets.

⚙️ Matchmoving
For tracking camera movement, the three main tools are 3D Equalizer, SynthEyes, and PFTrack, with 3D Equalizer being the most widely used and powerful option.

⚙️ Modeling
The most commonly used software for 3D modeling includes Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Mudbox, and Modo. Maya is the most widely adopted, while ZBrush is the industry standard for 3D sculpting, particularly in character creation.

⚙️ Texturing
The most widely used software for texturing includes Foundry Mari, Substance Painter, and Adobe Photoshop.

⚙️ Shading
For shading, Maya and 3ds Max are the most commonly used, featuring a node-based shading system for efficient material creation.

⚙️ Animation
Autodesk Maya has become the industry standard for animation. First released in 1998, its dominance in the film industry grew significantly after its development was used in Disney’s Dinosaur (2000).

⚙️ FX
High-quality visual effects such as smoke, fire, water, explosions, and other dynamic elements are primarily created using Houdini and Maya. Houdini, in particular, is the industry standard for procedural simulations.

⚙️ Rotoscoping
For integrating traced elements with live-action footage, Silhouette and Mocha Pro are considered industry-standard rotoscope software.

⚙️ Compositing
The leading compositing software used in VFX studios is Foundry Nuke. Natron, an open-source alternative, allows artists to familiarize themselves with a portion of Nuke’s tools before investing in the full application. Another option is Blackmagic Design Fusion. While Nuke is the top choice for film compositing, After Effects remains popular in the commercial sector.

⚙️ Rendering
For the final stage of visual effects production, studios commonly use Arnold, V-Ray, and RenderMan to achieve the most realistic results.

iRender provides high configurations of machines with upmarket specifications like AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 3955WX @ 3.9 – 4.2GHz or AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 5975WX @ 3.6 – 4.5GHz, 1/2/4/6/8 x RTX4090 or RTX3090,  RAM 256GB, Storage NVMe SSD 2TB. Most importantly, our machines support all software including V-Ray, Arnold, and Houdini.

Why can iRender be a great render farm for you?

In addition to high-configuration servers, iRender provides many other utilities to provide the best user experience.

• Dedicated server for individuals: You have full control and access to the server you rent. The working environment (installed apps, files) will be stored for the next use.
• Easy and free file transfer between your computer and iRender’s server: The transferring task can be done via iRender GPU application for Windows and the iRender Drive application for MacOS.
• 24/7 assistance: iRender’s attentive agents are always ready to support all your queries.
• All software compatibility: iRender’s PCs are built to meet the configuration needs of all 3D software and rendering tools at a variety of cost levels for users to choose from.

Let’s see how our service works!

New users will get a 100% bonus for the first transaction within 24 hours of their registration. No minimum amount!! If you top up $50, you will get 100 points in total to hire our machines.

REGISTER NOW

If you have any questions, please contact me through email [email protected] or our 24/7 support team for a quick response.

Thank you for reading & Happy Rendering!

Image source: the Rookies, Autodesk, Foundry, tech radar, SideFX, softonic, 3DVF, architosh, borisfx, adobe, fxphd, studiodaily
Information source: MASV, fxguide, studiobinder, Quora, VFX Geek