3ds Max is sold by subscription only. In the US, the annual plan costs $2,010 per year (shown by Autodesk as $168 per month) and the monthly plan costs $255 per month. Autodesk also offers a three-year term, pay-as-you-go Flex tokens, an Indie license and free access for students. All prices below are in US dollars, before sales tax, as listed on Autodesk’s buy page in November 2026. To see what the software does before you buy, read what 3ds Max is used for.

3ds Max plans and prices

Plan	Price (US)	Best for
Annual subscription	$2,010 per year ($168 per month)	Regular use throughout the year
Monthly subscription	$255 per month	A short project, no one-year commitment
Three-year subscription	$6,025	Locking in the price for three years
Flex (tokens)	From $99 for 33 tokens, 6 tokens per day of use	Occasional use
Indie	$330 per year	Freelancers and small studios under a revenue cap
Education	Free for one year	Students and educators, non-commercial use

These figures come from Autodesk’s buy page. Autodesk can change them at any time, so confirm the current price at checkout.

Annual or monthly subscription?

The monthly plan never costs less, it only adds flexibility. Twelve months at $255 comes to $3,060, which is $1,050 more than the $2,010 annual plan for the same access. The annual plan becomes cheaper once you need the software for about eight months. Monthly makes sense for a short, defined project when you cannot say how long you will need 3ds Max.

Is the three-year term worth it?

At $6,025 for three years, the term works out to about $2,008 per year, against $2,010 for a single annual subscription. The saving is almost nil. Its real benefit is locking in today’s price in case of an increase.

Flex: pay as you go

With Flex, you buy tokens at $3 each, in packs of at least 33, and 3ds Max uses 6 tokens for every day you open it. That is about $18 per day of use. If you use the software fewer than roughly 14 days a month, Flex costs less than the monthly plan. Below about 9 days a month, it also beats the annual plan. Beyond that, a subscription is cheaper. Autodesk can change the token price.

The 3ds Max Indie license

Autodesk offers an Indie license at $330 per year for artists whose annual creative revenue is under $100,000 and who work on projects valued under $100,000. It is sold as an annual subscription and is not available everywhere, so check your eligibility on Autodesk’s website before you plan around it.

Free trial, students and educators

Autodesk offers a free 30-day trial. Students and educators at eligible institutions can also get free access to Autodesk software for one year through the Autodesk Education Community, renewable while they remain eligible. This is an educational license, not a commercial one: you cannot use it for paid client work.

Is there a perpetual license?

No. Autodesk stopped selling new perpetual licenses of 3ds Max in 2016. The software is now available by subscription only.

How many computers can you install 3ds Max on?

With a subscription, you can install the software on up to three computers. However, only the named user can sign in, and on one computer at a time. A studio that wants to equip several artists needs one subscription per seat, or can contact Autodesk for negotiated pricing.

The real cost: license, workstation and rendering

The license is only part of the budget. 3ds Max includes the Arnold renderer, but V-Ray and Corona, which many visualization studios use, are sold separately by Chaos. In the US, V-Ray Solo costs $540 per year and Corona Solo $414 per year (named licenses), while the floating Premium plans cost $778.80 and $562.80 per year. A realistic single-seat visualization setup is therefore about $2,550 per year with V-Ray Solo, or $2,424 with Corona Solo, on top of the 3ds Max annual plan. You also need a Windows workstation (Windows 11 for 3ds Max 2027) and computing time for your renders.

Rendering time adds up fast on an animation. For example, 300 frames at 15 minutes each take 75 hours on a single machine. Measure the time of one representative frame at full resolution, then multiply it by your frame count to estimate your deadline. When your workstation becomes the bottleneck, a 3ds Max render farm spreads the frames across many machines: the total compute hours stay close, but delivery time drops sharply.

Frequently asked questions

How much does 3ds Max cost per month?

In the US, $255 per month on the monthly plan. The annual plan costs $2,010 per year, which Autodesk displays as $168 per month, paid up front.

How much does 3ds Max cost per year?

$2,010 for the annual subscription. Paying month by month for twelve months costs $3,060.

Is 3ds Max free?

No, but Autodesk offers a free 30-day trial and free one-year access for students and educators.

Who can buy 3ds Max Indie?

Artists with annual creative revenue under $100,000 who work on projects valued under $100,000. Eligibility and availability vary by country, so check Autodesk’s website.

Do I need to buy 3ds Max to use a render farm?

It depends on your use. You need the software to create and prepare your scene. The rendering itself can be handled by a farm: contact us to check that your version and renderer are compatible.