Cinema 4D is sold by subscription, on its own or in the Maxon One bundle, which includes Cinema 4D, Redshift, ZBrush, Red Giant and other tools. In the US, Cinema 4D costs $839 per year ($69.92 per month billed annually) or $109 per month billed monthly. Maxon One costs $1,265 per year or $169 per month. Prices below are in US dollars and come from Maxon’s buy page as of October 2026. Maxon says listed prices can include VAT and that the final price appears in the cart, so confirm it before you buy. For an overview of the software, read what Cinema 4D is.

Cinema 4D plans and prices

Plan	Billed annually	Billed monthly
Cinema 4D (Redshift included)	$839 per year ($69.92 per month)	$109 per month
Maxon One (Cinema 4D, Redshift, ZBrush, Red Giant and more)	$1,265 per year	$169 per month
Maxon One Student	$60 per year	Not applicable

Maxon sells its software by subscription: buying a permanent license is no longer the main option.

What does the subscription include?

Redshift has been included with the Cinema 4D subscription since version 2024, so you do not need to buy a GPU renderer to get started. The simulation tools, MoGraph and the link with After Effects are part of the software, while third-party extensions are optional: see the best plugins for Cinema 4D. A license gives you access to updates, with one major version released each year.

Annual or monthly billing?

Twelve months at $109 comes to $1,308, which is $469 more than the $839 annual plan. Monthly billing only costs less if you need Cinema 4D for seven months or fewer in a year: seven months cost $763, while eight months cost $872. For anything longer, the annual plan is cheaper.

Maxon One or Cinema 4D alone?

If you only use Cinema 4D, the standalone plan is enough. Over a year, Maxon One costs $426 more than Cinema 4D alone, so it pays off if you also need ZBrush for digital sculpting or Red Giant for visual effects and editing. To decide whether the software suits you before subscribing, read why choose Cinema 4D and our comparison of Cinema 4D vs Rhino.

Students and educators

Maxon offers educational and teacher licenses, available after verification of academic status. Maxon One Student costs $60 for one year. These licenses include the same tools, but they are limited to teaching and non-commercial work, so you cannot use them for paid client projects. To get started, follow our path to learn Cinema 4D.

Is there a free version of Cinema 4D?

No, there is no permanent free version. Maxon offers a 14-day free trial. Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers also get Cinema 4D Lite inside After Effects, a limited version for learning the basics.

The cost of rendering

The license is only part of the budget. Rendering time is multiplied by the number of frames: for example, 1,000 frames at 45 seconds each take 12.5 hours on a single machine. Measure the time of one representative frame, then multiply it by the length of your animation to estimate your deadline. When your workstation is the bottleneck, a Cinema 4D render farm spreads your frames across several machines.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Cinema 4D cost per month?

In the US, $109 per month on the monthly plan, or $69.92 per month when you pay $839 for the year.

Is Cinema 4D free?

No. Maxon offers a 14-day free trial, and Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers get Cinema 4D Lite in After Effects. Educational licenses cost $60 per year and cannot be used for commercial work.

Is Redshift included in the subscription?

Yes. Since version 2024, Redshift is included with the Cinema 4D subscription.

Should I subscribe to Cinema 4D alone or to Maxon One?

Cinema 4D alone is enough if you only use that software. Maxon One becomes worthwhile if you also need ZBrush or Red Giant.