Blender
Blender Foundation and contributors · Free, open-source 3D creation software for modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering, compositing and video editing.
About
Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite for artists, animators, designers, game-content creators and visual-effects teams. It brings modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering and post-production into one application.
Features • Model and sculpt meshes, edit UVs, paint textures and build procedural geometry with Geometry Nodes. • Rig and animate characters and objects, including 2D/3D drawing workflows with Grease Pencil. • Render scenes with Cycles and EEVEE, and develop materials, lighting and compositing effects. • Edit video and audio in the Video Sequence Editor, track footage and combine rendered elements with live-action work. • Extend workflows with Python scripting and optional add-ons, and browse reusable asset libraries.
Install and start
Install the Mac package with brew install --cask blender, or download the official DMG and copy Blender.app into Applications. Open Blender to create a project; the Homebrew cask also provides a blender command wrapper. Save work as .blend files. Python support is included in the official application; a separate Python installation is not required for normal use. Third-party extensions and external pipelines may have additional dependencies.
Mac requirements and conflicts
Blender 5.0 and later require Apple Silicon and macOS 13 Ventura or later. Official minimum RAM is 8 GB; 32 GB and macOS 26 Tahoe are recommended. Intel Macs are supported by the older Blender 4.5 LTS line, which is the final Intel-compatible release and supports macOS 11.2 or later. The Homebrew cask currently selects a 4.5 LTS build for Intel rather than the displayed Apple Silicon 5.2.2 build, so versions and requirements differ by architecture. The cask conflicts with blender@lts; choose one Homebrew cask. It declares no extra Homebrew package dependencies. GPU rendering in Cycles has its own hardware and driver requirements. A 1920×1080 display and three-button mouse are recommended, not mandatory; pen tablets are useful for painting and sculpting.
Other platforms Official packages also exist for Windows and Linux. The requirements page lists Windows 8.1 64-bit as the minimum and Windows 11 as recommended; Linux requires a 64-bit distribution with glibc 2.28 or newer. Its Windows/Linux table lists a 4-core SSE4.2 CPU, 8 GB RAM and 2 GB VRAM, with OpenGL 4.3 and required extensions or the supported Vulkan 1.3 backend. Recommended resources are 8 CPU cores, 32 GB RAM and 8 GB VRAM. Check the official GPU-specific list and the selected architecture package before installing. This Homebrew cask installs the Mac app only.
Accounts, fees and licensing Blender can be used locally without registration or an internet connection. The application is free for personal and commercial work under the GNU GPL; the official license page describes the Blender source as GPL v2 or later and assembled Blender binaries as GPL v3 or later. Artwork you create with Blender is your property and is not automatically subject to the application's GPL. Paid training, support, third-party extensions and online services have their own terms. Online asset downloads and enabled network extensions require a connection.
Official sources https://www.blender.org/download/requirements/ https://www.blender.org/about/license/ https://www.blender.org/download/releases/5-2/ https://www.blender.org/releases/5-2/ https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender Cask requirements, architecture-specific versions and conflicts: current Homebrew metadata. Official images show Blender 5.2 feature examples, not a capture specific to macOS or the 5.2.2 patch. Download size refers to the Apple Silicon 5.2.2 DMG, not installed disk usage.
New What’s new in 5.2.2 Oct 7 · OpenNavo editorial
- RenderingFix a Cycles GPU crash with shadow caustics and the AO pass.
- EditingFix disappearing or merging Grease Pencil strokes with Draw on Back.
- macOS / VSEStop the Mac app icon jumping during background rendering.