3D Rendering Pricing Guide
Author: Liam James
Renderly Founder | 3D Rendering & Marketing Specialist.
With a passion for creating amazing CGI and VFX that tells great stories and assists brands in reaching the next level. Liam has been at the wheel of Renderly for 3 years working with a variety of clients in the 3D field, mostly creating photorealistic style 3d renders and animations.
Table of Contents
How much does 3d rendering cost?
3D rendering pricing can vary significantly depending on project complexity, quality expectations, and the service provider. This makes pricing in 3d rendering a rather complicated and confusing area, realistically there are no set rules or market prices.
Whether you need architectural visualization, interior design renders, or photorealistic 3D modelling, understanding 3D rendering costs will help you budget effectively and make informed decisions, different providers will give you varying quotes for projects and it will fall to you to decide if the renders are valuable enough for you to get a return on your investment.
This guide explores 3D rendering pricing, different pricing models, and how costs vary between freelancers, small studios, and large creative agencies. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of 3D render price guides and how to get the best value for your project.
What is 3d rendering defined as?
You might be thinking, how is that relevant? Well I believe its important to be clear what we mean when we talk about 3d rendering.
3D rendering is the art of producing high-quality 2D images from 3D models through specialized software like V-Ray, Corona, Blender, and 3ds Max. The rendering process includes textures, lighting, and camera placement to create a lifelike or stylized end product. You can take a look at our full guide on 3d rendering if you would like more information.
Here are some of the industries that use 3d rendering that may find this guide useful.
- Architectural Rendering – Building exterior and interior renders.
- Real Estate Promotion – Good-quality images for property listings and brochures.
- Interior Designing - Realistic preview before renovating and previz.
- Product Rendering – Concept models and promotion materials and assets.
- Gaming – Engaging 3D render for cinematic trailers / ads.
Factors that Influence 3d Rendering Cost
There are so many factors that influence the cost of 3d rendering such as the project complexity, scene details and size, resolution of the images, amount of images ordered, the supplier of the services, revisions and edits,
Let's talk through each of these factors...
1: Project Complexity
More complex projects require more time, more resources, better technology and higher skill. So there is a linear relationship in the complexity of a project and its cost.
So what changes the complexity of a 3d rendering project?
Scene Complexity and Size:
If your project involves a very large scene with lots of intricate details such as an office floor visualisation or a proposed stadium design. The 3d scenes will be heavy, meaning powerful equipment is required to work on the scenes and render the images (especially at a high quality).
On the other end, if you are in need of simple product render of a standard product that isn't a large mechanical machine or piece of equipment you can expect these to be less costly. For example a product render with a transparent background of a canned drink.
Render Style:
The other factor that can affect the complexity of a 3d rendering project is the style of render you require, are you looking for a photorealistic representation or just a simple concept render. Creating a photorealistic image takes more time and skill, especially consider if your render has challenging elements such as water, smoke or particles involved as these will increase the time and computing power required to output a photorealistic render.
Complexity | Examples | Typical Price Range (Per Image) |
|---|---|---|
High | Large Scale Developments | £1500 - £10,000+ |
Medium | Detailed interiors, product renders of more complex items | £500 - £2,000 |
Simple | Single product renders of a basic item. | £50 - £500 |
2. Image Resolution:
The next factor to consider is the resolution and quality of the renders. Higher fidelity images will take longer to render and take more computing power, therefore increasing the price.
If you are going to be using the images for print advertisement or OOH billboards then you should consider that higher quality output will increase the cost.
3. Revisions & Edits:
Most studios or freelancers include 1-2 free revision rounds in their projects, however it's important to check this detail when you first engage with a provider.
If the project extends and takes longer than anticipated you can end up paying more!
4. Turnaround Times:
Is your project urgent? Turnaround times will vary depending on the providers output capability and the project complexity. If you need your renders in a rush some providers will charge 10% - 50% more as an extra fee to rush the job!
5. Bulk Discounts:
How much work are you ordering? Various cgi providers will offer discounts on large volumes of 3d renders, for example at Renderly we offer up to 25% off our renders for large orders.
Pricing Methods for 3d rendering
Per Image:
Per-image pricing offers a clear and predictable price, ideal for clients who need a few renders with a set budget. It is ideal and most commonly used in real estate visualization and interior views, since the clients know exactly how much each render will cost them beforehand. Per-image pricing eliminates the uncertainty of hourly pricing and ensures that the project is completed within a set budget.
However, this model of pricing is costly when multiple renders or revisions are required and does not scale well in bulk, Customers who need regular revisions may be asked to pay extra for each revision.
From the agency side it can be hard to find a set per image cost meaning it will likely change depending on the project complexity.
Per Hour:
Hourly charging offers flexibility, and it is therefore it is best suited for projects with fluctuating requirements or lots of revisions.
The client is charged only for the time expended, which is appropriate for these projects with lots of iterations. It also promotes more live collaboration, where alterations can be made without incurring additional per-image fees.
However, this model is unreliable budget-wise, as expenses can mount if a project is takes longer than expected. Customers may need to keep track of hours closely in order not to exceed budget and they wont have the peace of mind of an agreed upfront price.
Fixed Project Price:
Fixed pricing gives clients a set cost upfront, making budgeting easy and avoiding surprise fees. It works well for large, well-planned projects like architectural visualizations or bulk product rendering.
However, it’s less flexible—changes or extra revisions may add costs. Since providers factor in potential extra work, the initial price can be higher than hourly or per-image rates. This model is best for projects with a clear scope and minimal changes.
This is our personal preferred method of pricing for our product rendering at Renderly!
3d Rendering Quality Tiers and Pricing
Basic 3d Rendering:
£35 - £200 for a 5-10 render project.
With 3d rendering being a global market you can get 3d renders from anywhere in the world, including countries that have lower living costs and regulations than the UK.
You can find some talented freelancers who dont charge much for their work however this is a very risky price range.
We would recommended this price range if quality is not a big concerned, for example if you just need a simple visualisation for a presentation for educational purposes. In this price range you can expect the following .
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freelancer may have poor communication skills due to language barriers.
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they may not own the right software or equipment to provide the output you need legally or reliably.
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there may be hidden costs that you are unaware of.
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the chance that the quality will be of a high standard is relatively low.
Mid-Tier 3d Rendering
£500 - £1,500 for a 5-10 render project.
In this tier you can expect respectable freelancers and small studios. The large variance in price is caused by the project complexity factors that we discussed earlier.
There still might be a gamble on the quality in this area due to the large sample size. Here are some elements to check when looking at a 3d rendering service.
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do they have 3d renders in their portfolio in the type of style you are looking for, eg. interiors, product rendering, exterior buildings, automotive.
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is their portfolio consistent? A very common trait of a mid range provider is an inconsistent portfolio in quality, this might be due to a lack of experience, causing some projects to be more challenging than others resulting in a drop in quality or consistent outsourcing to poor quality freelancers.
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Check the work is not stolen! We have personal experience with new 'studios' setting up a professional website and then stealing other studios work including our own. You can use google search by image on their images to ensure it originated from themselves.
High Level 3d Rendering
£2k - £10k+ for a 5-10 render project.
In this tier you can find the best 3d rendering you can get, this mostly involves photorealistic rendering. You can expect per render costs to be in the hundreds and thousands for this tier.
Unless you are commissioning a large volume project with a lot of simple 3d renders.
If quality is your primary concern and you want to guarantee that...
1, The 3d renders will be very high quality
2. You will receive the work on schedule, with no language barriers.
Then you should consider a high level studio in your home country or language.
Here are some of the indicators a studio has a high level output.
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high fidelity and very photorealistic image output.
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consistent portfolio of strong work.
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reliable sample of previous clients with testimonials.
Who should you hire for 3d rendering.
Who you work with is also a big contributor for 3d rendering pricing, generally the larger the company you work with the more they will charge, however this can vary! There are also other elements to consider when choosing a 3d rendering partner as well as the cost, such as timelines and communication.
Hiring a freelancer
Freelancers are generally the lowest-cost option for 3D rendering work. Freelancers generally can provide immediate communication and ease of adaptation when required in a project. This of course depends on the individual, you will find a great variety of freelancers in terms of price and quality. It is certainly the most risky option.
They can be a great option for small jobs, fast turnaround, or whenever there is a modest budget.
Some freelancers may not possess the advanced tools and equipment needed for extremely detailed or large renders. Additionally, because they work alone, freelancers may have longer turnaround times when handling multiple projects at once or projects of large volumes.
Hiring a small studio
Small studios offer a balance between quality and price. Being small but experienced teams, they can offer more consistency and professionalism than a freelancer at a lower price than a big scale agency.
It's basically the middle ground between risk and cost, there is more guarantee of quality and delivery with a studio, due to having more 'skin in the game', multiple team members and more experience, the cost will likely be more than a freelancer due to the higher cost of running a studio.
However, because of the smaller workforce at small studios, lead times can be longer, especially for larger projects. They may also not have access to the top-of-the-line resources and technology that larger agencies have.
Hiring a large agency
Big creative agencies are the best fit for businesses requiring top-notch rendering. Big agencies have access to top technology, have large teams of experts that can deliver high-profile projects under strict deadlines.
They are ideal for commercial property, luxury product and large-scale advertising campaigns where quality and timeliness matter most.
Hiring a big agency is expensive though. Their communication is generally less hands-on and personal, with different team members handling different aspects of the project, thus leading to longer approval periods.
Their output cannot be matched, their services are only ideal for high-budget clients with advanced requirements.
Is 3d rendering worth the cost?
3D rendering can seem expensive to invest in to some, but for most businesses, the return on investment (ROI) is well worth it. It really depends on your business and how you use the work.
Good-quality renders allow businesses to sell products more effectively, speed up project approvals, and reduce expensive mistakes by allowing stakeholders to visualize designs before they are built.
In industries like real estate, architecture, interior design, and product development, 3D rendering can literally equate to sales and customer interaction.
Companies can measure ROI by looking at key metrics such as increased conversion rates, faster decision-making, reduced prototype or construction revisions, and enhanced brand reputation.
Photorealistic render we created at Renderly for Ricardo PLC.