Blender review: 3D projects stay on your computer

Blender is free open-source 3D software for shaping models, making animation and finishing pictures on your own computer.¹ It suits individuals and small studios who want modelling, animation, rendering and video in one program.¹ The privacy benefit is practical: the official release needs no account and no internet connection.³ The files you save go to a folder you choose.⁷

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free and open-source 3D creation suite covering modelling, animation, rendering and video editing.¹

Works on: Windows (including Windows on Arm), Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 13 or newer, and recent 64-bit Linux.²

Price: Free to use for any purpose, including paid work. No account is required.³

Licence: Project source is GNU GPL version 2 or later. Distributed binaries use GPL version 3 or later.³

Best for: 3D projects you want to keep on your own computer.

Official site: blender.org

What Blender does (and how it protects your privacy)

Blender is a desktop program for the whole 3D pipeline: modelling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, video editing and game assets.¹ A render is the finished picture, and compositing means combining those pictures. Rigging means the controls that pose a model.

The Blender Foundation says the official release needs no registration, makes no internet connection when you install and use it, and does not need the internet to work properly.³ Some bundled add-ons can reach the internet for extra services. They are off at install, they are not required, and an add-on that wants the network asks you first.³ That description is for the official version from blender.org.³

The download page offers Blender 5.2.3 LTS, released on 22 October 2026.² LTS means long-term support: these releases are supported for two years and do not add new features during that time.⁵ There is no built-in updater, because Blender is designed not to need an internet connection, so you download a newer copy yourself.⁵ Previous versions stay available to download.⁴

Blender’s key features

Modelling and sculpting: Shape objects with tools for sculpting, retopology and curves.¹
Simulation: Includes simulation tools, among them Bullet and MantaFlow.¹
Rendering and compositing: Rendering, compositing and motion tracking are all included.¹
Video editing: Edit moving images in the same program as the 3D work.¹
Drawing in 3D: Sketch in the 3D view for story art.¹
Scripting: Add tools with Python, a programming language, through Blender’s scripting interface.¹
Local project files: Save a blend-file, the project file, through the file browser on your computer.⁷

Blender pros and cons

Pros

Free for any purpose, and the pictures, films and blend-files you create are yours.³
You can study the code. If you share a changed copy in public, you share those changes too.³
One install covers 3D work and video editing.¹
A portable copy runs from a folder or a USB stick, with no installation and no internet connection.⁴

Cons

Blender 5.0 and later need an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 13 or newer. Intel Macs stop at Blender 4.5 LTS.⁴
The minimum is 8 GB of memory. 32 GB, a 1920×1080 screen and a three-button mouse are recommended.⁴
There is no built-in updater. You download each new version yourself.⁵
Add-ons that follow the setting connect only when online access is allowed, but Blender cannot stop a third-party add-on that ignores it.⁶
A blend-file can contain Python scripts, and Python does not limit what those scripts can do.⁸

Is Blender safe and private?

The Blender Foundation publishes Blender as free software and says it intends to keep it that way.³ Code developed on blender.org is licensed as GNU GPL version 2 or later.³ Some parts use more permissive licences.³ The Cycles rendering engine is available under Apache 2.0.³ Together, the pieces are compatible with GPL version 3 or later, which is the licence for distributed binaries.³

Ordinary use of that official build does not require an account or a network connection.³ In Preferences, under System, Allow Online Access is the switch for internet use. Add-ons that honour it connect only when it is enabled.⁶ The manual says Blender cannot stop a third-party add-on that ignores the switch.⁶

Blender 5.2 also supports online asset libraries. An online library downloads an asset when you use it, then keeps a copy on the computer. That download needs Allow Online Access, and an internet connection if the copy is not already there.⁹

A project is a blend-file. File, then Save writes it, and a new file asks you to pick a folder.⁷ Use a folder you control. If that folder is already synced to a cloud service, the sync will upload the file.

Scripts inside a blend-file are a separate risk. Automatic execution is disabled by default.⁸ If a file tries to run a script, Blender asks you to allow it or ignore it.⁸ Use Trusted Source or Auto Run Python Scripts only for sources you know and trust.⁸ Rendering with Freestyle can also run scripts when you render, even if automatic execution is off.⁸

How to get started with Blender

Check the computer. You need Windows 11, 10 or 8.1, Windows on Arm, an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 13 or newer, or Linux with glibc 2.28 or newer.² Glibc is a core library those Linux systems already include. You also need at least 8 GB of memory.⁴ On Windows and Linux, the graphics card needs 2 GB of video memory, OpenGL 4.3 and Vulkan 1.3.⁴ Install the latest driver from the graphics card maker.⁴
Download the current long-term release. On the official download page, take Blender 5.2.3 LTS for your system.² Early access builds can be unstable and may mess up files, and the page does not recommend them for production work.²
Install it, or run a portable copy. On Windows, an installer can add a desktop icon and open blend-files in Blender.⁴ A portable copy runs from a folder or a USB stick, with no installation and no internet connection.⁴
Open Blender and set the network choice. No registration is required.³ Open Preferences, then System, and leave Allow Online Access off unless an extension needs the network.⁶
Save a local blend-file. Use File, then Save, and choose a folder on your computer.⁷ If Blender closes unexpectedly, File, then Recover, then Auto Save opens the latest automatic copy.⁷
Treat files from other people with care. Automatic script execution is off by default.⁸ If a blend-file asks to run a script, choose Ignore unless you trust the sender.⁸

Who should use Blender, and who might prefer something else

Choose Blender when you want to design a 3D object, animate it, render a picture or edit a shot on a computer that meets the memory and graphics requirements, without an online account.

For precise measured parts, FreeCAD is built for designs whose dimensions you can revise. If you would rather describe a shape in written instructions, use OpenSCAD. For flat drawings and logos, Inkscape is the simpler tool. For a quick trim of a video file, LosslessCut is a shorter path than Blender’s full workspace.

Frequently asked questions

Is Blender free?

Yes. You can use it for any purpose, including commercial work, with no account.³ The images, movies and blend-files you make are yours.³

Is Blender safe to use offline?

The Foundation says the official release makes no internet connection when you install and use it.³ You can also turn Allow Online Access off under System preferences.⁶ Scripts inside a blend-file from someone else are a separate choice: automatic execution is off until you allow it.⁸

Does Blender work on iPhone, iPad or an Intel Mac?

Current downloads are for Windows, Apple Silicon Macs and Linux.² Blender 5.0 and later need Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or newer. Blender 4.5 LTS is the last release that supports Intel Macs.⁴

Does Blender upload my projects?

Saving writes a blend-file to a folder you pick.⁷ The official program does not need a connection to do that.³ A synced folder, or an add-on, can still copy the file off the computer.