
Unity
Autodesk 3DS Max
Cinema 4D
Autodesk Maya
ZBrush
Keyshot
Unreal Engine
Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

PureRef
ArtDeck
Frame.io
BeeRef
Pixieset
Milanote
Zenfolio
FrameRef is a modern reference board for creative professionals, combining images, videos, and PDFs in one infinite canvas.

Which is more popular?
Based on our record, Blender seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 137 times since March 2021.
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
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| Website | blender.org | frameref.app |
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What each product offers, as listed by its team.


Possible disadvantages
Possible disadvantages
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.


Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Walkthroughs and reviews on video.
How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


As answered by people managing Blender and FrameRef.
FrameRef's answer:
FrameRef does everything you expect from traditional reference boards, and goes much further.
FrameRef's answer:
In addition to supporting images and GIFs, FrameRef supports videos and PDFs, and even lets you drag and drop video links from platforms like YouTube, X, and Twitch to automatically download them into your board.
FrameRef's answer:
FrameRef is designed for visual creatives such as 3D artists, game developers, concept artists, and designers who need a powerful way to organize and work with large collections of reference images, videos, and PDFs.
Share your experience with using Blender and FrameRef. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


Blender delivers an impressive all-in-one 3D creation package. The software handles modeling, sculpting, animation, and rendering with remarkable flexibility. Eevee provides fast previews, while Cycles produces...
Blender is a robust, free, and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset. Engineered by Dutch animation studio NeoGeo, its core development was helmed by Ton Roosendaal, and it’s supported on various platforms...
Blender is a free software program suite that allows you to create good 3-D content. It has enough tools for each person interested in 3-D modelling, 3-D Animation, visual results, motion graphics, and even video...
We have no reviews of FrameRef yet. Be the first one to post
Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.


Update, I just downloaded 3.6 LTS from the blender.org official site, they are asking for donations. This time, the URL stayed. Source: about 3 years ago
Hold up. When I go to blender.org then add the /thanks to the URL, it goes to that page, then immediately goes to a 404 right after. Interesting.... Source: about 3 years ago
This is oddly strange its the usual go to for me to download blender updates (i google blender and click the usual blender.org strange..). Source: about 3 years ago
Tracking FrameRef since Feb 2026.
When comparing Blender and FrameRef, you can also consider the following products.


The simple way to view and organize your multiple reference images.
Compare PureRef to Blender or FrameRef:

3ds Max is software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and visualization. Create stunning game enrivonments, design visualizations, and virtual reality experiences.
Compare Autodesk 3DS Max to Blender or FrameRef:

Visual reference-board app for creatives to collect images, video, links, notes, GIFs, and PDFs, with study tools and iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Compare ArtDeck to Blender or FrameRef:

Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, animation, motion graphics and rendering application.
Compare Cinema 4D to Blender or FrameRef:
