In 3D model generation, Hunyuan3D 2.1 (Tencent) ranks #2 and Tripo AI ranks #3. On 3D Arena, Hunyuan3D 2 is #8 and Hunyuan3D 2.1 is #10 of 24 image-to-3D models. Free open weights you run on your own GPU, but the licence doesn't cover the EU, UK or South Korea. 3D Arena leaderboard
Self-hosted image-to-3D outside the EU/UK/South Korea
Text/image-to-3D with retopology on paid plans
What it does
Open-weights image-to-3D model with PBR material generation that you can run on your own hardware.
Text/image/multi-view to 3D model generation with retopology, segmentation and up to 4K/8K texture generation. DCC bridge lists Blender, Unity, Unreal, Godot and others.
Verdict
For devs who can self-host a 3D model generator at no licence cost; the licence excludes the EU, UK and South Korea, and products over 1 million monthly users must request a licence.
For 3D models with retopology and engine bridges; the free plan is non-commercial, so shipping assets requires a paid plan.
Tasks
3D model generation, Textures & materials
3D model generation, Textures & materials
Engines●
Any (standard file export / engine-agnostic)
Godot, Unity, Unreal, Blender
Free plan
Free plan Free open weights (your own GPU costs)
Free plan 200 monthly credits; public, non-commercial
Pricing
Free to download and self-host (your own GPU/compute costs apply). source
Free: 200 monthly credits. Pro US$20/month billed annually (US$240/yr). Max US$90/month billed annually. Team US$55/seat/month billed annually. source
Export formats
Not stated by vendor
Not stated by vendor
Commercial use●
Restricted (see notes) Tencent Hunyuan 3D 2.1 Community License: does NOT apply in the EU, UK or South Korea; use of the works or outputs outside the licensed territory is unauthorized; products with over 1 million monthly active users must request a license from Tencent. source
Commercial on paid plans only Pricing page: Free plan = "Public Models · Non-Commercial Use"; Pro, Max and Team = "Private Models · Commercial Use". source
Revenue share / caps●
Products with over 1 million monthly active users must request a licence from Tencent.
Not stated by vendor
API
Available. Paid Hunyuan 3D API on Tencent Cloud source
Available. REST API (V2 retiring 1 Nov 2026; migrate to V3) source
MCP server
Official MCP server. Tencent CloudBase MCP server template for the Hunyuan 3D API source
Official MCP server. Official MCP server (alpha; works via the Tripo Blender add-on) source
Rows marked ● differ between the two tools. Licence badges: green = commercial use allowed (including any free plan or trial), amber = paid plans only, restricted, or allowed but with no free plan, red = not allowed, grey = not stated by vendor or not applicable. Read the vendor's current terms before you ship.
