3D Modelling for Products: Pricing & Process in 2026
What 3D Product Modelling Actually Costs in 2026
3D modelling pricing is opaque because every project is different. Here's a clear per-model breakdown based on real Nordic studio rates.
Pricing Tiers
Simple geometric product (€150–€400 per model)
- Furniture with flat surfaces, simple tools, basic packaging
- 1–2 materials, 1 lighting setup
- 2–4 render angles
- Examples: a side table, a water bottle, a cardboard box
Standard consumer product (€400–€900 per model)
- Multiple materials and finishes
- Fabric, leather, brushed metal
- 3–6 render angles or a 360° turntable
- Examples: a chair, a small kitchen appliance, a backpack
Complex / mechanical product (€900–€2,000 per model)
- Many parts, transparent or refractive materials, mechanical detail
- Exploded views, cutaways, animation
- Examples: a power tool, an electronic device, a watch
Architectural visualization (€500–€3,500 per scene)
- Interior or exterior space rendering
- Lighting and atmosphere
- Examples: a restaurant interior, a building exterior
What Drives the Price
- Geometry complexity — number of unique parts, curves vs flat surfaces
- Material accuracy — matte plastic is cheap; brushed anodized aluminium with anisotropy is not
- Reference quality — good technical drawings cut modelling time in half
- Render quantity and resolution — 1 hero image is cheaper than 12 turntable angles
- Animation — adds 40–80% on top of static rendering
- Revisions — 2 rounds usually included, additional rounds €60–€100/hour
The Process Step by Step
Week 1: Brief and reference gathering. You provide product dimensions, photos, CAD files if available, material samples, brand guidelines.
Week 2: Greybox modelling. A grey, untextured version of the model for shape approval. Cheap to change at this stage. Expensive to change later.
Week 3: Texturing and materials. Photo-real surfaces applied. First test renders sent for color and finish approval.
Week 4: Lighting, camera, final renders. Studio-style lighting setup, final renders in agreed resolution and angles.
Optional Week 5: Animation, AR, configurator integration.
When 3D Beats Studio Photography
- Product variants. 10 fabric colors × 4 shapes = 40 photos to shoot. In 3D it's a material swap, not 40 setups.
- Pre-launch marketing. You can market a product before a physical prototype exists.
- Lifestyle scenes. Putting your sofa in 12 different room styles costs nothing extra in 3D.
- Consistent lighting. Every render has the same studio lighting — your catalog looks unified across years.
- Updates. Changed the leg color? One click, not another photo shoot.
When Photography Still Wins
- Single hero shot of a single product where you want "realness"
- Food, fabric, complex organic materials where 3D requires extreme effort
- Founders / team / behind-the-scenes content
What to Ask Before Hiring
- Can I see the greybox before you texture?
- How many revision rounds are included?
- Do I own the source files (.blend, .3ds, .obj)?
- Can the model be used in a web configurator later?
- What's the polygon count target?
The polygon count question matters: a model optimized for static rendering may have 2 million polygons. A model for a web configurator needs to be under 100,000. If you might want a configurator later, ask for both versions upfront — much cheaper than re-doing the work.
Published · Bluefour-tiimi
Bluefour – Helsinki digital agency | hello@bluefour.fi | +358 45 850 4236