Rhino3d

What Rhino3d does

Rhino3d is the consumer-facing brand of Robert McNeel & Associates (TLM, Inc.), a privately-held, employee-owned Washington corporation founded in 1980 in Seattle. The company develops and distributes Rhinoceros 3D, a cross-platform (Windows and Mac) NURBS-based 3D modeling tool used by architects, marine designers, jewelers, product designers, landscape architects, educators, and film/entertainment professionals to design, model, present, and fabricate complex geometry. Its core technology stack includes NURBS mathematics, SubD subdivision surfaces, the Grasshopper visual programming environment for generative/parametric design, ShrinkWrap meshing, and platform-native graphics acceleration (Metal on Mac). Complementary offerings include iRhino 3D for iOS, Rhino.Inside for embedding Rhino inside host applications such as Autodesk Revit, Rhino.Compute for cloud/remote execution, the openNURBS toolkit, and the RhinoCommon .NET SDK.

Rhino3d monetizes primarily through one-time perpetual software licenses (commercial, educational, and floating), with optional paid cross-version upgrades, a free 90-day evaluation, and an emerging usage-based core-hour billing model for Rhino.Compute. Distribution combines direct e-commerce through rhino3d.com with a global network of 700+ authorized resellers, distributors, OEMs, and training centers, supported by regional offices in Seattle, Miami (Latin America), Barcelona (Europe/EMEA), Tokyo (Japan via AppliCraft), Seoul (Korea, founded 2022), and several Chinese and Southeast Asian cities. The company has no external shareholders or institutional investors and is funded entirely from retained earnings. Its ecosystem is anchored by Food4Rhino, a third-party marketplace hosting 1,500+ apps and resources for Rhino and Grasshopper, alongside the Discourse community forum, Authorized Rhino Trainer and RhinoFabStudio programs, and the rhino3d.education learning platform.

Name

Rhino3d

Legal name

Robert McNeel & Associates (TLM, Inc.)

Website

https://rhino3d.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rhino3d (Robert McNeel & Associates) develops and sells Rhinoceros, a perpetual-license NURBS 3D modeling tool used by architects, marine and product designers, jewelers, educators, and film designers worldwide, with a Grasshopper visual programming ecosystem and 700+ resellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

3D Modeling Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Support Generation & Lattice/Structure Design Tools (IMAAACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Generative Design & Topology Optimization for AM (IMAAACAI)

Keywords

• 3D modeling software
• NURBS surface modeling
• Visual programming tools
• Parametric design software
• Computer-aided design

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Perpetual Software Licenses: One-time purchase model where customers buy a perpetual license for Rhino. Prices include support and service releases for the current version. No annual maintenance fees. Upgrades are optional.
2. Floating Licenses: Commercial licenses available as floating licenses, allowing multiple users to share licenses across an organization with centralized license management.
3. Educational Licensing: Commercial versions of products provided to students, faculty, and schools at substantial discounts. Includes special School Kit for institutions.
4. Core-Hour Billing (Compute): Rhino.Compute server deployment on Windows Server is billed at $0.10 per core per hour. Allows multiple instances with same cost as running one instance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Robert McNeel & Associates develops and sells Rhinoceros 3D, a cross-platform (Windows/Mac) professional 3D modeling application based on NURBS mathematics, supporting NURBS, SubD subdivision surfaces, and mesh modeling with watertight mesh generation for 3D printing. The product is tightly integrated with Grasshopper, a no-code visual programming environment for parametric and generative design, and is supported by an ecosystem of 1,500+ third-party extensions distributed via Food4Rhino. Developer-facing extensions include Rhino.Compute (a REST API for cloud-based computation), the RhinoCommon .NET SDK, and openNURBS, with license management through LAN Zoo and Cloud Zoo servers.

Product overview

Robert McNeel & Associates offers Rhinoceros 3D as its primary cross-platform 3D CAD software (Windows/Mac) supporting NURBS, SubD, and mesh modeling. Grasshopper provides visual programming tightly integrated with Rhino's modeling tools. The ecosystem includes Food4Rhino marketplace (1500+ extensions), iRhino 3D mobile viewer for iOS, and Rhino.Inside for embedding in other applications like Revit. Developer offerings include Rhino.Compute REST API, RhinoCommon SDK, openNURBS toolkit, and Hops component for Grasshopper. License management options include LAN Zoo (on-premises) and Cloud Zoo (cloud-based) servers. Educational resources are provided through Rhino3D.Education tutorials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rhino: Rhinoceros 3D modeling software for designers, engineers, and fabricators.
• Grasshopper
• iRhino 3D
• Rhino Compute
• Food4Rhino
• RhinoFabStudio

Products and services

• Rhinoceros 3D (Rhino) Professional cross-platform (Windows and Mac) 3D modeling software supporting NURBS, SubD subdivision surfaces, and mesh modeling. Used by architects, engineers, marine designers, jewelers, landscape designers, educators, product designers, and film designers for modeling, rendering, documentation, and fabrication-ready geometry.
• Grasshopper Visual programming environment integrated with Rhino's 3D modeling tools. Requires no programming or scripting knowledge and allows designers to build generative forms from simple to complex, with a rich third-party add-on library.
• iRhino 3D Official iOS viewer for Rhino .3dm files. Allows users to view, present, pan, zoom, and orbit Rhino models on iPhone or iPad, with cloud storage file browsing and integrated markup tools.
• Food4Rhino Ecosystem marketplace offering over 1,500 apps, plug-ins, scripts, and learning resources for Rhino and Grasshopper users.
• Rhino.Compute REST API service that exposes Rhino and Grasshopper SDKs on Windows and Linux servers for cloud-based computation, automation, and integration into production design workflows.

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AppliCraft Co. Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppliCraft Co. Ltd. represents McNeel Japan and is responsible for sales, marketing, support, and training in Japan. Located in Tokyo at Yamano Yoyogi Building.
• Google Cloud PlatformminorOthersCloud infrastructure provider for hosting, delivery, and speed optimization of McNeel websites and downloads. Some user data may be stored on these servers.
• Amazon Web ServicesminorOthersCloud infrastructure provider for hosting, delivery, and speed optimization of websites and downloads, plus email services. Some data may be stored on AWS servers.
• Microsoft AzureminorOthersCloud infrastructure provider for hosting, delivery, and speed optimization of McNeel websites and downloads. Some data may be stored on Azure servers.
• Apple, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts that run on Apple devices are distributed via Apple, including iRhino 3D for iOS.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Shapr3D: Shapr3D is a modern subscription-based, cross-platform (iPad-native) CAD tool gaining traction with industrial and product designers. Represents the SaaS-native, mobile-first generation of 3D modeling tools that could erode Rhino's desktop-perpetual market over time.
• FreeCAD: FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler targeting mechanical engineering and product design, directly competing with Rhino's parametric/Grasshopper workflows. Free licensing and active community development pose a long-tail threat to Rhino's price-sensitive segments.
• Blender Foundation: Blender is an open-source 3D modeling, sculpting, and animation suite increasingly used for hard-surface and organic modeling tasks historically dominated by Rhino + ZBrush, especially in film/entertainment and product visualization. Free pricing pressures Rhino's value proposition for SMBs.

Broad incumbents

• Graphisoft (ArchiCAD): ArchiCAD is an architectural BIM platform serving Rhino's core AEC segment. While focused on building documentation rather than free-form modeling, it represents the integrated BIM alternative that competes for architects' primary 3D tool allocation.
• Autodesk: Autodesk offers AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360, and 3ds Max — overlapping directly with Rhino in AEC, product design, and 3D modeling for fabrication. As the dominant CAD incumbent, it competes head-to-head while also serving as an integration partner (Rhino.Inside.Revit).
• Siemens NX / Solid Edge: Siemens offers NX and Solid Edge as high-end 3D CAD/CAM platforms used in product design and manufacturing. Comparable in serving complex geometry needs (especially for fabrication/AM workflows) that Rhino addresses, but at enterprise scale with bundled PLM.
• PTC (Creo / Onshape): PTC's Creo (desktop CAD) and Onshape (cloud-native CAD) compete with Rhino in mechanical product design and manufacturing. Onshape in particular represents the SaaS subscription model that contrasts directly with Rhino's perpetual licensing approach.
• Dassault Systèmes (SOLIDWORKS / CATIA): Dassault's SOLIDWORKS and CATIA are enterprise-grade parametric 3D modeling platforms competing with Rhino for product designers and engineers, particularly in industrial design, marine, and aerospace. Similar customer base and overlapping NURBS-style geometry engines.

Direct peers

• SketchUp (Trimble): SketchUp is a 3D modeling tool popular with architects, landscape designers, and product designers — directly overlapping Rhino's primary AEC and design segments. Both target non-engineer professionals needing flexible 3D modeling for visualization and fabrication.
• Maxon (ZBrush / Cinema 4D): Maxon's ZBrush (organic sculpting) and Cinema 4D (3D modeling/animation) are commonly used alongside or instead of Rhino in film/entertainment and product design. Particularly comparable in the film industry where Rhino competes for complex organic 3D workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rhinocerosdsg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RhinoGuide/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/McNeelRhinoceros
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novedge-llc-rhinoceros-3d
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcneel.europe/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhino3d