Tool
Which AI 3D Generator Should I Use?
A rule-based AI 3D generator picker that narrows the field using documented license, hardware, format and rigging facts, with a worked example.
The picker works by elimination: you state your hard constraints, and it removes generators whose documented terms, hardware needs, formats or features cannot meet them. It does not rank output quality, because we have not run the tests that would support a ranking. It leaves you a short list with reasons, which you then compare on output. Use the picker on this page, which flags unconfirmed fields as it goes, or follow the same method by hand.
What it helps you decide
Which two to four generators are worth a trial for your project, and which you can rule out on paper. For a ranked buying shortlist, see the best AI 3D generators.
Questions and rules
Each answer applies a filter. The rule text cites the fact behind it, accessed 2026-11-08. Where a fact is unconfirmed, the tool keeps the generator in the list and flags it.
- Will the output ship in something you sell? If yes, remove plans that do not state commercial rights.
- Sloyd Guest is personal-use only; Plus allows commercial use without marketplace resale; Pro allows reselling (sloyd.ai/pricing).
- Meshy Free output is CC BY 4.0 and its Terms say Meshy owns it; paid plans own their output (Terms updated September 19, 2026). Flag Free as “attribution and ownership conflict”.
- Rodin Free and Tripo Free: not confirmed or conflicting; flag, do not clear.
- Check the full table: license matrix.
- Can you run a model locally? If you have no NVIDIA GPU of 24 GB or more, TRELLIS.2 is out: its README says “at least 24GB” and only Linux is tested. TRELLIS (v1) needs at least 16 GB. Hunyuan3D-2.1 lists 10 GB for shape, 21 GB for texture and 29 GB for both. See open-source generators.
- Which engine format do you need? Godot recommends glTF 2.0 (.gltf/.glb), so a generator without GLB export is a weaker fit. Hunyuan’s hosted API outputs GLB; Sloyd’s pricing page names GLB and OBJ for Guest, with FBX unverified.
- Do you need printing formats? STL or 3MF: Meshy lists STL and 3MF, 3D AI Studio lists both, Rodin’s export lists conflict between its pages (one source adds STL, the Gen-2.5 API spec lists glb, fbx and usdz), so treat Rodin STL as not confirmed. Sloyd’s terms allow 3D printing for personal use only.
- Do you need rigging in the same tool? Meshy’s auto-rigging API documents humanoid (biped) only; Tripo’s rig API covers several creature types at 25 credits; Hunyuan’s hosted API lists auto-rigging at 10 credits; 3D AI Studio lists rigging at 15 to 20 credits. Rodin’s rigging API docs were added in October 2026 and web-app availability is unconfirmed.
- Is it buyable at all? Leave out Luma Genie: Luma’s App Store notes say it was sunset on January 1, 2026, and we found no separate official announcement. Kaedim offers custom plans and, per its FAQ, no free credits or trial, so remove it if you need self-serve pricing.
- Budget. Apply the credit cost method to the survivors; drop any whose plan you cannot afford at your volume.
A worked example by hand
A solo Godot developer wants props and a humanoid character for a commercial game, has no 24 GB GPU, and wants everything exportable as GLB.
- Start: Meshy, Tripo, Rodin, 3D AI Studio, Sloyd, Hunyuan3D (hosted and open), TRELLIS and TRELLIS.2, Kaedim, Luma Genie.
- Rule 6 removes Luma Genie and Kaedim.
- Rule 2 removes TRELLIS.2 and, on this hardware, the other local models.
- Rule 1 removes free tiers for shipping use: Sloyd Guest, and Meshy Free is flagged. The paid plans remain: Meshy paid, Tripo paid, Rodin Creator, 3D AI Studio paid, Sloyd Plus.
- Rule 5 (humanoid rig in tool): Meshy, Tripo, 3D AI Studio and Hunyuan hosted document it. Rodin’s web-app rigging is unconfirmed; Sloyd lists one-click rigging.
- Rule 3: GLB is available on Meshy, Hunyuan hosted and 3D AI Studio; Tripo’s API exports GLB and more per its docs; Studio’s exports could not be confirmed (tripo3d.ai returned 403), so Tripo is kept and flagged. Rodin lists GLB but its web-app rigging is unconfirmed, so it is kept and flagged. Sloyd Plus names GLB and OBJ, with FBX unverified and its one-click rigging claim resting on its homepage, so it is kept and flagged.
Result: Meshy paid, 3D AI Studio paid and Hunyuan hosted (hosted license flagged) pass cleanly on documented facts; Tripo paid, Rodin Creator and Sloyd Plus remain with flags. Six candidates, not a winner. The next step is to compare their output on your own prompts, not to trust this list.
Limits
No quality filter: nothing here says which tool makes better meshes. Vendors change plans and terms; every fact needs its date and a re-check on the vendor page. Some filters rest on partial data (Tripo, Rodin, 3D AI Studio terms). The picker should show “not confirmed” instead of guessing, and it should never infer game-readiness from an export format. If you want a comparison of two specific tools, see Meshy vs Tripo. Free-tier terms side by side are in free-tier licenses compared. How we weigh evidence is in the methodology.
See also the AI 3D planning tools hub.