Kerkythea vs. KeyShot

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Kerkythea
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
Kerkythea is a free graphical rendering software designed to produce graphics without requiring image licensing.N/A
KeyShot
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Luxion, headquartered in California, offers KeyShot, a 3D rendering software.
$995
Pricing
KerkytheaKeyShot
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
KeyShot 10 HD
$995.00
KeyShot 10 Pro
$1,995.00
KeyShot 10 Floating
$2,995.00
KeyShot 10 Enterprise
$3,995.00
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
KerkytheaKeyShot
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Best Alternatives
KerkytheaKeyShot
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
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Score 9.7 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
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Score 9.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
GIMP
GIMP
Score 9.3 out of 10
GIMP
GIMP
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
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CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.7 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
KerkytheaKeyShot
Likelihood to Recommend
7.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
KerkytheaKeyShot
Likelihood to Recommend
Kerkythea
Kerkythea is a powerful, yet simple to use rendering package that integrates seamlessly into SketchUp and other modeling programs. My experience is only with SketchUp, but the combination of these two packages (I bought SketchUp Pro and use Kerkythea for free!) is the best bang-for-your-buck way that I have found to produce high quality images of 3D models. I have seen some extremely photo-realistic images online, but I am not sure if a paid rendering engine would be able to produce higher quality or be easier to use. If you are looking for a free way to get higher quality images from your SketchUp models I would highly recommend Kerkythea.
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Luxion
KeyShot can do some really amazing things as far as product renderings. You can turn simple 3D models into realistic images in a very short amount of time. I wish there were a way to manipulate the geometry once imported into KeyShot. The software allows this user to move geometry but not change its shape or form.
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Pros
Kerkythea
  • Kerkythea seamlessly integrates with SketchUp, eliminating the need for costly and complex 3D modeling software.
  • Kerkythea has a simple to use interface and does not require extensive training to learn how to use.
  • Despite being easy to use out of the box, Kerkythea is also very powerful for advanced users. This allowed us to achieve fast results, but also to constantly improve the quality of our rendered images as we have gained knowledge and experience
  • The Kerkythea plug-in for SketchUp has an incredibly easy to use lighting feature. Spot lights and flood lights can be added, adjusted and manipulated easily, giving a much more professional looking end product.
  • The user community support for Kerkythea is vast. From tips and tricks to free, downloadable materials packages, there are an incredible number of peer-to-peer assistance options available.
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Luxion
  • Keyshot has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for quick renderings.
  • Through Keyshot's viewport, you can see real-time changes when replacing or adding textures to a 3D model.
  • The new Keyshot 8 comes with volumetric features such as fog that can add depth to your image making process without having to manually do it later in another program.
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Cons
Kerkythea
  • The default viewing mode for Kerkythea is wireframe. This makes it hard to view the model upon opening, however it is easily changed using "View/Adjust/Solid Rendering" in the menu bar. My preference would be for the software to default to Solid Rendering from startup, or to have a way to save the interface settings (If that option exists, I am not aware of it).
  • When exporting a model to Kerkythea from SketchUp, it usually takes a very long time to open the Kerkythea software. This only happens when selecting "Yes" in the dialog box that asks, "Open exported model in Kerkythea?" The quickest way I've found is to answer "No", open Kerkythea manually and then open the desired file from Kerkythea.
  • While there are many free, user contributed materials packages available online, it would be nice to have a larger materials library pre-installed in the software.
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Luxion
  • Floating licensing install is troublesome
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Likelihood to Renew
Kerkythea
At this point, I have not found myself limited by using Kerkythea. It is easy to use and has not required a huge amount of time investment to get results. I have been able to utilize 3D modeling software that I am already familiar with and that is also cost effective. The quality of the finished product that can be achieved using Kerkythea is still beyond the abilities that I have, however I continue to learn and grow in my competency as I use the software.
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Luxion
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Kerkythea
No answers on this topic
Luxion
Honestly, I've only needed customer support a couple of times. One time was a question about licensing which their customer service explained very well and offered just the help I was looking for
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Alternatives Considered
Kerkythea
  • Blender is a free 3D modeling and rendering package. What I liked about Kerkythea is that it integrates with SketchUp, while Blender does not. This allows me to use modeling software that I was already familiar with rather than having to learn something new.
  • Autodesk 3D Studio Max and Autodesk Maya are also very powerful 3D modeling and rendering packages, however they are not free. They do have free trials, and the software is excellent and powerful. Guaranteed these are both better modeling packages than SketchUp, however with the work I do, SketchUp is easier to use and lower cost. If you're looking at doing more free-form modeling as opposed to basic rectangular buildings like me, you will need different modeling software than SketchUp. While Kerkythea can be used for many model types (*.kzx, *.xml, *.obj and *.sia at the time of this review) from any modeling package, it might be easier to use the rendering features built into 3DS rather than exporting to Kerkythea.
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Luxion
Keyshot is simpler and more intuitive compared to Octane. That being said, Octane is far less expensive and can take advantage of a GPU making it more versatile.
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Return on Investment
Kerkythea
  • While it is impossible for me to give a firm number, I can definitely say that the images produced by Kerkythea are an excellent selling tool for projects presented to potential clients.
  • As freeware, Kerkythea has allowed me to achieve quality results without spending a fortune on software. Being self-employed, this is wonderful.
  • Kerkythea has allowed me to display professional materials without a major cost or time investment in training. This has allowed me to focus on creating floorplans and designs rather than spending all of my time getting the presentation of said designs to look good.
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Luxion
  • Faster approval times from client
  • Impressive website work vs editing photos
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ScreenShots