Meshy is one of the best AI 3D model generators: fast, every export format, polycount control, an API and plugins, and cheap per model on its Pro plan. People look for an alternative because of its free tier (100 credits, models owned by Meshy under CC BY), credits that reset every month, and a terms clause that lets Meshy train on what you make. Which alternative fits depends on which of those is your problem.
We make Gifsy. It is one of six entries below, judged on the same criteria. It is slower than Meshy, exports fewer formats, has no API and costs more per model at volume. Those losses are in the tables, not hidden in a footnote.
Which tool for which job
| You want | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Many models a month, lowest cost per model | Tripo Pro or Meshy Pro | Both $20 a month. Tripo puts a basic model at about $0.16; Meshy works out to $0.40 to $0.50. |
| An API, FBX or USDZ, polycount control | Meshy or Tripo | Gifsy has none of these. |
| A few models, owned outright, no attribution | Gifsy | 2 free models you may use commercially, then $9 a month for 10. |
| A rigged character that already walks, with Mixamo bone names | Gifsy | One credit gives the model, the rig and idle, walk and run clips in the GLB. |
| Unusual bodies: birds, snakes, insects | Tripo | Its rigger lists the most body types. |
| Unlimited models, no subscription | TRELLIS.2 on your own GPU | Free and MIT-licensed, if you have a 24 GB GPU and Python. |
How we compared
- Inputs: text, one photo, several photos.
- Free tier: how many models, and who owns them.
- Price per finished model on the first useful paid plan.
- Rigging and animation for characters.
- Export formats.
- Speed: from the vendor's own numbers where it publishes them.
- Extras: API, plugins, polycount control, web embed.
Facts were read from each tool's own pricing, documentation and terms pages on 19 October 2026. Tripo's site refused our fetch, so its prices come from a same-day Wayback Machine copy of its pricing page. We haven't yet run the same photos through every tool; quality isn't scored here, and the update log says when it will be.
Why people look past Meshy
- The free tier shrank. Free credits went from 300 to 200 to 100 a month over three weeks in July and August 2026. Free downloads are capped at 10 a month, on the Lite model only.
- Free models aren't yours. Meshy's terms say Free-plan outputs belong to Meshy and come to you under CC BY 4.0, so commercial use needs a credit line.
- Credits reset. Plan credits reset on the 1st of each month and don't carry over.
- Training. The terms let Meshy use inputs and outputs from every customer except Enterprise to improve its models.
- Cleanup. Reviews mention topology that needs work before production, and trouble with small details like eyes and teeth.
What a model really costs
Meshy charges per step. In the web app, an image-to-3D model is 20 credits (25 on Meshy 7); rigging, animation and remeshing are free. Through the API, a textured model is 30 credits, rigging 5 and each animation 3.
| Plan | Per month | Models (about) | Per model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meshy Free | $0 | 4 to 5 (CC BY, 10 Lite downloads) | $0 |
| Meshy Pro | $20 | 40 to 50 | $0.40 to $0.50 |
| Meshy Premium | $40 | 120 to 150 | about $0.30 |
| Gifsy free | $0, once | 2 | $0 |
| Gifsy Starter | $9 | 10 | $0.90 |
| Gifsy Creator | $29 | 40 | $0.73 |
| Gifsy Studio | $49 | 80 | $0.61 |
Meshy model counts assume 20 to 25 web-app credits per model and every credit used. Meshy also lists a Starter plan ($10, 250 credits) that its price data marks as regional, so it isn't in the table. A Gifsy model is one credit with rigging and clips included, and a failed model gives its credit back on both.
Head-to-head table
Scroll sideways on a narrow screen: eight columns, six tools.
| Tool | Input | Free tier | Paid | Rig and animation | Formats | Speed | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meshy | Text, image, 2 to 8 images | 100 credits/mo, 10 downloads, CC BY (Meshy owns it) | Pro $20/mo, 1,000 credits; Premium $40; Studio $70 | Humanoid (and quadruped in the web app); 500+ animations on paid | GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ, 3MF | About 2 min | Remesh 100 to 300k polys, 8K PBR, API, plugins |
| Gifsy | Text (with free preview image), one photo | 2 models, yours, commercial use | $9/mo for 10; $29/mo for 40; $49/mo for 80 | Humanoid, Mixamo bone names; idle, walk, run in the file | GLB, STL | 4 to 10 min | Website embed viewer, free GIF and 2.5D tools |
| Tripo | Text, image, multiple images | 200 credits/mo, public, non-commercial, v2.5 downloads only | Pro $20/mo, 3,000 credits (about $0.16 a model, Tripo's figure) | 7 body types, Mixamo skeleton option; 90+ biped animations | GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ, 3MF | About 2 min textured | API, plugins, retopology, part segmentation |
| Rodin (Hyper3D) | Text, image | 10 private assets | Creator $30/mo (about 60 models) | Not compared | Not compared | Not measured | High-detail output |
| Sloyd | Parametric templates, text, image | 1 generation a day, personal use | Plus $15/mo (50 credits); Pro $50 | Not compared | Not compared | Not measured | Editable sliders on template models |
| TRELLIS.2 / Hunyuan3D | Image (self-hosted) | Free if you have the GPU | Your GPU time | No | GLB | Depends on your GPU | Open models; Hunyuan3D's licence excludes the EU, UK and South Korea |
The alternatives
1. Gifsy: owned models and rigged characters, at a small scale
What you get: a textured GLB and an STL from one photo or a text prompt. Text prompts draw a free preview image first (up to 20 a day), so a credit is only spent on a model you approved. Characters come rigged with Mixamo's bone names, with idle, walk and run saved in the file. Models can be embedded on a website, Webflow and Framer included. Free: 2 models per account, owned by you, commercial use allowed, no credit line. Paid: Starter $9 a month for 10, Creator $29 a month for 40, Studio $49 a month for 80. Privacy: the background is removed in your browser and the cut-out is deleted once the model is made. Honest limitation: 4 to 10 minutes a model, one photo only, GLB and STL only, no polycount control, no API, a two-person company. Best for: a handful of models you want to own, or a character for a game. Try image to 3D.
2. Tripo: the closest like-for-like
What you get: text, image and multi-image to 3D, with an auto-rigger that lists seven body types (biped, quadruped, bird, snake and more), with a Mixamo skeleton option. Exports include GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ and 3MF. Free: 200 credits a month, but models are public and non-commercial, and only the older v2.5 model can be downloaded. Paid: Pro is $20 a month for 3,000 credits, which Tripo puts at about $0.16 a basic model. Honest limitation: credits reset monthly and the free tier is mostly a trial. Best for: the lowest cost per model, and non-humanoid rigs.
3. Rodin (Hyper3D): detail first
What you get: a generator aimed at high-detail output. Free: 10 private assets. Paid: Creator $30 a month ($24 billed yearly) for about 60 models, Business $120. Honest limitation: pricier per model than Meshy Pro. Best for: hero assets where detail matters more than volume.
4. Sloyd: template models you can edit
What you get: parametric models built from templates, with sliders, plus AI generation. Free: 1 generation a day, personal use only. Paid: Plus $15 a month for 50 credits, Pro $50 with resale rights. Honest limitation: strongest on the object types its templates cover. Best for: game props you want to tweak after generation.
5. TRELLIS.2 and Hunyuan3D: run it yourself
What you get: the open models behind many hosted tools. Gifsy runs TRELLIS.2 for photos, for example. TRELLIS.2 is MIT-licensed; Hunyuan3D 2.1's licence doesn't apply in the EU, the UK or South Korea. Free: everything, on your own hardware. Honest limitation: a GPU with 24 GB or more, Python, and no rigging, editing tools or support. Best for: developers making hundreds of models.
Gifsy vs Meshy, side by side
| Meshy | Gifsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | Text, one or several images | Text, one image |
| Speed | About 2 minutes | 4 to 10 minutes |
| Free tier | 100 credits a month, CC BY, Meshy owns the output | 2 models, yours, commercial use |
| Cheapest paid | Pro $20 a month | Starter $9 a month |
| Per model at volume | About $0.30 to $0.50 | $0.61 to $0.73 |
| Formats | GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ, 3MF | GLB, STL |
| Rigging | Separate step, free in the web app | Included, Mixamo names, clips in the file |
| Polycount | Remesh 100 to 300k | Fixed (characters about 60k faces) |
| API and plugins | Yes | No |
| Training on your data | Allowed by its terms, except Enterprise | Photo cut-out deleted after the job |
Choose Meshy if you make models every week, need FBX, USDZ or an API, or want to set the polycount.
Choose Gifsy if you need a few models you fully own, want a character that walks the moment it lands in your engine, or want to put the model on a website without building a viewer. Compare it with Tripo on the Tripo alternative page, or with Mixamo for rigging on the Mixamo alternative page.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Meshy?
For a few models, yes: Gifsy gives 2 free models per account that you own and may use commercially, and Rodin's free tier includes private assets. For unlimited free models, run an open model like TRELLIS.2 (MIT licence) on your own GPU with 24 GB or more of memory.
Can I use Meshy's free models commercially?
Only with credit. Meshy's terms say Free-plan outputs belong to Meshy and are licensed to you under CC BY 4.0, which allows commercial use as long as you credit Meshy. Paid plans give you ownership and private models.
Is Meshy or Gifsy cheaper per model?
If you use most of your credits, Meshy Pro is cheaper: $20 for 1,000 credits is about $0.40 to $0.50 per model in the web app. Gifsy costs $0.61 to $0.90 per model, with rigging and three animation clips included. Gifsy's entry plan is cheaper ($9 a month) if you only need a few models.
Do Meshy credits roll over?
No. Meshy's pricing page says plan credits reset monthly and don't accumulate; credits you buy separately don't expire. Gifsy works the same way for plan credits, and its free credits don't expire.
Does Meshy train on my models?
Meshy's terms of use (section 2.9) allow it to use customer inputs and outputs to improve its models, except for Enterprise customers. Gifsy deletes the photo cut-out it receives once your model is made or the job fails.
Which is faster, Meshy or Gifsy?
Meshy, clearly. Its own docs give a median of about 2 minutes for a textured image-to-3D model. A Gifsy model from a photo usually takes 4 to 10 minutes, including the GPU starting up.
Can I export FBX or OBJ from Gifsy?
Not directly. Gifsy exports GLB and STL. Blender opens the GLB, rig included, and saves FBX or OBJ. Meshy exports GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ and 3MF directly.
Methodology, sources & update log
Sources read on 19 October 2026: meshy.ai/pricing (prices in USD from the page's price data, as it displayed in another currency for us), docs.meshy.ai (web app and API credit costs, task time medians for September 2026, changelog), meshy.ai/terms-of-use (sections 2.9 and 3.2), hyper3d.ai/pricing, sloyd.ai/pricing, a Wayback Machine copy of tripo3d.ai/pricing, and the TRELLIS.2 and Hunyuan3D 2.1 repositories. The free-credit history comes from pricingsaas.com's record of Meshy's pricing page. Review themes come from Trustpilot. We re-check prices quarterly; the next check is due January 2027.
- 19 October 2026: first published. A same-photo quality test across Meshy, Tripo and Gifsy is planned and will add a model viewer and a quality note per tool.