Last updated: 2026-08-26
Hunyuan 3D is Tencent's open-weight 3D generation model family that turns text, images, or sketches into game-ready meshes using a two-step geometry-then-texture pipeline. It carries an open commercial license and has passed 3 million downloads on Hugging Face. Access is via local inference or the Tencent Cloud API, billed per generation credit.
About Hunyuan 3D
Hunyuan 3D is Tencent's open-source 3D generation model family, developed by the Hunyuan team and released under the commercially friendly Apache 2.0 license. The series includes Hunyuan 3D 1.0 (November 2024), 2.0 (early 2025), and 3.0 (2026): each improving generation quality, geometric accuracy, and texture fidelity. The models employ a novel decoupled architecture with dedicated geometry and texture large models in a two-step process, producing more refined geometric structures and richer texture colors. The platform supports four multimodal input modes: (1) Text-to-3D: generate 3D models from natural language descriptions with precise fidelity to style, shape, and material details; (2) Image-to-3D: upload up to four multi-view images to create accurate 3D models capturing geometry and texture with high precision; (3) Sketch-to-3D: transform simple sketches into fully detailed 3D models by adding text-based attributes (color, category, material); (4) Smart Topology: automatically optimize mesh topology for efficient rendering and professional standards, supporting both triangular and quadrilateral faces. Output formats include OBJ, GLB, STL, USDZ, FBX, MP4, and GIF: compatible with Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, and professional 3D pipelines. The international platform at hy.tencent.com/research/hy3 offers professional-grade model editing and adjustment capabilities. Over 3 million community downloads on Hugging Face make Hunyuan 3D one of the world's most popular open-source 3D models. More than 150 enterprises in Mainland China have integrated Hunyuan 3D via Tencent Cloud, including Unity China, Bambu Lab, and Liblib. Tencent Cloud provides API access through the TokenHub MaaS platform with two tiers: Hunyuan 3D Global (Professional) at 25 credits per standard generation (textured geometry), and Hunyuan 3D Global (Express) at 15 credits per call for faster generation. Prepaid credit packages: 1,000 credits for $15 ($0.015/credit), 10,000 for $145 ($0.0145/credit), 50,000 for $700 ($0.014/credit), 100,000 for $1,350 ($0.0135/credit). Postpaid: $0.02/credit daily settlement. Free tier: 200 credits on first activation (Professional), 20 free generations daily on the consumer platform. Concurrency add-ons: $5,000/month per slot. Value-added post-processing: Smart Topology (50 credits), 3D Part Generation (30), 3D Texture Edit (30), UV Unfold (10), Auto Rigging (10), Format Conversion (5). Failed API calls are not charged.
Pricing
Free: 200 credits on activation (Pro), 20 daily generations (consumer platform). Prepaid: 1,000 credits $15 ($0.015/credit), 10K $145 ($0.0145), 50K $700 ($0.014), 100K $1,350 ($0.0135). Postpaid: $0.02/credit daily. Pro generation: 25 credits (Normal), 30 (LowPoly), 15 (Geometry), 25 (Sketch). Express: 15 credits. Add-ons: MultiView +10, PBR +10, FaceCount +10. Post-processing: Smart Topology 50, Part Gen 30, Texture Edit 30, UV Unfold 10, Auto Rig 10, Convert 5. Concurrency: $5,000/mo per slot. Failed calls not charged.
Key Features
- Four Multimodal Generation Modes: Text-to-3D, Image-to-3D (up to 4 multi-view images), Sketch-to-3D (sketch plus text attributes), and Smart Topology (automatic mesh optimization for quad or tri faces) in one platform.
- Two-Step Geometry-Then-Texture Pipeline: Separate geometry and texture models run in sequence rather than jointly, the architecture credited for the family's combined geometric accuracy and texture fidelity gains.
- Open License, Full Weights on Hugging Face: Model weights and code for the whole version family are open under a permissive commercial license, enabling fine-tuning and self-hosted inference without license fees.
- Direct Game-Engine Import: Generated meshes import straight into Unity, Unreal Engine, and Blender without conversion, ready for game or print pipelines.
- Tencent Cloud TokenHub API: Managed pay-per-credit API with prepaid packages, postpaid daily settlement, and add-on concurrency slots for production workloads.
Pros
- Permissive open-source license (no cost, no usage cap) allows commercial use, fine-tuning, and self-hosted deployment.
- Two-step geometry-then-texture pipeline gives it an edge on combined geometric accuracy and texture richness among open-weight 3D generators.
- 3M+ Hugging Face downloads and 150+ enterprise integrations via Tencent Cloud, including Unity China and Bambu Lab, show real production use, not just research interest.
- Prepaid API credits and free daily allowances make it inexpensive to test before committing budget, unlike most proprietary competitors with no free tier.
Cons
- Primary documentation and support are in Chinese; English docs exist but lag behind the Chinese originals.
- API access requires a Tencent Cloud account with KYC verification, which adds onboarding friction for accounts outside Mainland China.
- The consumer web platform is tuned for the Chinese market; users elsewhere may notice higher latency than region-local competitors.
- No native Windows, macOS, or Linux desktop app; usage is web, API, or manual local inference on a self-managed GPU.
Data Handling
- Training-data policy
- Training data not fully disclosed; model card on Hugging Face describes synthetic and curated 3D datasets. Apache 2.0 permits commercial use and modification.
- Data retention
- 30 days
- Compliance
- Apache 2.0 · ISO 27001 (Tencent Cloud)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hunyuan 3D actually cost?
Paid API credits via Tencent Cloud run from $15 for 1,000 prepaid down to $1,350 for 100,000 prepaid, or $0.02 per credit postpaid. A standard textured generation costs 25 credits, so the cheapest prepaid tier works out to roughly 37 cents per model. Concurrency above the default slot costs an additional $5,000 a month.
Is Hunyuan 3D free to use?
Yes, in three ways: the open-weight model is free to download and run locally on your own GPU, the consumer web platform gives 20 free generations daily, and new API accounts get 200 free credits on activation. Local inference still needs GPU hardware capable of running the model, which is a real cost if you don't already own one.
What should you use instead of Hunyuan 3D?
Meshy and Tripo are the closest comparisons for teams that want a polished, English-first web platform without a Tencent Cloud account. Common Sense Machines targets e-commerce photo-to-3D specifically, and Rodin focuses on higher-end PBR texture quality for game studios. Hunyuan 3D remains the main option among these with fully open license weights.
What separates Hunyuan 3D from Meshy?
The license: Hunyuan 3D is Apache-licensed and runs locally with no per-seat cost, while Meshy is a closed, hosted-only service. Meshy wins on onboarding speed and web polish, with no Tencent Cloud account or KYC step. Technical teams already in the Unity or Unreal pipeline tend to prefer Hunyuan 3D; solo creators who want to start in minutes tend to prefer Meshy.
How long does it take to get going with Hunyuan 3D?
For quick testing, the consumer platform at hy.tencent.com/research/hy3 needs only a sign-in for 20 free daily generations. For production API use, plan on 1-3 business days for Tencent Cloud account setup and KYC verification before the TokenHub API is usable. For local inference, download the weights from Hugging Face and run them on a GPU with enough VRAM; a high-end card is recommended for the current release.
Top Alternatives
- Meshy: Pick Hunyuan 3D for open-source licensing and local inference; pick Meshy for a polished global web UX with no Tencent Cloud account required.
- Tripo: Pick Hunyuan 3D for open license weights and multimodal inputs; pick Tripo for faster generation and smoother texture consistency on complex objects.
- Common Sense Machines (CSM): Pick Hunyuan 3D for open weights and sketch-to-3D; pick CSM for e-commerce-specific photo-to-3D workflows and dedicated customer support.
- Rodin (Deemos): Pick Hunyuan 3D for free open-weight access; pick Rodin for higher-end PBR texture quality and game-ready topology if budget allows.