3D modeling services refers to the use of specialized software to create an image or visualization of an object. In other words, a 3D model is CGI (computer-generated imagery) and it exists only as a digital file in a virtual world. The model itself can be entirely imaginary (such as a product concept, yet-to-be-built architectural design, fantastical creatures, game characters, and scenery) or digital twins, like when an automaker builds a detailed digital archive of an existing vehicle.
Thanks to the rapid development of computer technologies, 3D modeling is applicable to just about every industry. Over the years, modelers have used specialized software to build a wide variety of digital objects for various purposes, such as:
- Design ideas: 3D modelers are able to visualize product design concepts either from scratch or based on rough sketches by designers. The result is, as mentioned earlier, a digital prototype. The products can be anything from a simple pair of flip-flops to a complex industrial machine with all the mechanical components inside.
- Characters: even if the characters in games and animated films are based on real people, what you see on screen are 3D models. Some architectural renderings also use 3D models of people to increase the photorealism effect.
- Scientific concepts: 3D modeling has been frequently used in educational settings to help students gain a better understanding of biology, physics, geography, and history. Digital models allow students and professionals to interact with a variety of objects (digital twins) in a controlled environment.
So, 3D modeling is useful and just as ubiquitous as you might expect, but it’s not something that anybody can master in just a few days’ time. It’s a good thing that the World Wide Web has given access to quite a lot of places where you can source skillful 3D modeling professionals, both agencies and solo freelancers, to work on your next projects.
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Remote 3D designers/agencies
As far as designs are concerned, 3D modeling offers an efficient way to visualize ideas and develop prototypes–digital prototypes, at least. In some advanced product development projects, a 3D model might be subjected to a simulation analysis to evaluate the performance and functionality (of the digitally created prototype) before moving forward to the production stage. Designers and engineers can therefore refine their ideas and make countless alterations on the screen, without actually having the physical design in their hands.
1. Cad Crowd
You can’t just hire any digital artist on a whim. A proper 3D modeling requires some serious skills, a good understanding of 3D software, and, more importantly, an excessive dose of creativity. Experience in similar projects is equally important, as it demonstrates the modeler’s abilities to tackle common design challenges on the job as well. Although in certain projects the modeler basically follows what’s already described in the brief, the job often puts the modeler in situations where they have to deal with unexpected difficulties in various aspects like level of details, styling, and uniqueness.
Additionally, familiarity (or rather, proficiency) in cloud-based workflow is becoming a greater necessity, especially if you’re talking about remote projects. But Cad Crowd has everything covered on your behalf. Unlike the vast majority of general freelancing platforms, Cad Crowd positions itself as a 3D CAD specialist; the vast majority of freelancers, experts, and firms registered with the site are CAD professionals, offering a wide variety of industry-relevant services.
Cad Crowd has just the right talents to tackle all sorts of CG-related tasks, including but not limited to 3D modeling of any object, 3D rigging services, texturing, rendering, animation, and concept art. Through the “Managed Services” feature, you have the benefit of keeping the project confidential in every sense of the word. The project remains closed to the public and is accessible only by the 3D modeler handpicked by Cad Crowd. As a matter of fact, only you and the modeler can see the project description, the submitted work, and file attachments.
If privacy and confidentiality are non-negotiable, Managed Services from Cad Crowd is the way to go. As an alternative, there’s also the ‘Design Contest” option, where you post a 3D modeling project either to the public or to a selection of freelancers. However, contests are probably best reserved for smaller projects, such as 3D printable designs, simple product ideas, game character models, or floor plans. As long as the project brief is simple enough that you can explain everything in one page, a design contest seems like a good option. Freelancers will compete against each other to submit their best works and earn the prize money.
It’s worth mentioning that every 3D modeler who participates in your design contest is bound by Cad Crowd’s non-disclosure agreement. Because the options of “Managed Services” and “Design Contest” are available for clients, Cad Crowd is kind of operating as both a design agency, where it acts like a project manager to bridge communication between the modeler and the client, and a freelancing platform that connects you with professional, independent solo freelance 3D modelers.
Website: Cadcrowd.com
RELATED: 3D Modeling vs. 3D Rendering Services
2. Game-Ace
Quite a lot of online/remote 3D product modeling agencies specialize in the gaming industry, and Game-Ace is one of those. While the website plainly says that they’re a custom game development studio, the description seems to indicate that it can take 3D modeling orders of any kind, including characters, vehicles, environment, weapons, etc. Considering the fact that modern games are increasingly focusing on realism, there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider the studio for your next 3D modeling project.
The agency operates in more or less the same fashion as just about every other custom service online, in which it takes your order for a tailored product and delivers it exactly to your specification and budget. As long as you’re asking for 3D hard surface modeling, chances are the professionals at Game-Ace can get the job done no matter what the objects are. Game-Ace is based in Nicosia, Cyprus, with representatives located in various countries, including Germany, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Canada.
Website: Game-ace.com
3. Juego Studios
An ISO-9001:2015 certified game development company, Juego Studios has worked with giants like Disney, Coca-Cola, Warner Bros., and Johnson & Johnson, among others. The studio is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, but it has established branch offices in London (UK), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Miami (US), and Texas (US). It’s powered by a relatively big team of more than 100 professionals, including 3D artists, storytellers, innovators, and game developers.
Since Juego Studios was founded in 2013, it has worked with at least 80 clients across 20 countries worldwide. Once again, Juego Studios is mainly a game design company, which naturally also does 3D modeling work. In fact, 3D sculpting design services (a type of 3D modeling) is one of the core professions in the entire game development industry. This means you don’t have to plan to build a game from scratch to hire their services. It doesn’t matter if you need a 3D model of shiny jewelry or an oil rig, Juego Studios is happy to take the order.
Website: Juegostudio.com
4. Anideos
Despite being a video production company at heart, Anideos offers a whole range of other services in the digital art industry, including book illustration, concept art development, and, of course, 3D modeling. Anideos isn’t actually a freelancing platform, but it allows you to hire each of the services individually. For example, a client can hire an artist to build a 3D model without having to order the animation service as well.
Think of Anideos as an agency, or a recruiter if you like, that takes your order and has it completed by a qualified professional in its network. One of the most commendable things about Anideos is that it provides long-term support following project completion. If at some point after the project, you’ve discovered that the 3D model needs refinements due to visual flaws, Anideos is ready to take the model back and fix it all up for you.
Website: Anideos.com
5. 3D-Ace
Unlike the similarly named Game-Ace that positions itself as a game studio but also offers 3D modeling services, 3D-Ace is kind of a generalist as far as 3D CAD is concerned. At least according to 3D-Ace themselves, the studio is dealing in the art outsourcing business and providing services in three main categories: 3D modeling, 3D animation services, and VFX.
When it comes to the 3D modeling part, 3D-Ace mainly employs the polygonal modeling technique. That said, the in-house team is more than skillful enough to take different approaches, such as NURBS, photogrammetry, digital sculpting, and all other solutions that aren’t typically associated with games. Every single model is formatted and optimized for any specific type of media (render, animation, software, etc.), so make sure your project brief contains clear information about where you want to use the model and for what purpose.
Website: 3D-ace.com
6. UFO 3D
Maintaining prompt communication should be easy with UFO 3D, thanks to its stand-alone mobile platform available for iOS. It probably is one of the very few 3D modeling services that have their own mobile apps to help you manage every project on the go, so it’s a little bit more reassuring than most in that regard. UFO 3D is backed by a pretty big team of nearly 300 digital artists, with a combined expertise to take on just about every CGI project you can throw at them. This may include 3D modeling, animation, 360° view, drawings, sketches, 3D AR/VR architectural experts, architectural visualization, and AR.
In fact, UFO 3D says there’s no scale limitation to the size and type of project it can handle. The free revision offer is also quite promising. The agency is willing to make as many adjustments as you need, as long as the changes don’t exceed 60% of the scope of the project. A limitation in revision is not uncommon in the business, but a 60% maximum is pretty impressive. Registered clients also get free access to a massive library of assets containing tens of thousands of 3D models (mostly furniture pieces and accessories) and more than 6,000 scenes.
Website: Ufo3d.com
RELATED: 3D Modeling: An Overview of History & Industry Applications
7. VegaCADD
While VegaCADD is operating primarily in the architectural visualization business sector, the solution also offers custom 3D modeling services. Admittedly, most projects in its current portfolio revolve around furniture designs and decorations, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t order 3D modeling of any other object. VegaCADD caters to both low-poly and high-poly modeling techniques, meaning the models should be good enough for product visualizations, animations, and even game visuals.
Over the last six years or so, the agency has managed to successfully tackle 785 projects for various purposes in different fields. The usual 3D model formats are DWG, DWF, and DWFx, but you’re welcome to personalize the order and ask for any specific file output. VegaCADD is based in California, United States, and is part of Rayvat Rendering Studio. Their corporate headquarters, however, are located in Gandhinagar, India.
Website: Vegacadd.com
8. Aristek Systems
You may notice that Aristek System actually is a custom software development company, but the website clearly says that it also offers solutions in the 3D modeling sector. The company’s work in the sector consists of four major disciplines, including CAD, product modeling, animation, and rendering. In the CAD part, the in-house 3D design team takes your design ideas and transforms them into digital drawings. This eliminates the need to have ready-made sketches when ordering a 3D model, because the company has this part covered.
They first produce two-dimensional digital drawings based on your idea, wait for your feedback and approval, revise if necessary, and then build the 3D model. In case you want to take things a little bit further with animation or a complete lifestyle rendering (with additional objects in the background), Aristek System can take on the job as well, for a full-range, turnkey 3D design service.
Website: Aristekservices.com
9. The Motion Tree
Some 3D modeling agencies are quite secretive about their pricing and deliberately keep the information behind a registration wall. The Motion Tree is not such a firm. It offers several different services and is upfront about the pricing in all of them. The 3D modeling service is available for $25; the service includes creating the sketches and turning them into 3D models. However, the service doesn’t actually include texturing work, as it will cost you $10 extra.
In case you also need a silo rendering (photorealistic CGI put against a plain background, usually white), you must pay an additional fee of $10 as well. The two most expensive services are lifestyle rendering (similar to silo rendering, except the background is not in plain color, but an assortment of other objects arranged in such a way in the scene) and product animation services, costing $79 and $99, respectively.
Website: Themotiontree.com
10. nAO
A hardware product development company, nAO divides its services into five major categories: Product Design, Design Research, Engineering, Manufacturing Support, and AI-Powered Product Concepts. The company’s 3D modeling work lies under the first and the last categories. Product Design is all about creating concepts and transforming them into realistic models based on predetermined parameters, whereas the AI-powered option involves collecting and analyzing an extensive amount of data about any particular design and exploring feasible concepts using artificial intelligence.
For the AI-powered design generation, nAO charges $2500, for which you get three product concepts, high-resolution rendering of the selected concept, a 3D model, and one time revision. Remember that nAO also offers engineering and manufacturing support. In case you need to take a product concept further into an actual production run, the company is eager to provide additional services such as prototyping and manufacturing optimization. Most products in the company’s portfolio are IoT devices and high-tech systems.
Website: Nao.design
11. Peschke
Having been around in the creative industry since 1973, Peschke is quite possibly one of the oldest design studios in the world. It’s a multidisciplinary studio that does everything from UX/UI and content creation to software development and product design. Pouring a combined expertise in materials science, ergonomics, and production engineering design professionals, Peschke is best known for its “circular” approach to design by aligning product development work with the principles of circular economy.
In short, their designs are meant to contribute to the global effort to reduce waste and minimize consumption. Their CAD and visualization offerings are made up of several different services: 3D modeling, design comparisons, renderings, animations, and virtual reality. Some of their previous clients include AKG Acoustics, ENGEL, Waagner-Biro, and Grabner Instruments. Peschke is based in Vienna, Austria.
Website: Peschke.at
RELATED: Why is 3D Modeling Important for Product Manufacturing Companies?
12. ThePro3DStudio
Many design studios offer 3D modeling services merely as part of their product development businesses, but ThePro3DStudio only focuses on the modeling part. That said, there is a good enough variety in the range of services it provides. For example, the studio offers to build your 3D model in either a 3D-printable format, digital sculpting, or both. The studio also doesn’t have any specific considerations about the types of objects you want to make; they might be gadgets, furniture pieces, apparel, fashion accessories, cosmetics, and more.
You get to choose whether you want to pay an hourly rate or on a project basis for the task. More importantly, the studio says to keep the client heavily involved throughout the project, from the ideation stage to the actual design iteration. You’ll be asked for reviews and feedback on a regular basis (for approval) every step of the way before the studio proceeds to the next phase. This makes sure that the final model or design is exactly to your preference.
Website: Professional3dservices.com
13. Spine 3D
Spatial Interactive Experiences (stylized as SPINE, and then becoming Spine 3D) is a visualization studio located in South Florida. Specializing in architectural objects, the visualization services include 3D modeling, rendering, animation, virtual tours, 360° view, virtual reality of buildings, interior designs, landscapes, floor plans, real estate projects, or just about everything else typically related to construction. And yet the studio’s portfolio, especially in the “product visualization & experiences” section, contains an assortment of photorealistic models of seemingly random objects, such as a crane attachment, a wristwatch, a wolf, a door lock, a lighting fixture, some cars, and a few medical equipment.
Website: Spine3d.com
14. Design 1st
Everything about Design 1st revolves around three processes: designing, engineering, and prototyping. The studio focuses on “manufacturable design concepts” rather than imaginary objects like fantastical characters or sci-fi weapons you see in games. In other words, Design 1st isn’t interested in any non-feasible concepts, and it works only in the realm of technical plausibility.
Based on the information available from the website, you don’t actually have to provide sketches or concepts of any sort when ordering a 3D model. Design 1st only needs a plausible idea or a vision of a product to start working through the entire process of generating a visualization. The process begins by identifying the target user before it moves on to an exploration into visual concepts of the product in question.
The first visual concepts are usually hand-drawn images, and then the 3D modeling work kicks off. You’ll be heavily involved in the project until you’re happy with the produced 3D model. Assuming you want to continue the collaboration with rapid prototyping designers or CNC machining, Design 1st has the expertise in those services as well.
Website: Design1st.com
15. Brash
The services Brash provides include PCB design, model making, mechanical engineering, robotics/mechatronics, firmware development, full-stack web development, and industrial design. With offices located in North America (United States and Canada) and Europe, the company has worked with businesses of all sizes and provided turnkey product development services across industries. The good thing about Brash is that no client is required to go through the entire product development process, from ideation all the way to production. Brash is ready to jump at any point in the process. You don’t have to go through every single step, meaning you can order only what you need; in this case, the 3D modeling phase.
Website: Brashinc.com
16. Porticos
According to Porticos themselves, many of their clients do not really need the entire range of product development services, from concept generation to post-production. The company has been around for more than 20 years, catering to clients from various industries and with highly specific needs. Just because you only need to have a product idea 3D-modeled and nothing else, it doesn’t mean you can’t ask for their assistance.
In addition to 3D modeling and new product development services, Porticos takes pride in its “engineering investigation” work, which includes everything from design review and cost engineering to failure analysis and component obsolescence. This service screams reverse engineering, which is definitely useful if you want to build or “model” a new product based on an existing design.
Website: Porticos.net
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17. Tesla Mechanical Designs
A big highlight of Tesla Mechanical Designs is that they claim to implement the DFM (Design for Manufacturing) approach in all of their modeling work. DFM services basically refers to the process of designing an object with manufacturability in mind. Every single thing in the design, including the material, tolerance, surface finish, geometry, etc., should be, by definition, production-ready.
When it comes to 3D modeling, especially if it’s a product concept, you want it to be as precise as possible to the physical object. Tesla Mechanical Designs claims to place emphasis on accuracy to the point where the design can be replicated easily for future uses. You’ll be glad to know that they also cater to mechanical part modeling, indicating that they work not only on the external (exterior part) of a product design, but also the inner mechanism, too.
Website: Teslamechanicaldesigns.com
18. Concepto Studios
Some popular products by well-known brands in which Concepto Studios was part of the design team include the Remington’s HyperFlex rotary shavers, BLACK+DECKER Xpress Steam Cord Reel Iron, and Philips Zenit 5.1 Speaker System.
Concepto Studios provides the entire series of services you typically expect from a product development company, such as research, branding, design, 3D visualization, design engineering experts, prototyping, packaging, and manufacturing; basically everything you need to turn an idea into a physical product. But then again, you don’t have to use them all. If you’ve already done your research or put the designs into sketches, and you only need the 3D modeling part done, there’s no need to pay for the full spectrum of services.
Website: Conceptostudios.com
19. PIXREADY
Considering the fact that PIXREADY has only been in the business for around five years, it’s quite impressive that they’ve completed more than 1200 projects already. Granted, not every single one of those projects was product 3D modeling, for the simple reason that they also offer architectural visualization, product configurator, and animation. Their 3D modeling services cater to different needs; it doesn’t matter if you need the models for prototyping purposes, virtual try-ons, DFM documentation, or marketing assets. Prices start from $100 for a basic model and $350 for the more complex type.
Website: Pixready.com
20. CGI Furniture
As the name implies, CGI Furniture only does 3D visualization services for one type of product: furniture. Like PIXREADY, you have several options based on how you intend to use the models. For advertising purposes, for example, you should pick the high-poly model as it highlights the texture, colors, and surface finishes better than the low-poly option. That being said, the low-poly is probably best for AR and VR uses, such as during a virtual walkthrough of a design. 3D furniture rendering services also have a massive library containing thousands of ready-to-use 3D models and scenes that you can purchase and (likely) modify.
Website: Cgifurniture.com
21. Jackson Hedden
One of Jackson Hedden’s finest creations, the Archie & Alfred Dog Harness, was awarded the best dog leash by People Magazine. In their Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) directory, the list of clients includes 3M, Bentley, Boston Scientific, and Axolight. As part of Jackson Hedden’s primary services, they offer design research, sketch ideation, CAD documentation, and visualization.
With a bold claim that says “we make everything,” the firm never shies away from implementing an out-of-the-box approach to design, but without abandoning the contemporary design principles. Whether you want to have a brand-new product design 3D-modeled or an existing design reengineered and improved, Jackson Hedden should be on your shortlist of remote 3D designers to hire.
Website: Jacksonhedden.com
22. Modelry
With over six million 3D specialists registered with the site, Modelry is a pretty massive place to outsource your 3D modeling project. The thing is, Modelry doesn’t connect you directly with any of those specialists. The platform takes your order for a custom 3D model and delivers the model as requested. They don’t really say whether the job is outsourced by one of the freelancers or done by the in-house team, but the most important thing is that the client receives the files either way.
A single custom-built 3D model costs from $42. One of Moderly’s latest offerings is the “3D Datasets” feature, which includes custom datasets tailored to your specifications and fully licensed generative AI applications. Modelry also provides a free 3D model storage and hosting service up to 20GB.
Website: Moderly.ai
RELATED: How to Design 3D Models for 3D Printing & New Prototypes
Freelance 3D modeler
And now to the sites where you can find and hire individual (or a team of) freelancers instead of design firms.
23. AnyTask
You’ll immediately notice that AnyTask is a general freelancing platform just by looking at the homepage. There is a massive search bar at the top of the page, followed by an assortment of thumbnails showcasing the platform’s recommended freelancers. All the 3D modeling professionals are listed under the “Visual Design” tab, especially in the “3D & Architectural Design” category, where you’ll see other options like floor plans and AutoCAD mechanical engineering professionals as well.
Let’s say you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in the list of freelancers or that you’re still unsure if anybody is able to complete the project well; AnyTask gives you the option to post the project on a job board free of charge. Interested modelers will send you an offer, and you can continue the conversation from there. AnyTask does provide the platform to connect you with freelancers, but it will not in any way interfere with the collaboration. AnyTask does charge a small fee for every transaction done through the platform. The cost is automatically added to the project cost, and the modeler gets to keep 100% of the earnings.
Website: Anytask.com
24. CGHero
In some respects, CGHero is like Cad Crowd in the sense that both are freelancing platforms that offer full-service management. Also, they specialize in services revolving around the computer-generated design field. When working with CGHero, all you have to do is provide a simple brief that includes the project type, software preference, skill requirements, and production format. The platform immediately takes over from there and proceeds to create the detailed descriptions of the tasks involved.
It will then match the project with 3D modelers registered to the site. You’ll receive updates about the project, and when everything is done, you’ll gain access to all the files. The project management platform has all the features you need to monitor progress, provide reviews or feedback, and track activities during any given project. All the funds are held in an escrow account and released only when the work is done. The intellectual properties and copyrights are also transferred to you on project completion.
Website: Cghero.com
25. Braintrust
With everything seeming to be AI-generated these days, Braintrust jumps on the bandwagon by providing you with an AI-powered hiring assistance when you need a top talent to work on your 3D modeling project (or any project for that matter, because Braintrust is a general freelancing platform). There’s an AI job description generator, which automatically creates a job posting supposedly effective to attract top talent; it also has an AI-based candidate matching process that selects only five candidates (out of a million talent members) for your project; even the video interviews to screen the candidates are conducted by AI.
Braintrust partners with more than 25 workforce platforms to ensure you get the best possible candidate for projects of any size and the right tools to manage the collaboration. If the AI isn’t entirely convincing enough for you, Braintrust also offers a Remote Job Board that you can use to post projects for free.
Website: Usebraintrust.com
26. CGTrader
More than 40,000 freelance 3D designers find a home in CGTrader, which claims to be the largest platform to find 3D modelers, riggers, animators, 3D printing professionals, and everything in between. The hiring process is pretty straightforward in CGTrader. You need to describe your project as clearly as possible using a simple form. It’s advisable to add some images to the description to help freelancers understand the brief better.
Next, the platform selects a number of qualified designers to send quotes based on the project brief. You should receive the quotes in your inbox. The quotes should come attached with the freelancers’ profiles, making it easier for you to browse their portfolios and evaluate their previous works. In case you find the whole process too cumbersome for some reason, just use the search function and filter the results based on skills, ratings, and software preferences. CGTrader requires you to pay the budget in advance, but the fund is only released when you’re pleased with the model submitted.
Website: Cgtrader.com
RELATED: 5 Powerful Tips for Sculpting with 3D Modeling Freelancers and Services Companies
27. Freelancehunt
When you think of Ukraine these days, freelancing platforms might not be the first thing to cross your mind, but there is indeed such a thing in the country despite the ongoing international conflict. Since 2005, Freelancehunt has been steadily growing to become the largest freelancer market in Eastern Europe. It currently has a database of more than 175,000 professionals registered with the site; nearly 3,000 of them are 3D modelers.
Website: Freelancehunt.com
28. Contra
You have access to over 800,000 professionals from various disciplines in Contra. Searching for a 3D modeler (or freelancer of any other skill set, for instance, 3D architectural visualization experts) is a straightforward process. All you have to do is sort through the freelancers by category, software tools, hourly rate, language, etc., and you’ll be provided with a list of suitable candidates. However, you must be a registered member to do all that and access all other features.
Website: Contra.com
29. Creatively
Among the best features of Creatively is that you get to post as many projects as you need and contact (via DM) up to 400,000 freelancers in its network. Creatively says it has an innovative recruiter feature–although it doesn’t actually elaborate how unique the process is–to help you match a project with the ideal 3D CAD modeling professional. It’s a subscription-based platform, costing you at least $199 per month, but thankfully, there’s a 10-day free trial.
Website: Joincreatively.com
30. Microlancer
The minimalistic user interface seems to be the main appeal of Microlancer. Taking a deeper look into the website (or job listing) reveals that the term “micro” is used quite literally here, in the sense that clients are allowed to post even tiny projects on the board. Apart from that, everything else feels pretty much the same as many other platforms; you post a project, wait for proposals from freelancers, and choose one to get the job done. Posting a project is free, and you get the option to boost the listing (to increase visibility) for a fee.
Website: Microlancer.io
31. Useme
Most freelancers in Useme are based in Europe, mainly in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Serbia. Despite not being a global freelance market, Useme claims to have at least 170,000 freelancers registered with the site. You get full access to the entire database of freelancers, and it comes with a limitless job posting feature. However, Useme charges a small platform fee taken from a percentage of your project budget for every successful transaction.
Website: Useme.com
32. Remote
A lot of things in Remote are similar to those of Contra. Instead of letting you use the website to freely post a project and hire a freelancer, first, you need to register for a membership to be able to access the job board. Subscription fee starts at $119 per month. According to Remote itself, clients will be able to access some of the most popular remote job boards to improve their chances of getting the best possible 3D CAD rendering freelancer for any project.
Website: Remote.com
RELATED: Tips to Become a Freelance 3D Visualization and 3D Modeling Pro
33. Toptal
Here’s the big claim by Toptal: thousands of freelancers apply to the platform, but no more than 3% are accepted. They position themselves as the elites of the freelancing world, promising quality over quantity. Toptal isn’t a free platform; you need to be a registered member to proceed with the “talent search” feature. The subscription fee is $79 per month.
Website: Toptal.com
34. YunoJuno
Creating a YunoJuno account is free, but there’s a 12% commission fee (billed to the client, not the freelancer) for every completed project. That 12% fee covers an expedited matchmaking service and sourcing support. At the moment, YunoJuno claims to have a database of more than 100,000 freelancers with a broad range of combined skill sets from marketing to design. And yes, 3D modeling is included as well.
Website: Yunojuno.com
35. Upwork
A general freelancing platform that needs no further introduction, Upwork gives you a nice blend of user-friendliness and the promise that there will always be freelancers interested in your 3D modeling project, as long as you price it properly. Once a job is posted, you’ll receive proposals from a number of modelers. Since the lowest bidder might not always be the best option, make sure to check their profiles and portfolios before you make that hiring decision.
Website: Upwork.com
36. Truelancer
You can hire CAD designers in two ways with Truelancer. You can post a project, review proposals from freelancers, and choose one you think is best suited for the task. Alternatively, you may want to browse the freelancers’ profiles, evaluate their portfolios, and invite them to apply for your project. Truelancer doesn’t charge a platform fee, but it passes on the “third-party” payment processing fee to the client’s deposited fund.
Website: Truelancer.com
37. Fiverr
Quite possibly the first website that comes to mind when looking for a freelancer, Fiverr lives up to its name by keeping the cost low, although the same introductory price of $5 only applies to the most basic of services. While you can post a 3D modeling project and have Fiverr handle the matchmaking task, it might be just easier to browse the freelancers’ profiles and contact them directly.
Website: Fiverr.com
38. Freelancer
According to their latest number, Freelancer (the platform) has connected more than 78 million clients and freelancers from 247 countries combined. The hiring system works through a bidding process; freelancers are required to submit proposals or bids on your project. Freelancer, like Upwork and Fiverr, is a general freelancing platform, meaning you can post a project of any category, even the highly specific ones, such as 3D modeling or Autocad drafting & design services. Freelancer also has a mobile app to help you manage a project anywhere, anytime.
Website: Freelancer.com
RELATED: 3D Modeling in Advertising – Better Promotion with 3D Rendering Services
39. PeoplePerHour
Once you post a project to PeoplePerHour, an AI-powered matchmaking system does the work and sends a notification to freelancers it thinks are most suitable for the project. You receive proposals from them, pick the best one, and deposit the project fund. PeoplePerHour also allows you to search and contact freelancers directly and invite them to complete a task.
Website: Peopleperhour.com
40. Guru
The way Guru works isn’t entirely dissimilar to PeoplePerHour. You post a project (after signing up, of course), receive quotes from freelancers, and choose the best one to hire. Guru claims that a typical project should get responses from freelancers within just hours after posting. And there’s the search function, with which you can contact freelancers and ask them to send quotes for a project.
Website: Guru.com
41. Blender Artist Community
Just by looking at the homepage, you can tell immediately that you’re not in a typical freelancing platform. Blender Artist Community isn’t primarily a place where 3D artists are looking for work or companies looking to hire a freelancer, but it does have a section for both purposes in the “Jobs” section. In addition to the “Paid work” category, where you post a project and offer a monetary reward, there’s also “Volunteer work” in case you need help with some modeling but aren’t prepared to spend on it.
Website: Blenderartists.com
42. Deviant Art Forum
If the Blender Artist Community is mostly frequented by Blender (the software) users, Deviant Art is a much more open community for digital artists at large, no matter what software preferences they have. In the “Forum” portion of the community, you’ll come across the “Employment opportunities” section, filled with two categories: Artists for Hire and Hiring an Artist; both are pretty self-explanatory. You can, of course, browse both categories to discover the 3D modeler you need.
Website: Deviantart.com
43. FreeUp
You’d think that Toptal accepting a mere 3% of all freelancers applying to the site is pretty impressive, but FreeUp is even more outrageous for claiming that it accepts only 1% of all applicants. FreeUp says that all freelancers on the platform are fluent in English and have been interviewed and vetted for their technical skills. You can sign up for free, and there’s no monthly fee to use the platform.
Website: Freeup.net
44. Worksome
You can’t really classify Worksome as a job board or a freelancing platform. Worksome gives you an all-in-one platform to help you source freelancers and manage the collaboration from a single dashboard. It has a centralized system that enables a streamlined workflow to hire, contract, pay, and optimize the external workforce. You also have a feature to add your existing talent pool to the platform.
Website: Worksome.com
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45. Twine
Although there’s no mention that Twine only accepts a small percentage of freelancers registering with the site, the platform says to vet all the proposals submitted to your project. As usual, it’s also possible to browse the freelancers’ profiles and invite them to send their best pitches. Posting a project is free, and because this is a general freelancing platform, your project can be anything from simple data entry to the much more demanding 3D modeling tasks.
Website: Twine.net
46. Giggrabbers
As far as hiring freelancers is concerned, Giggrabbers doesn’t actually provide something new. You post a project, wait for proposals, evaluate freelancers’ portfolios, and make a hiring decision. That said, Giggrabbers is the first freelancing platform to also offer crowdfunding features and exploratory tools to help clients grow their business. And for a whopping fee of $2000 per month (at least), you get the option to request a personalized package of freelancing services on a regular basis.
Website: Giggrabbers.com
47. OnSite
It appears that OnSite gives nearly everything you could ever want from a freelancing platform, with such features as job posting, freelancers search, the ability to contact candidates via phone or email, and 0% commission. Unfortunately, the talent pool is not as massive as you’d get from the more established platforms like Cad Crowd. Also, OnSite charges you a flat fee of £100 (or around $123).
Website: Onsite.io
48. We Work Remotely
It might be difficult to check if this claim is true, but We Work Remotely says that the platform is home to the largest community of remote workers and employers. In terms of pricing, it’s rather on the expensive side of the spectrum, as a single job posting will cost you $299. For that amount, the job posting stays on the site for 30 days.
Website: Weworkremotely.com
49. Working Not Working
There are more than 50,000 creatives, including 3D designers and artists, registered with Working Not Working, at least according to the platform itself. To access those talents, however, you need to be a premium member of the platform. Subscription fee starts at $499/month, for which you get just three job posts each month, personalized recommendations, performance tracking, and ATS.
Website: Workingnotworking.com
50. Working Nomads
From the looks of it, Working Nomads is built primarily for freelancers rather than employers. It does have a feature for you to post jobs, but it costs $199 for a single project. In the event you’re in a situation when you might need to post multiple projects, save yourself some money by purchasing the bulk package. Working Nomads says the site is visited by over 3 million users annually, and every job post is promoted via the platform’s LinkedIn page.
Website: Workingnomads.com
What we think
Technical abilities and experience are of the utmost importance in a 3D modeler, but you will also need to take communication skills and adaptability into account. Identifying the ideal modeler for any given project often proves to be quite a cumbersome task, perhaps because everyone boasts to be the best you can find anywhere. Sometimes, it might be a good idea to leave the selection/matchmaking process to the agency/freelancing platform you’re working with.
Take Cad Crowd as an example; the team at Cad Crowd will thoroughly evaluate the specific requirements of your project, taking into consideration various elements like the desired style, software preferences, file formats, and the overall scope of work. Based on the evaluation, Cad Crowd connects you with the most suitable freelancers from its vast database for you to choose and hire. And as a result, you end up making a well-informed hiring decision. Contact us for a free quote.
MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.
Connect with me: LinkedIn ✦ X ✦ Cad Crowd
