Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 Posted by Jim Thacker

You can still get Modo for free, even if you weren’t a Modo user


The launch video for Modo 17.0, the penultimate version of the software. The final release, Modo 17.1, is available to download for free, with a 10-year End of Life license.


Foundry may have discontinued Modo last year, but it’s still a very capable 3D application, particularly for hard-surface 3D modeling for asset development and concept design.

And thanks to Foundry’s End of Life extended license, you can still download it and use it for the next decade – even if you weren’t originally a Modo user.

Extended End of License available even to people who have never used Modo before
Foundry discontinued Modo late last year, bringing two decades of development of the 3D modeling, animation and rendering software to a close.

At the time, it announced that existing users would be able to obtain extended 10-year license terms to continue using the software.

However, earlier this year, Foundry posted the license file for the EOL extended license file publicly on its website, meaning that anyone can use it.

The file has been available for a while now – we only realized it was there CG Channel hardware reviewer Jason Lewis pointed it out – but we thought it was worth posting a little story for anyone else it missed it at the time.

Licensed until 2034, but download it soon if you want it
If you haven’t previously used Modo, you can download the final release, Modo 17.1v1 from Foundry’s website.

The webpage with the license file includes instructions on how to install it, both for an individual workstation and across a network.

It’s valid for 10 years from the date of discontinuation, which is actually only just over nine years now: it expires on 7 November 2034.

When Foundry discontinued Modo, it said that downloads would remain available until “at least November 2025”, but it’s probably worth grabbing sooner rather than later.

System requirements
Modo 17.1v1 is compatible with Windows 10 and 11, Rocky Linux 9 and macOS 13 to 15. The macOS edition is compatible with Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

It includes the Prime edition of the OctaneRender for Modo plugin for Windows, Linux and macOS – in this case, for Apple Silicon only.

The software is free, but comes without product support or any future patches or updates.

Download Modo 17.1v1 from Foundry’s website
(Requires a free Foundry account)

Activate Modo for free using Foundry’s End of Life extended license


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