Scope
Houdini is procedural 3D software for simulation, effects and rendering, where frames are rendered rather than played live. FRCTL is a VJ studio that renders its effects in real time in a browser, for live sets and exported clips.
FRCTL vs Houdini
Houdini, made by SideFX in Toronto, is procedural 3D software for modeling, simulation, effects and rendering, where every action is a node in a network. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. FRCTL is a browser-based VJ studio built around a chain of effects applied to video, images, a camera or generated sources.
Side by side.
| FRCTL | Houdini | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Effect chain applied to video, images, a camera or generated sources, plus Shader Lab for custom shaders | Procedural node networks for 3D: modeling, simulation (pyro, FLIP fluids, RBD, Vellum, crowds), Solaris for USD layout and lighting, the Karma renderer, and Copernicus for GPU image processing |
| Platforms | Web browser. Windows desktop app on the Pro plan, with Spout and NDI output | Windows 11. macOS 11 or later on Apple Silicon. Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL and others). Requirements list 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with 12 GB of VRAM |
| Pricing | Free $0. Creator $12/month or $99/year. Pro $29/month or $249/year, first 7 days free. Lifetime plan coming soon at $333 one time | Apprentice free. Indie $299 for 1 year or $449 for 2 years. Core $1,995 and FX $4,495 perpetual (node-locked), with annual upgrade plans. Floating licenses and rentals also sold |
| Free option | Full toolkit with every effect and shader, live mode, no watermark. Exports up to 1080p, 30fps, 2 minutes. Personal and non-commercial use | Apprentice: renders up to 1920x1080 with a wordmark, a watermarked interface and non-commercial files. Non-commercial projects only |
| Discounts | Yearly billing saves $45 on Creator and $99 on Pro | Education license $95/year |
| Commercial use | Creator and Pro. Free covers personal and non-commercial projects | Core and FX. Indie allows commercial use for businesses with annual gross revenue up to $100K USD. Apprentice and Education are non-commercial |
| Audio reactivity | Modulation matrix with LFOs, an envelope follower, sample and hold, and ten audio frequency bands. Beat detection | CHOP networks read audio files and live audio input, with spectrum, pitch and envelope analysis that can drive any parameter. Beats are tapped by hand (Beat CHOP) |
| Machine learning | On every plan, including Free: subject isolation, face blur, and a Depth displace effect that estimates depth from a clip or image. Any effect can be limited to the subject, the background, or highlights, mids or shadows. A subject mask that follows a moving subject on a live camera is on Creator and Pro | Machine learning toolset for training and deploying models. ONNX Inference nodes run models on geometry or images |
| Custom content | Shader Lab (GLSL) | VEX and VOP networks, OpenCL, MaterialX shaders in Karma, C++ through the HDK |
| Sync and control | Tap tempo, automatic beat detection, and clock sync via MIDI clock or OSC. Clock output to external gear. MIDI learn | MIDI in and out. Data over TCP/IP or named pipes (Pipe In/Out CHOPs) |
| Live performance | Single or dual decks with a keyer. Auto-VJ re-rolls effects every 1 to 32 beats | No live performance mode. Audio, MIDI, keyboard, mouse and gamepad inputs run in real time in CHOPs |
| Video output | Second display. Spout and NDI on the Windows desktop app (Pro) | The docs don't describe realtime video output such as NDI or Spout. Houdini Engine runs Houdini assets inside Unreal, Unity, Maya and 3ds Max |
| Video input | Camera | Images, image sequences and video files from disk. Live audio input. No camera input documented |
| Resolution | Exports up to 1080p on Free and Creator, up to 4K on Pro | Apprentice up to 1920x1080. Unlimited on Indie, Education, Core and FX |
| Export | Free: 1080p, 30fps, 2 min. Creator: 1080p, 60fps, 10 min. Pro: up to 4K and 60fps, up to 1 hour at 1080p30, plus keyed exports. The desktop build records local 4K MP4 | Karma (CPU and XPU) and Mantra renders to EXR, TIFF, JPEG and other formats. USD, .bgeo and OBJ geometry. Third-party renderers on Indie and commercial licenses |
| Marketplace | The Collective, for presets and loop packs. Selling on Creator and Pro | Orbolt asset store, where artists sell Houdini assets |
| Extras | Graphic and text overlays. Subject and depth isolation | SideFX Labs tools, PDG/TOPs task automation, KineFX and APEX for characters, Gaussian splats (new in Houdini 22) |
Key differences.
How it's built
Houdini builds everything from networks of nodes across geometry, simulation, compositing and channel data. FRCTL uses an effect chain with a modulation matrix, plus live decks.
Free versions
Houdini Apprentice renders up to 1920x1080 with a wordmark, for non-commercial projects. FRCTL's free plan has no watermark and caps exports at 1080p, 30fps and two minutes, for personal use.
Pricing
Houdini Indie costs $299 for a year, for businesses earning up to $100K USD a year, and Core and FX are perpetual licenses from $1,995. FRCTL has a free plan, Creator at $12/month or $99/year, and Pro at $29/month or $249/year.
Audio and tempo
Houdini analyses audio in CHOP networks (spectrum, pitch, envelope), with beats tapped by hand. FRCTL has automatic beat detection, tap tempo, and MIDI clock or OSC sync.
Platforms and hardware
Houdini installs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with the RAM and GPU requirements listed above. FRCTL runs in a web browser, with a Windows desktop app on the Pro plan.