Corona Renderer

Corona Renderer is available as a plugin for Autodesk 3ds Max and Maxon Cinema 4D, with a version for Autodesk Maya as well. The 3ds Max version was the original and most mature release. Corona is developed by Render Legion and became part of Chaos Group, the company also behind V-Ray.

Both Corona and V-Ray are owned by Chaos Group, but Corona is known for its simplified, artist-friendly workflow with fast setup and intuitive lighting, while V-Ray offers deeper control and broader platform support. Corona is especially popular among architectural visualization professionals who value predictable, physically based results. Many studios use both engines depending on the project's complexity and pipeline requirements.

Corona Renderer is primarily a CPU-based path tracing engine, which contributes to its stable, predictable results across different hardware configurations. This contrasts with GPU-focused renderers like Octane or Redshift. The development team has historically emphasized that CPU rendering delivers the physical accuracy and consistency Corona users expect.

Corona offers a free trial version with full functionality for a limited period, as well as a free educational license for students and teachers at accredited institutions. The commercial version uses a subscription model with pricing tiers for individuals and studios. Current pricing details are available on the official Chaos Group website.