Overview

The library brings lighting, materials and models together, making it useful across multiple stages of a visual project. Its CC0 licensing permits use for any purpose, including commercial work, so teams can use the assets without buying a separate commercial license. Downloads span Blend, glTF, USD, FBX, ZIP, EXR, JPG and PNG, giving builders several routes into existing workflows.

Poly Haven is run by a small remote studio based in South Africa, working with creators around the world. Its stated aim is to build a community-funded open-content resource for professionals and hobbyists, and it emphasizes human-made work rather than generative AI or heavy reliance on procedural methods.

Key features

Poly Haven says its HDRIs are 16k+ resolution and always unclipped, while its photoscanned, seamless PBR textures are at least 8k. Those specifications make the library a strong option for detailed lighting and surface work. The collection also includes 3D models, so it is not limited to environments and materials.

The Blender add-on places HDRIs, materials and models in Blender's asset browser for drag-and-drop use. Organized catalogs, resolution switching, automatic texture scaling and one-click displacement setup target the repetitive steps of importing and preparing assets. That makes the add-on most valuable to Blender users; teams working primarily in other software will get less from this integration.

The API is free for personal, academic and commercial use without login or an API key on default endpoints. For live API use, attribution to Poly Haven and a unique User-Agent header are required. That is a reasonable fit for integrations that can honor those conditions, but it is an operational requirement rather than a drop-in anonymous endpoint.

Poly Haven stores a random download UUID and download preferences, and says it stores no other user data or cookies beyond those exceptions. Questions can be directed to its FAQ, email or Discord.

Pricing

The public asset library costs 0.00 USD per free, with no paywalls or signup required. It includes CC0 assets, HDRIs at 16k+ and textures at least 8k, making it the core choice for individuals and teams who need a broad, commercially usable library without a recurring budget.

Vault access costs 3.00 USD per month. It adds access to all Vault assets and early access; those assets are eventually released freely. This suits users willing to pay for earlier access, while the free library remains the better fit for teams that can wait.

The Blender add-on via Patreon costs 5.00 USD per month and includes the asset browser add-on and other rewards, while helping unlock Vaults. The Blender add-on via Superhive costs 49.00 USD per once and provides the identical add-on with free updates forever. Patreon is the recurring option with additional rewards; Superhive suits Blender users who prefer a one-time purchase and ongoing updates. Neither is necessary to use the public library.

There is no free trial. The API's default endpoints remain free, subject to attribution and User-Agent requirements.

Platforms

Poly Haven is available on the web, through an API and as an extension. Its Blender add-on gives Blender users a direct asset-browser workflow; the API offers a route for programmatic use, while web access serves browsing and downloads.

Who it's for

Poly Haven is a strong fit for visual-effects artists, game designers, Blender users and teams that need commercially usable HDRIs, PBR textures or models in multiple formats. The free CC0 collection is particularly useful when licensing simplicity and avoiding per-asset spend matter. Blender users who repeatedly bring assets into scenes have a specific reason to consider the paid add-on.

Look elsewhere if the workflow depends on software-specific integration beyond the Blender add-on, or if live API use cannot accommodate attribution and a unique User-Agent. Users who need only a narrower texture collection may find a focused library more suitable.

Pros and cons

Pros: CC0 licensing covers commercial use and any other purpose, removing a separate license cost for assets.
Pros: HDRIs, textures and 3D models, along with multiple download formats, serve more than one stage of a 3D workflow.
Pros: The Blender add-on's catalogs, resolution switching, texture scaling and displacement setup address concrete import and setup tasks.
Cons: The direct asset-browser integration is for Blender, limiting its workflow benefit for users of other tools.
Cons: Live API consumers must supply attribution and a unique User-Agent, which requires attention in integrations.
Cons: Vault access and the add-on have paid routes, so early Vault access or the Blender convenience layer is not part of the free offer.

Alternatives

ambientCG is a free CC0 asset option with API access and support across Linux, macOS, web and Windows; choose it when those platform options better match the stack.

CGBookcase offers 566 free CC0 1.0 PBR textures and a free, open-source texture tiling tool, making it a focused alternative when textures and tiling are the priority.

FreePBRTextures offers a free CC0 library of 30+ textures at 4K with no signup, a narrower choice when that collection is sufficient.

Textures.com has a free account with a free sample selection and requires an account to download; its Starter plan costs 13.00 USD per month and includes 1,000 credits per month. Consider it when a credit-based monthly plan better fits the required texture sourcing.

Architextures offers a free tier for personal and educational use with standard texture downloads, and a Pro plan at 89.99 USD per year with high-resolution downloads. It is a better match when the free tier's use scope or the paid high-resolution option fits the project.

Texturelabs has free original textures and tutorials, with commercial use allowed under its terms; its Distressor Photoshop plugin costs 39.00 USD per on. Pick it when that free material and Photoshop tool are more relevant to the workflow.

Mextures offers an X-Film Overlay Pack for 10.00 USD per month with 11 overlays at 4000 x 4000 pixels, and a yearly membership for 89.00 USD per year. It is an alternative for readers seeking overlays rather than Poly Haven's HDRIs, PBR textures and models.

FreePBR is another freemium texture option.

Browse more Texture Libraries or 3D Asset Libraries if the priority is comparing a wider set of options.

Verdict

Choose Poly Haven if you need a broad, commercially usable asset library with CC0 terms, multiple formats and a practical Blender workflow. Its free public collection is the main reason to start there; look elsewhere if Blender integration is not useful and another library better matches your target platform or asset focus. For live API integrations, plan for attribution and the required unique User-Agent.

	Cinegrams	Poly Haven
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	$3/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows	api, extension, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Asset types	overlay	—
License scope	commercial	commercial
Download model	one-time	—
File formats	.cube, .XMP, .DNG	—
Video overlays	Yes	—

Cinegrams vs Poly Haven

Cinegrams

Poly Haven