Nuke vs Silhouette

Nuke9.4Visit SSilhouette8.7Visit

Higher score Nuke #1 in Visual Effects Software 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Foundry

vs

S Silhouette #5 in Visual Effects Software 8.7/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Boris FX

• Nuke fits best

  Professional compositing and deep-image work

• Silhouette fits best

  Advanced roto and compositing cleanup

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Side by side

Feature	Nuke 9.4/10 Visit ↗	SSilhouette 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Visual Effects Software	#5 in Visual Effects Software
Best for	Professional compositing and deep-image work	Advanced roto and compositing cleanup
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$545/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	14 days
Free trial length	30 days	14 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Tickets, Community, Docs
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Nuke 3/5 · Silhouette 0/5
Node-based compositing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Keying tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Rotoscoping tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
3D camera tracking	—	Not checked yet
Simulation tools	—	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows	Not checked yet
Render engine	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	More than 200 creative nodes with deep-image compositing Integrated 3D, keying, rotoscoping, and 32-bit image processing Python, PySide, C++, and BlinkScript extensibility across three platforms	Advanced roto, matte creation, keying, tracking, and cleanup tools 400+ compositing nodes with HDR paint and machine-learning masking Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux with major VFX integrations
Cons	Commercial plan pricing varies by region The free offering is limited to non-commercial work Core Nuke does not include the broader NukeX or Nuke Studio toolsets	Annual subscription starts at $545 Monthly pricing is $103 per month No free plan for ongoing access
Our verdict	Nuke is Foundry’s desktop compositing and visual-effects software for artists working on feature films, episodic content, animation, commercials, and other large-scale post-production projects. Its node graph supports more than 200… Read the review →	Silhouette is a GPU-accelerated desktop application and plugin for professional visual-effects artists and studios. Boris FX combines advanced rotoscoping, matte creation, keying, tracking, paint, warping, morphing, and node-based… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Nuke — where it wins

  • More than 200 creative nodes with deep-image compositing
  • Integrated 3D, keying, rotoscoping, and 32-bit image processing
  • Python, PySide, C++, and BlinkScript extensibility across three platforms

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial plan pricing varies by region
  • The free offering is limited to non-commercial work
  • Core Nuke does not include the broader NukeX or Nuke Studio toolsets

• Silhouette — where it wins

  • Advanced roto, matte creation, keying, tracking, and cleanup tools
  • 400+ compositing nodes with HDR paint and machine-learning masking
  • Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux with major VFX integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Annual subscription starts at $545
  • Monthly pricing is $103 per month
  • No free plan for ongoing access

• Nuke9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A deep compositing system for professional film, television, and large-scale post-production.

  Visit FoundryFull verdict →
• SSilhouette8.7/10 · 14-day trial

  A deep VFX toolkit for advanced roto and compositing cleanup, priced for professionals.

  Visit Boris FXFull verdict →