Storm
Storm: A focused simulation tool for artists and studios working across particles, fluids, cloth, and volumes. Ranked #21 of 37 in Visual Effects Software by our editors (6.6/10); pricing: Paid; best for particle, fluid, cloth, and volume simulation.
At a glance
- Editor score6.6 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forParticle, fluid, cloth, and volume simulation
- Free planNo
- Node-based compositingYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Covers particles, grains, SPH fluids, cloth, fire, smoke, and VDB volumes
- Node graphs and VDB tools support procedural simulation workflows
- Multi-million-particle viewport handling with Windows CUDA acceleration
Where it doesn't
- No free plan is available
- The demo restricts saving and exporting
- Integration coverage is limited beyond supported import and export formats
Our verdict on Storm
Storm is a standalone visual-effects simulation application for artists and studios creating particle-based effects and procedural simulations. Its feature set spans particle and grain simulation, SPH fluids, cloth, fire, smoke, and VDB-based volume work. A node graph workflow, viewport playback, multithreaded processing, and support for Windows and macOS make it suited to production teams and independent artists who need simulation tools without a broader application suite.
The licensing structure is divided into three perpetual editions. Storm Student is for scholars, permits non-commercial use, and requires a student ID. Storm Indie is intended for independent artists or small studios, as well as organizations with less than $100,000 in yearly revenue, and runs on a single machine. Storm Studio is for studios or individuals with more than $100,000 in yearly revenue and also runs on a single machine. The demo allows use of the software while restricting saving and exporting, so it is better suited to evaluation than production delivery.
Storm’s strongest technical case is breadth within simulation rather than general-purpose visual-effects coverage. The VDB toolkit includes volumes, meshing, booleans, and erosion, while import and export support covers OBJ, BIN, Alembic, VDB, and PRT. Multithreaded processing is available, and CUDA acceleration supports particle simulations on Windows; viewport handling extends to multi-million-particle scenes and high-resolution meshes. Choose Storm when simulation depth, node-based workflows, and large viewport scenes are priorities. Studios seeking wider ecosystem connectivity or a free production tier should consider alternatives.
Your product? Our editors can test Storm in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Storm pricing
All 3 Storm plans and prices →
Storm fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Node-based compositing | Yes |
| Keying tools | Not verified |
| Rotoscoping tools | Not verified |
| 3D camera tracking | Not verified |
| Simulation tools | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows, macOS |
| Render engine | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | storm-vfx.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Storm
- NukeA deep compositing system for professional film, television, and large-scale post-production.9.4
- Autodesk FlameA professional finishing suite combining compositing, editing, grading, tracking, and AI-assisted isolation.9.2
- FusionA broad VFX toolkit with a free Resolve version and a $295 Studio option.9.1
Used Storm? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Storm for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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