The free Blender add-ons I actually use
You commented BLENDER — here’s the stack. Two genuinely free add-ons that do the real work, the marketplace where the rest lives, plus one optional paid shortcut. Official links only. No sign-ups to get the list.
What’s inside
- JewelCraft — build the jewellery: gems, prongs, cutters, spacing, alloy weight estimates.
- Blendkit (formerly BlenderKit) — pull materials, HDRIs and scenes to stage a render fast.
- Superhive — the vetted marketplace when you need one specific tool the base stack can’t do.
- One Click Damage (optional, paid) — procedural surface wear for presentation renders.
Blender itself is free: blender.org/download. Check each add-on’s current Blender version requirement before installing — a new Blender release is not automatically supported.
This is the list and the install notes — not a zip of the plugins, and not a paid licence. Every tool below links to its own official source.
1. JewelCraft — free (GPL-3.0)
What it does: gems, prongs, cutters, component libraries, gem spacing, precious-alloy weight estimates, gem maps and design summaries.
- Official project: github.com/mrachinskiy/jewelcraft
- Latest release: v3.0.1 — releases/tag/v3.0.1
- Needs Blender 4.5.0 or newer.
- Install: download the release ZIP, then drag it into Blender. If drag-and-drop doesn’t work, use Preferences → Add-ons → Install from Disk, pick the ZIP, enable it.
2. Blendkit (formerly BlenderKit) — free plan, paid full library
What it does: materials, HDRIs, scenes, models and brushes, browsable inside Blender.
- Official home: blendkit.com
- Download / install: blendkit.com/get-blendkit
- Pricing: blendkit.com/plans/pricing — a real free plan exists; the full library is a subscription, so check the current price on the page.
- Install: download the ZIP, drag it into Blender, choose User Default in the install dialogue and confirm.
3. Superhive — the marketplace
What it does: vetted paid and free Blender add-ons, models, surfacing tools and training.
- Official marketplace: superhivemarket.com
- Rule of thumb: buy for a named gap in your workflow, not for a bigger toolbox. Always buy from a product’s own listing, never a mirror.
4. One Click Damage (OCD) — optional, PAID
What it does: procedural wear and damage on stone, concrete, wood and brick-like surfaces. A presentation tool, not a jewellery-construction dependency — keep it off clean jewellery surfaces unless the wear is a deliberate choice.
This is the one paid item in this list. Don’t treat it as free.
- Official listing: superhivemarket.com/products/ocd
- Works on Blender 4.5 and up.
Order to install
- Blender.
- JewelCraft.
- Blendkit.
- Superhive as a bookmark.
- One Click Damage only if the renders need it.
How I’d use them together
- Build the piece in JewelCraft.
- Stage it with free Blendkit materials and lighting first.
- Only reach for Superhive when the base stack genuinely can’t do the job.
- Add OCD wear only when the scene needs environmental story.
Compatibility note: verified on Blender 5.1. Add-ons move fast — check each tool’s current version note against your Blender before installing.