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DATASHEET // NERFSTUDIO

Nerfstudio

The open framework for NeRF and Gaussian Splatting research.

OPEN SOURCE8–24 GB VRAMRuns locally
Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-Free
Visit NerfstudioUPDATED 2026-04-30 · DIRECT LINK
github.com/nerfstudio-project/nerfstudio
Nerfstudio — preview image

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS //

Runs locally · Mid GPU (12 GB)

8–24 GB VRAM
Min VRAM
8 GB
Rec. VRAM
24 GB
Min RAM
16 GB
Rec. RAM
32 GB
Disk
30 GB
GPU class
Mid GPU
11.8+No Apple SiliconGPU RequiredQuant: FP32

Splatfacto on 12 GB; full pipeline comfortable at 24 GB.

[ EDITORIAL PICK ]

Why we recommend Nerfstudio

DERIVED FROM METADATA — NOT SPONSORED
  • Open source

    Source is public — you can audit it, fork it, and you'll never lose access to your workflows if Nerfstudio the company changes direction.

  • Runs on 8 GB

    Comfortable on a mid-range consumer card — no need to remortgage for an A100.

  • Top-tier pick

    Power-user score 90/100 — consistently rated highly by people who use this every day, not just benchmark chasers.

[ EVIDENCE NOTE ]

Documentation-led datasheet

This page summarizes upstream documentation, release information, and editorially reviewed catalogue fields. It is not presented as a hands-on benchmark. Verify changing requirements at the official project; report stale data through our corrections channel.

AT-A-GLANCE SIGNALS //

DERIVED FROM THIS PAGE'S DATA
  • Install difficulty
    Standard

    A standard local install — download, install dependencies, point at your GPU.

  • Hardware comfort
    Mainstream

    Needs 8 GB minimum — RTX 3060 12GB or 4070 territory.

  • Ecosystem
    Active community

    Open source plus 3 community resources we've vetted — there are people to ask.

  • Verification
    Recent

    Catalogue entry last updated 77 days ago — re-verification due soon.

[ COMMUNITY GUIDES & WORKFLOWS ]

Tutorials & deep-dives for Nerfstudio

Hand-picked from YouTube, Reddit, GitHub, and the wider web. Each link goes straight to the source — we don't intercept or rewrite anything.

[ MORE IN THIS NICHE ]

Other 3d & spatial tools we rate

Three picks across different tradeoffs — so you don't end up with three near-clones of Nerfstudio.

LIGHTEST HARDWARE //

Instant-NGP

NVIDIA's seconds-to-train hash-grid NeRF.

OPEN SOURCE8–12 GB VRAM
BEST FREE OPTION //

3D Gaussian Splatting

The INRIA original — train your own splats.

OPEN SOURCE12–24 GB VRAM
TOP QUALITY //

Luma AI

Phone-scan to NeRF, Genie text-to-3D, and Dream Machine video.

FREEMIUM · $30/MOCLOUD · NO GPU

What is Nerfstudio?

Nerfstudio is the standard OSS pipeline for training NeRFs and 3D Gaussian Splats from photo/video input. Modular trainers (Nerfacto, Splatfacto, Instant-NGP) all under one CLI. Used heavily in research — your reference if you want to train your own representation rather than use a SaaS.

Pros & cons

✓ PROS

  • Reference implementation for NeRF + Gaussian Splatting research
  • Modular: swap trainers, samplers, datasets via config
  • Excellent web viewer for inspecting trained scenes
  • Active academic community

– CONS

  • Setup is non-trivial; CUDA / colmap dependencies have sharp edges
  • Not aimed at end-users — expect to read papers, not tutorials

What's actually free?

Apache 2.0 from UC Berkeley KAIR-BAIR.

✓ Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-Free

Alternatives

Instant-NGP

NVIDIA's seconds-to-train hash-grid NeRF.

OPEN SOURCE8–12 GB VRAM
VRAM fit8–12 GB

Luma AI

Phone-scan to NeRF, Genie text-to-3D, and Dream Machine video.

FREEMIUM · $30/MOCLOUD · NO GPU