Image to 3D Model Free: What the Signup Credits Cover

What an image to 3D model free tier really covers here: the 220 one-time signup credits, when sign-in is required, and which 3D tools stay free forever.

Searching for an image to 3D model free of charge usually hides a question: what is actually free, and what happens when the free part runs out? The honest answer here is specific rather than promotional. Generation is paid, with one signup grant that covers a single default job, and a set of browser tools that stay free with no account at all.

This page states exactly what the free grant is, what it is worth in jobs, and how to avoid wasting it — no unlimited claims, because there is no unlimited free tier.

Detail	Value
Amount	220 credits, granted once per new account
Validity	30 days from signup
What it buys	Exactly one default Pixal3D image-to-3D job
Sign-in	Required to run a generation job
Repeats	No. It is a one-time grant, not a monthly or daily allowance
Cost of the default job	Balanced preset, 1024 source resolution, 2048 px textures = 220 credits

Because the default job costs exactly 220 credits, the grant is not a budget you stretch across several experiments. It is one run of the standard lane at standard settings. Raising the settings above the default pushes the price up: Pixal3D runs span 180–390 credits and Trellis 2 runs span 160–310, depending on resolution, texture size, and advanced options. A higher preset can therefore cost more than the grant provides.

Two consequences are worth stating plainly. First, the 30-day window means the credits should be used rather than saved. Second, if you spend them on a job you did not need, there is no second grant to fall back on.

What is free without any credits

The browser tools are separate from generation and cost nothing. They run locally in your browser, take no account, and do not upload your file to a hosted job.

Inspect a model: the GLB Inspector reads GLB and glTF structure, size, scene, mesh, material, and animation counts.
Look at it: the 3D model viewer opens GLB, OBJ, STL, and FBX files with orbit controls, and there are single-format GLB, OBJ, STL, and FBX viewers.
Convert formats: GLB to OBJ, GLB to STL, OBJ to GLB, STL to OBJ, and the general 3D format converter.
Check the numbers: the model scale calculator and the texture size checker.
Fix the source image first: the image tools, including the transparent PNG maker and the image converter, also run locally.

Those tools stay free regardless of your credit balance, and they cover the inspection, conversion, and printing handoffs that come after a generation run.

How to spend the first free job well

The grant is one run, so preparation matters more than usual.

Pick the right image before you upload. One opaque object, fully in frame, on a plain background, well lit. The photo to 3D model guide covers photographs and the 2D image to 3D model guide covers illustrations and renders.
Run the pixel-alignment checks. The 3D pixel guide lists twenty criteria, including a rough minimum size for the subject in the frame. Fixing a check takes a minute; re-running a job costs credits.
Stay at the default preset for the first run. Balanced is what the grant covers. Fast costs less, so it can stretch the same balance further if you would rather test the shape first — but then the grant buys a lower-fidelity result.
Sign in before you queue. Generation requires an account. If you select a file first, the workspace keeps it and starts the job automatically once you sign in, so nothing is lost by trying the flow in that order.
Inspect the result before spending again. Use the free GLB Inspector and GLB viewer to decide whether the output is usable, rather than paying for a second run to find out.
Reserve the second lane for a real problem. Trellis 2 costs 160–310 credits, so run it only when the first lane misread a structure you need — not as a routine comparison.

What free does not mean here

No unlimited generations. Credits are consumed per job, and there is no free tier that resets.
No free higher-tier settings. Texture size, source resolution, and advanced options change the price before you submit.
No anonymous generation. The browser tools need no account, but generation does; the signup grant is attached to an account.
No free motion or video runs. The text-to-motion lane costs 60–80 credits, and the video and image workspaces bill their own credit rates.

Common mistakes

Mistake	What it costs you	Better approach
Running the grant on a busy photo	The one free job on an input that cannot convert well	Prepare a single-object, plain-background image first
Jumping straight to Detail settings	The price rises above the 220-credit grant	Start at Balanced and re-run only if it is worth the credits
Saving the credits	They expire 30 days after signup	Use the grant on a real test within the window
Assuming the free tools need an account	Time lost signing up for a converter	Use the free tools directly; they run locally
Deleting the task from history	A re-download becomes a new paid run	Keep the task so the GLB can be re-downloaded without regenerating

After the grant

If the first job proves the workflow and you need more runs, Pricing lists the credit packs and plans, and you can plan spend per lane: Pixal3D at 180–390 credits, Trellis 2 at 160–310, and text-to-motion at 60–80. A sensible pattern is to prototype at Fast, approve at Balanced, and reserve Detail for a final asset.

Use the free job on something you actually need: prepare one clean image, open the AI 3D Generator, and spend the grant on a result you will keep.

FAQ

Is image to 3D really free here?

One job is. Every new account gets 220 one-time credits valid for 30 days, and a default Pixal3D job at Balanced settings costs exactly 220 credits. There is no unlimited free tier and no recurring free allowance, so the grant covers a single default run.

Do I need an account to use the 3D tools?

Not for the browser tools. The GLB Inspector, the 3D model viewer, the format converters, the scale calculator, and the texture size checker run locally with no account and no upload. Generation is the part that requires sign-in and credits.

What happens if I pick a file before signing in?

The workspace keeps the file and starts the job automatically once you sign in, so nothing is lost. Sign-in is still required before any generation runs or credits are spent.

Do the free credits expire?

Yes. The 220 signup credits are valid for 30 days from signup, which is why they are worth spending on a real test rather than saving.

What costs credits beyond the free job?

Every additional generation, and any settings above the default. Pixal3D runs span 180 to 390 credits, Trellis 2 runs span 160 to 310, and text-to-motion runs cost 60 or 80. The pricing page lists the credit packs and plans.