Free 3D models for commercial use: where to find them and how to check the licence

"Free" and "free for commercial use" are different things

A free download isn't automatically something you can put in a product you sell. What decides it is the licence. Learn four licence types and you'll be able to judge almost any free model.

The licences you'll meet

• CC0 (public domain): use it for anything, including commercial products, with no credit required. The simplest.
• CC BY (Attribution): commercial use allowed, but you must credit the author as they specify.
• CC BY-SA (ShareAlike): commercial use allowed with credit, but your adaptations must be shared under the same licence. Check how that applies to a game or product before using it.
• CC BY-NC (Non-Commercial): not for commercial projects.
• Royalty-free / store licences: marketplaces like the Unity Asset Store and Fab use their own licences. Usually commercial use in your project is allowed but redistributing the raw files is not. Read the specific terms.
• "Free for personal use": not for commercial work.

CC0 sources (simplest for commercial use)

• Kenney. Its support page states that "all game assets on the asset pages are public domain licensed (CC0)" and that you're "free to use them, even in commercial projects" (kenney.nl). Huge range of consistent, stylised game assets, 2D and 3D.
• Poly Haven. "Our assets are all licensed as CC0" (polyhaven.com/license). Realistic models, textures and HDRIs. Attribution isn't required, and redistribution is allowed.
• Quaternius. Low poly packs widely distributed as CC0, including on OpenGameArt and Sketchfab. Check each pack's page.

Mixed-licence sources (check each asset)

• Sketchfab: many downloadable models with a Creative Commons licence shown per model. Use the licence filter; avoid NC licences for commercial work.
• OpenGameArt: licences listed per asset, from CC0 to GPL. Read each one.
• itch.io: asset packs with creator-defined licences, many free.

Engine store free sections

• Unity Asset Store and Fab (Epic's marketplace) have free assets under their store licences. Some free content is limited to use with a particular engine. Check the listing.

Watch out for

• Ripped assets. Models extracted from commercial games appear on some free sites. A forum thread on the Irrlicht site warns about exactly this. If a "free" model looks like it came from a famous game, skip it.
• Licences that change. Save a copy or screenshot of the licence when you download.
• Trademarks. A free model of a branded product or character can carry trademark issues regardless of its licence.

Keep a licence record

For every free asset: name, source URL, author, licence, attribution text, date downloaded. It takes a minute per asset and makes store submission, crediting and any later questions easy. Can I use free assets in my game? covers this in more detail.

When there's no free model that fits

Free libraries are great for common items, but you may not find the exact style or object you need, and mixing packs can look inconsistent. The alternative is to generate it. Vi3W's terms say you can use the 3D models you generate, including commercially, subject to the law and other people's rights, and subject to any third-party model licence restriction Vi3W tells you about. Download or generate? compares the costs.

Can't find the free model you need? Generate it in Vi3W and own the file.