Lumion vs. Enscape: How They Compare?
Here, we have a close-up view of an apartment complex made of recycled wood with a cube design where each unit is located in one cube. Every unit has a large exterior window that brings in a lot of sunlight. The exterior is dark gray, while the interior is mainly covered in natural wood.Lumion vs. Enscape: How They Compare?

Lumion vs. Enscape – which one is the right choice? When we talk about digital architecture tools, we can often get in a situation where we can’t decide which program serves the best in terms of many must-have architecture program traits.

Furthermore, it can be challenging to compare these two programs side by side, as both are thoroughly developed and have served architects well for some time. Both of these programs serve their purpose but also differ through many factors.

Therefore, we’ve decided to help you with a guide through comparing Lumion and Enscape to learn which of these programs can serve you better render and system-wise, and also let you pick a winner by yourself, based on your preferences and needs.

Defining both tools

Lumion is a rendering software that specializes in architecture and other related professions. It represents a visualization tool you can use to render photos, animations, videos, and panoramic pictures that can help you achieve a walkthrough experience for your design.

Enscape is a type of rendering software specializing in virtual reality technology and real-time rendering. Many architects use it to visualize their designs and present their work with high-quality rendering formats.

Release date and developer details

The Lumion software was released on December 10th, 2010, by a software company called Act-3D. However, the idea originated in 1998 when two dutch computer developers started working on creating a software company that may make rendering a part of the future for architects worldwide.

On the other hand, Enscape’s release date wasn’t before 2015, as their company started working in 2013. What’s interesting is that both Lumion and Enscape are software developed by German programmers, making this country one of the leading programming countries in the world.

Ease of use

Lumion and Enscape are easy to use, and even learning them doesn’t require a lot of effort. With well-organized tools, you can use anything from inserting and designing objects, through working with materials and textures, to rendering realistically-breathtaking images of your work.

However,  while Lumion is a complete design and rendering software, Enscape represents a plugin that doesn’t contain a lot of tools and commands. The bottom line – both software tools are designed intuitively and have a simply constructed system.

System requirements

The system requirements you’ll be needing for Lumion or Enscape depend on how well you want your render images to turn out.

Minimum system requirements you need to work on Lumion are:

  • Graphic card with a GPU of a minimum 7000 G3D Mark score;
  • Minimum 4 GB graphic card memory;
  • 64-bit up-to-date Windows 10 operating system;
  • AMD or Intel processor with a CPU Mark of 2000 or above;
  • Minimum 16 GB of RAM;
  • Minimum 40 GB of free disc space.

If we’re talking about Enscape, the minimum system requirements you’ll be needing are:

  • AMD or NVIDIA graphic card with a VRAM of 4GB that supports Vulkan 1.1;
  • Up-to-date Windows 10 or higher;
  • 2.4 GHz Processor;
  • 8GB RAM;
  • OpenGL Video Card of 2GB.

You can use Enscape for the latest versions of tools like Revit, SketchUp Pro, Rhino, Archicad, and Vectorworks.

Keep in mind that this refers to the latest versions of Lumion and Enscape. Also, these system requirements can allow you to design and render basic things but don’t expect them to run smoothly.

Setting up a scene

Scene setup settings in Lumion are pretty basic as you can import 3D models from tools like Revit or Sketchup, add and adjust materials you can get from the Lumion library, add effects, and experiment with lighting and rendering settings.

Enscape also offers a broad spectrum of setup settings, but people use it mostly in combination with other tools and software.

Animation and rendering

Lumion has been making noticeable progress over the years, offering its users many animations and rendering options to make their renders look breathtaking. Also, the developers have worked hard to keep the estimated rendering time to a minimum, making the whole process easier.

Besides playing with models, you can experiment with environmental settings and places where you want the sun and clouds to be, making the whole experience more organic.

Enscape also offers many additions to traditional rendering processes as you can expect realistic render photos and, most of the time, be satisfied with the result.

Interface

Both Lumion and Enscape have easy-to-use and intuitive interfaces that have tools organized in meaningful units. Most of these tools are easy to find through tabs, and most are linked together, so you won’t experience confusion when trying to find them.

One thing that makes both of these programs so great is that the interface is excellent for users who haven’t used it in the past. If you’re a beginner, we think you won’t have a hard time understanding where all the tools are and how the interface functions.

Pricing

If you’re considering buying a license for either Lumion or Enscape, you can always try the free trial, as booth programs offer that option.

Nevertheless, the annual fee for using Lumion is €1499, while you can purchase Enscape for $39 per month or $468 per year. Although Lumion represents a more pricey option, it offers more things, as Enscape is considered a plugin.

Conclusion

We can say that both of these German-originated programs are top-notch compared to other rendering software you can stumble on. Lumion and Enscape represent excellent options if you’re an architect looking for well-functioning, easy-to-use rendering software.

It all comes down to what you’re working on and which tools you need to complete your projects – and if you can’t decide which one to choose, we advise you to start free trials for both programs and see for yourself!