1994 founded Standing
design · blender.org
Blender
the moat is real
32 years 230 days and counting
Ton Roosendaal, 1994. Open sourced in 2002 after the community paid off the creditors.
Why it lasted
- The 2002 community buyout turned a doomed in-house tool into a public good. That origin story still funds it.
- It is now good enough that studios use it without apologising.
- YouTube taught a generation to model in Blender for free. Switching costs are a career.
Times it almost ended
- NaN went bankrupt. Blender would have died as a binary on a forgotten FTP. The fundraiser cleared the license in seven weeks.
What would finish it
- A free tool with the same depth and a less hostile default keymap. Unlikely. Autodesk would have to give Maya away.
Questions
Is Blender still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1994.
How long has Blender been around?
Blender has been up since 1994-01-02.
Why did Blender survive?
The 2002 community buyout turned a doomed in-house tool into a public good. That origin story still funds it.
Could Blender still die?
A free tool with the same depth and a less hostile default keymap. Unlikely. Autodesk would have to give Maya away.