Meshy vs. Trellis 2: Which AI 3D Generator Should You Choose?

Trellis 2 is an open-source image-to-3D generation model developed by Microsoft Research. It takes a single image as input and outputs a textured 3D mesh in GLB format, using a sparse structured latent representation to capture geometry and appearance. Trellis 2 is self-hosted — there is no cloud product or API. Running it requires a Linux machine with at least 24GB of NVIDIA GPU memory (VRAM), CUDA 12.4, and Python. It does not support text-to-3D input, rigging, animation, or retexturing existing assets. Meshy covers all of these in a browser-based platform with no installation required.

Installing Trellis 2 requires a Linux machine with an NVIDIA GPU (≥24GB VRAM), CUDA 12.4, Python 3.8+, and Conda. The official steps are: clone the Microsoft Trellis 2 GitHub repository, create a Conda environment, install dependencies via pip (including spconv, xformers, and nvdiffrast), then run inference via the provided Python scripts or a Gradio demo. On a fresh Linux system, the setup typically takes 1–3 hours. Windows is not officially supported. Third-party one-click installers exist (e.g. for Windows via StableProjectorz) but are community-maintained and may have compatibility issues. If you want to skip installation entirely, Meshy generates the same type of 3D models directly in your browser — no downloads, no GPU, no configuration required.

Yes — Trellis 2 requires a Linux machine with at least 24GB of NVIDIA GPU memory (tested on A100 and H100). It also requires CUDA 12.4, Python 3.8+, and Conda. Windows is not fully supported. Meshy runs entirely in the browser with no local hardware requirements.

No. Trellis 2 is image-to-3D only — there is no text input support. The Microsoft team explicitly notes this limitation and recommends routing through a text-to-image model first to generate a reference image. This adds friction and dependency on a second AI tool. Meshy supports both text-to-3D and image-to-3D natively in the same browser-based workflow.

It's complicated. Trellis 2's core code is MIT-licensed, but its texturing pipeline depends on nvdiffrast — an NVIDIA library under the NVIDIA Source Code License, which requires separate authorization from NVIDIA for commercial use. Assets generated using Trellis 2's native PBR texturing cannot be sold commercially without that authorization. The community has been working on replacing these dependencies. Meshy paid plans include full commercial ownership with no such restrictions.

No. Trellis 2 outputs static GLB meshes only — there is no rigging, no animation workflow, and no motion library. Meshy includes auto-rigging for humanoid and quadruped characters, a library of 500+ preset animations, and direct export to Unity and Unreal Engine.

Trellis 2 exports GLB format with PBR materials (Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, Opacity). It does not natively export FBX, OBJ, STL, USDZ, or 3MF. Meshy exports FBX, GLB, OBJ, STL, USDZ, 3MF, and BLEND.

No — Trellis 2 generates textures as part of its mesh output pipeline only. It cannot apply new textures to a mesh you already have. Meshy's AI Texturing engine generates full PBR maps on any mesh, including assets you didn't create in Meshy.

No. Trellis 2 has no hosted API. It runs locally via Python after downloading model weights from Hugging Face. A web demo is available on Hugging Face Spaces but is not suitable for production use. Meshy provides a full REST API with webhooks, batch processing, and versioned endpoints.

Meshy is the significantly stronger choice for game developers. It offers 500+ preset animations, auto-rigging, full PBR textures, and native plugins for Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, and Roblox. Trellis 2 outputs static GLB meshes with no animation, no rigging, and no engine integrations — requiring substantial additional work to integrate into a game pipeline.

Meshy is the better choice for 3D printing. Meshy generates optimized, watertight meshes and exports STL, 3MF, and OBJ with one-click Bambu Studio integration and a 97% slicer pass rate. Trellis 2 exports GLB only, with no print-specific tooling, no watertight mesh guarantees, and no slicer integrations.

Trellis 2 officially supports Linux only. The repository notes Windows as 'not fully tested' and macOS is not mentioned at all. Setting it up requires CUDA 12.4, Conda, and a 24GB+ NVIDIA GPU — hardware that is only available in Linux server environments. Meshy runs entirely in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android — no installation required.

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On Meshy's paid plans, you own the outputs entirely — full commercial rights with no attribution required. On the free plan, assets are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (commercial use with attribution). Trellis 2's situation is more complex: the core model is MIT-licensed, but the texturing pipeline depends on nvdiffrast (NVIDIA Source Code License), which requires separate NVIDIA authorization before commercial distribution. If you plan to sell assets, Meshy's paid plan is the simpler, legally clearer option.

For most users, Meshy is significantly easier. Meshy is browser-based — type a prompt or upload an image, click Generate, and download your result in under 60 seconds. Trellis 2 requires setting up a Linux environment, installing CUDA 12.4 and Conda, downloading model weights, and running Python scripts. There is no consumer web interface for Trellis 2 other than a limited Hugging Face Spaces demo.