Knowledge base · from our own projects
What does a 3D product configurator cost?
At THE REAL MAG. a 3D product configurator costs from 5,000 euro to build plus 150 euro per month. The 3D models of your products come on top of that, from 10 euro each depending on volume and complexity, and a webshop integration costs 1,200 euro. A realistic first project lands around 9,000 to 13,000 euro in year one.
The short answer in figures
THE REAL MAG. works with three levels. Each level has a one-off build amount and a fixed monthly amount. That monthly price is not a licence on somebody else's software; it covers hosting, maintenance and further development of your configurator.
| Level | What you get | One-off build | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | Pre-rendered, photographically real images per combination | from 5,000 euros | 150 euros |
| Gold | Unlimited combinations, the customer rotates the product themselves | from 7,500 euros | 300 euros |
| Platinum | Complete freedom, complex products and environments | from 10,000 euros | 600 euros |
These amounts exclude two items that almost every project has, the 3D models and the connections.
What falls outside the build price
3D models, from 10 euro each. Every product shown in the configurator has to exist as a 3D model. This is the item that varies most, because it scales with the size of your range. In practice the number of models decides your final price more than the tier you choose.
Connections, 1,200 euros each. A link to your webshop, ERP or quotation system, provided that system can be connected. One connection is usual; two occurs when ordering and price calculation come from different systems.
Where the money actually goes
Price lists say little as long as you do not know where the hours go. THE REAL MAG. works in studio days, a full working day of a 3D artist or developer, including consultation, direction and final checking. This is the build-up as we use it in quotations.
| Component | Size | What you get for it |
|---|---|---|
| Configurator page, front and back end | fixed price, 5,000 to 10,000 euros | modular assembly, colour and material choice, responsive |
| Ordering module for dealers or B2B | 1,200 euros | order a completed configuration directly or pass it on as a request |
| 3D model of a simple product | from 50 euros | one shape, several colours or materials |
| 3D model of a complex product | ¾ to 1½ studio days | including all modules and variants |
| Scanning an existing product on site | ½ studio day | the model matches the real product one to one |
| Material or fabric group | ½ studio day | one pattern with its colours, reusable |
| Connection to a webshop, ERP or quotation system | 1 studio day, 1,200 euros | per connection |
The wide spread is in the models. A simple product in ten colours starts at a few tens of euros. A sofa or a machine with all its modules and variants costs three quarters to one and a half studio days apiece. That difference of a factor of ten is why a quotation without an inventory of your range is worth little.
A fully worked example
Take a manufacturer with twelve products who wants to let customers combine freely and rotate the product. That is Gold level, with twelve models and one webshop connection.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Configurator build, Gold level | one-off | 7,500 euros |
| 3D models | 12 x 10 euro | 120 euro |
| Webshop connection | 1 x 1,200 euros | 1,200 euros |
| One-off total | 8,820 euro | |
| Monthly amount | 12 x 300 euros | 3,600 euros a year |
| Total year one | 12,420 euro |
In year two 3,600 euros a year is what remains of that. That is the reason not to look at the build amount alone. The recurring costs determine what it costs over three years.
As a check against practice. The project budget of a table configurator built by THE REAL MAG. came to 12,000 euros. That is in the same order as the worked example above, which shows these are not theoretical list prices.
Why a monthly amount and not a one-off purchase
A configurator is not a delivery but a running system. There is hosting, there are browser updates, products are added and prices change. Parties that only charge a one-off amount send those costs later anyway as extra work, or the maintenance does not happen and the configurator ages.
The opposite exists too, pure subscription software you pay for monthly but own nothing of. We cover that difference separately in the article on building your own versus buying software.
What really drives the price up
Not the number of options, but the number of physically different components. A product in thirty colours is cheap, one model, thirty materials. A product in thirty sizes where each size has a different shape is thirty models. Anyone who orders their range that way beforehand can often bring the price down considerably without giving anything up.
The same logic applies to expanding. Start with the best-selling products, measure what it does and expand after that. Extending modularly is cheaper than having everything built up front.
When a configurator does not pay off
Honestly. With a small, stable range without variants you will not earn a configurator back. If you have eight products that all eight look the same and that you can simply photograph, photography is cheaper and faster. A configurator only becomes interesting once the number of possible versions gets so large that you cannot show them all, or once customers drop out because they cannot picture what they are getting.
A second situation in which you should wait is when your product data is not in order. A configurator forces it to be settled which combinations are possible and what they cost. If that basis is missing, you build that first, not the configurator.
What you get before you decide
In a thirty minute demo THE REAL MAG. shows what a configurator does for your product. If you want to go further after that, our proposal is with you within 48 hours, with the price for your situation. No settling up afterwards. The price you get is the price.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 3D configurator cost per month?
At THE REAL MAG. from 150 euros a month for the entry level, 300 euros for the level with free combinations and 360 degree display, and 600 euros for the highest level. The monthly amount covers hosting, maintenance and further development.
Is the 3D model of my product included in the price?
No. THE REAL MAG. charges the 3D models separately, from 10 euro each, depending on volume, complexity and the quality required. All build and monthly amounts mentioned exclude assets and integrations.
How long does it take to build a 3D configurator?
At THE REAL MAG. a first demo is ready within a week. A complete configurator usually takes six to ten weeks, depending on the number of variants.
Can I start with a small selection?
Yes. At THE REAL MAG. you start with part of your range and extend it modularly. The number of 3D models determines the final price, so a smaller start is cheaper straight away.
Sources and accountability
- Prices, tiers and lead times, published at therealmag.eu/3d-configurator, consulted 25 July 2026.
- The build-up in studio days comes from our own quoting practice (quotations of June 2026). Client names and project-specific discounts have been left out; only the structure and the ratios have been carried over.
- The example of 12,000 euros is the project budget stated in our own publicly published case about a table configurator.
- The worked examples are derived from those same rates. No amounts have been estimated or rounded up.
- Market-wide hourly rates in the Dutch design sector. In 2023 design agencies charged on average 109 euros an hour for design work and 92 euros for production work. BNO Branchemonitor 2025, Beroepsorganisatie Nederlandse Ontwerpers (the Dutch association of designers), consulted 30 August 2026.
- Colour variants that share the same geometry fit into a single glTF file; in the worked example of the Khronos 3D Commerce Working Group this brings the download down from 15 MB to 7 MB. Khronos Group, Streamlining 3D Commerce with Material Variant Support in glTF Assets, 11 November 2020, consulted 30 August 2026.
A specific question about your product?
In a 30 minute demo you will know what this costs and delivers for your product.
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