To install Blender on Windows 10 or 11, download the official 64-bit MSI installer from blender.org/download, run it, accept the GPL license, and click Install. Blender is also available free on the Microsoft Store and on Steam — both versions auto-update, while the website MSI gives you full control over the install path.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 4, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Blender is 100% free and open-source on every platform — there is no paid tier. Anything claiming to sell you Blender is reselling free software.
- Three official Windows install paths: the MSI installer from blender.org, the Microsoft Store version, and the Steam version. They all run the same Blender — pick based on how you want it to update.
- Minimum requirements: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, a CPU with SSE4.2, 8 GB of RAM, and a GPU with at least 2 GB of VRAM that supports Vulkan or Metal. 16 GB RAM and a discrete GPU are recommended for actual production work.
- The “unsupported graphics card” error at startup almost always means an outdated GPU driver or an unsupported integrated GPU — not a broken Blender install.
- Blender 4.x introduced GPU rendering via Vulkan and HIP, dropped OpenGL legacy support, and requires DirectX 12-class graphics for the full Cycles GPU pipeline.
Quick Steps
- Go to blender.org/download and click Download Blender.
- Run the downloaded MSI installer.
- Accept the GPL license and click Next.
- Keep the default install path (
C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation) or pick your own. - Click Install, accept the UAC prompt, and wait for the installer to finish.
- Click Finish and launch Blender from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
In This Guide
- Which Blender version should you install?
- Method 1: Install Blender from blender.org (MSI)
- Method 2: Install Blender from the Microsoft Store
- Method 3: Install Blender on Steam
- Troubleshooting common Blender installation issues
Which Blender Version Should You Install?
Blender ships in two release tracks: the current stable release (a new major version every 6–12 months) and the Long-Term Support (LTS) branch, which gets two years of bug-fix updates without breaking add-on compatibility.
For tutorials, learning, and most personal projects, install the current stable release. For studio work or any project that depends on specific paid add-ons, install the LTS — the active LTS in 2026 is Blender 4.2 LTS, which receives critical fixes through mid-2026.
You can install Blender from three official sources on Windows. They all run the exact same Blender build — the difference is purely in how it updates and whether you can pick the install location:
- blender.org MSI installer — manual updates, full control over install path, can run multiple versions side-by-side.
- Microsoft Store — auto-updates, sandboxed, no UAC prompts, but no choice of install drive.
- Steam — auto-updates, integrated with Steam libraries, useful if you want to keep all your creative tools in one place.
Method 1: Install Blender from blender.org (Recommended)
The official MSI installer from blender.org/download is the path I recommend for most users — you get the latest version directly from the Blender Foundation, choose your own install drive, and can keep multiple versions installed at once.
Open any browser, go to blender.org, and click Download Blender. The site detects your OS and offers the matching 64-bit MSI installer. Click Download Blender X.X.X for Windows to start the download. If the download does not start automatically, use the Download Manually link below the button to pick the installer directly.
Once the MSI finishes downloading (about 280 MB for Blender 4.x), open it. The Blender Setup Wizard launches. Click Next on the welcome screen, tick the box to accept the GNU GPL license, and click Next again.
The next screen lets you change the install path. The default is:
C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender X.XLeave that as-is unless you specifically need Blender on a different drive — and avoid installing it inside OneDrive or any synced folder, because Blender’s user preferences and add-ons end up duplicated across devices and slow down startup. Click Next.
On the final screen, click Install. Windows shows a User Account Control prompt — click Yes. The install takes a couple of minutes.
When the installer finishes, click Finish. A Blender shortcut appears on the desktop, in the Start menu, and under Recently Added. Launch it and Blender opens to the splash screen and Welcome layout.
Method 2: Install Blender from the Microsoft Store
If you want Blender to update itself automatically alongside the rest of your Microsoft Store apps, install it from there. Open the Microsoft Store, search for Blender, and click Get. The Store version is published by the Blender Foundation directly, so it is genuine — no third-party repackaging.
Pros: zero-effort updates, sandboxed install, no UAC prompts, easy to uninstall cleanly. Cons: you cannot pick the install drive, and add-ons that need to write to %APPDATA% can hit permission issues because of the Store sandbox.
Note: If your Microsoft Store is broken or missing, my Winhance utility can re-enable it without a full Windows reset.
Method 3: Install Blender on Steam
Blender is also published free on Steam by the Blender Foundation. If you already have Steam installed and want all your creative software in one library, this is a clean option.
- Open Steam (or install it first using my Steam install guide).
- Search for Blender in the Steam store.
- Click Free, then Add to Library, then Install.
- Pick a Steam library folder and let Steam install Blender.
Steam keeps Blender up to date automatically and integrates Steam Cloud for some preferences. The downside is that you depend on Steam being signed in to launch Blender, and Steam adds a small amount of background overhead — not a problem for desktops, occasionally noticeable on lower-end laptops.
Troubleshooting Common Blender Installation Issues
“Unsupported graphics card configuration” at launch: The most common Blender error. It almost always means your GPU driver is too old or your GPU is below the minimum spec. Update the driver first — see my NVIDIA driver installation guide for GeForce GPUs, or my general Windows driver guide for AMD and Intel. If the GPU genuinely is below spec (older than HD 4000 / no Vulkan support), Blender 4.x will not run; install the older Blender 3.6 LTS as a fallback.
Blender crashes when running in a virtual machine: Most VM hypervisors (VirtualBox, Hyper-V default) do not pass through real GPU access, so Blender’s renderer falls back to software and either crashes or shows the unsupported GPU error. Run Blender on a physical machine instead, or use VMware Workstation Pro with 3D acceleration enabled. If you need a clean Windows VM for testing, see my VirtualBox install guide.
Installer fails with “Another version is already installed”: Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Blender, click Uninstall, and run the new installer again. The MSI installer in Blender 4.x supports side-by-side installs only if you give them different paths — installing the same version twice does not work.
Add-ons disappear after updating Blender: Each Blender major version uses its own user preferences folder. To copy your add-ons forward, open Blender’s Edit > Preferences > Save & Load and use Load Factory Settings + manual reinstall, or copy the scripts/addons folder from the previous version’s user data to the new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blender free to use on Windows?
Yes, fully free and open-source under the GNU GPL license. There is no paid tier, no watermark, and no upgrade nag. You can download, modify, redistribute, and use Blender commercially without paying anyone.
What are the system requirements for Blender in 2026?
Minimum: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, a CPU with SSE4.2 (any chip from 2010 onwards), 8 GB RAM, and a GPU with at least 2 GB VRAM that supports Vulkan, Metal, or DirectX 12. Recommended for production: 16 GB+ RAM, an 8-core CPU, and a discrete GPU with 6 GB+ VRAM. Blender 4.x dropped legacy OpenGL paths, so very old GPUs (pre-2014) may not work with the latest version.
Should I install Blender from blender.org, the Microsoft Store, or Steam?
For the most flexibility (custom install path, side-by-side versions, manual control), use the blender.org MSI installer. For automatic updates with zero effort, use the Microsoft Store version. For one-library convenience and you already use Steam, the Steam version works well. All three install identical Blender builds.
How do I fix Blender’s “Unsupported graphics card” error?
Update your GPU drivers first — that fixes the issue around 80% of the time. Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and choose Update driver. If you are on NVIDIA, also try the latest Game Ready or Studio driver from the NVIDIA app. If the error persists after driver updates, check Blender’s official requirements page against your GPU model — Blender 4.x needs Vulkan support.
Can I install Blender on a custom drive?
Yes, but only with the blender.org MSI installer. On the Custom Setup screen, click the install path and pick any folder on any drive. Microsoft Store and Steam versions install to fixed locations chosen by their respective package managers — Steam at least lets you pick which library drive.
Can I run multiple versions of Blender side by side?
Yes, but only via the blender.org MSI installer or the portable ZIP. Install each version into its own subfolder (for example, C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.2 LTS and C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 4.5). The Microsoft Store and Steam versions each only allow one install at a time.
