New to BlenderGPT? The whole first-run setup takes about 10 minutes: create a free account, install the v2.2.0 bridge add-on in Blender 4.2 or newer, and run one sync test. After that, everything — asset imports, generations, scene edits — happens by typing what you want. This guide walks the full path and flags where the free plan ends and the paid allowance begins.

What you need before starting

Three things, all quick to check. First, Blender 4.2.0 or newer — the add-on manifest sets that as the hard minimum, so older installs will refuse it. Second, a free BlenderGPT account; the free plan is permanent and asks for no payment details. Third, the add-on zip itself, downloaded from the official endpoint after you sign in. Our download guide covers the install clicks and system requirements in more detail.

Step 1 — Connect Blender to your account

  1. Install the add-on zip through Edit → Preferences → Add-ons → Install from Disk.
  2. Enable the BlenderGPT entry in the add-on list.
  3. Approve its single network permission — that connection is how the app sees your scene.
  4. Sign in when prompted, so the web app and your open Blender file are linked.

A quick way to confirm the link is alive: the app should show your scene as connected within a few seconds of opening Blender.

Step 2 — Import something from the asset library

Start with the free tier’s strongest feature. Type a plain request — a search like “small wooden stool” works — pick a result, and watch it land in your viewport. This exercises the same two-way sync pipeline that generation uses, so a clean import proves your setup end to end without spending anything.

Step 3 — Run your first generation

Text-to-3D and image-to-3D sit on the Hobby plan and up, with a bundled monthly credit allowance on each paid tier — current numbers live on the pricing page. Describe one object at a time with a couple of concrete adjectives — material, era, condition — the way you would brief a modeler. A single clear photo works too: upload it and the model arrives textured, in roughly 20 seconds, ready to refine with normal Blender tools.

Step 4 — Edit the scene by conversation

Ask for changes instead of hunting menus: warmer key light, a rougher fabric on the chair, three more of these arranged in a row. Multi-step requests chain on the paid plans, and every change stays ordinary Blender data — undo works, and so does manual tweaking on top.

Where to go next

If a step failed anywhere above, the troubleshooting guide lists the common causes in symptom order. If you saw a guide asking you to paste an OpenAI key, you were reading instructions for the old open-source script — the API key explainer sorts that out. And when you are deciding whether the paid allowance is worth it, the pricing page has both billing tracks in one table.