Cloud platform and CAD plugins for daylight, glare, CFD and energy simulation, built on Ladybug Tools for architects and engineers.
Why we recommend it
Pollination is the most practical way to run real daylight and energy simulations from Grasshopper or Revit without building the toolchain yourself. Be aware the cloud runs can be slow and the licenses are concurrent seats, not per-user — read the fine print before budgeting.
Strengths
- Exports simulation-ready energy models from Revit rooms and Rhino geometry to EnergyPlus, OpenStudio, IES VE, gbXML, eQuest and other formats without manual redrawing
- Runs daylight, glare, CFD and energy simulations in the cloud from Grasshopper with published per-seat pricing and a free plugin tier
Drawbacks
- Cloud simulations can run far slower than local desktops — users report up to 8x longer runs and long daylight-job queues on the free/limited tiers
- Full workflow depends on Rhino/Grasshopper or Revit plugins and paid concurrent licenses, and plugin licenses don't bundle cloud compute, so heavy simulation requires separate paid cloud plans
How much does Pollination cost?
Free – $250/mo — Free tier, with paid plans.
The vendor’s published list price, checked by hand and excluding tax. Team, education and non-profit rates are often lower than the figure above, and annual billing is usually cheaper than monthly. Compare what every tool in the directory costs.
Frequently asked questions
Pollination has a free tier, with paid plans available. Pricing: Free – $250/mo.
Pollination is priced at Free – $250/mo, and the free tier is usable without a subscription.
Cloud simulations can run far slower than local desktops — users report up to 8x longer runs and long daylight-job queues on the free/limited tiers. Full workflow depends on Rhino/Grasshopper or Revit plugins and paid concurrent licenses, and plugin licenses don't bundle cloud compute, so heavy simulation requires separate paid cloud plans.
Pollination is best suited for Architect, Industrial Designer, Student.
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