Last Updated on February 27, 2026
Embree is a high-performance ray tracing library. It contains ray tracing kernels optimized for the latest x86 processors with support for SSE, AVX, AVX2, and AVX-512 instructions, and uses runtime code selection to choose between these kernels.
It targets graphics application developers to improve the performance of photo-realistic rendering applications. Embree is optimized towards production rendering, by putting focus on incoherent ray performance, high quality acceleration structure construction, a rich feature set, accurate primitive intersection, and low memory consumption.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Various primitive types such as triangles (as well quad and grids for lower memory consumption).
- Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces.
- Various types of curve primitives, such as flat curves (for distant views), round curves (for closeup views), and normal oriented curves, all supported with different basis functions (linear, Bézier, B-spline, Hermite, and Catmull Rom).
- Point-like primitives, such as ray oriented discs, normal oriented discs, and spheres; user defined geometries with a procedural intersection function.
- Multi-level instancing.
- Filter callbacks invoked for any hit encountered; motion blur including multi-segment motion blur, deformation blur, and quaternion motion blur; and ray masking.
- Supports Intel GPUs through the SYCL open standard programming language.
- Cross-platform support – runs with Linux (64-bit), macOS (64-bit), and Windows (32-bit and 64-bit).
Website: github.com/RenderKit/embree
Support:
Developer: Intel
License: Apache License Version 2.0
Embree is written in C++ and C. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Ray Tracing Software | |
|---|---|
| POV-Ray | Full-featured ray tracer |
| Blender | 3D content creation suite with a huge range of uses |
| McXtrace | Monte Carlo Xray Tracing for simulation X-ray beamlines and experiments |
| McStas | Simulator for neutron scattering instruments and experiments |
| BRL-CAD | Combinatorial Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) solid modeling system |
| Embree | High-performance ray tracing library |
| LuxCoreRender | Rendering system for physically correct image synthesis |
| Visionaray | C++ ray tracing template library |
| YafaRay | Montecarlo raytracing engine |
| MantaRay | Advanced renderer using modern rendering techniques |
| Tachyon | Parallel / multiprocessor ray tracing system |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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