According to the Pixar RenderMan site “RenderMan® is the same software that Pixar uses to render its own feature film animation. It’s a high performance renderer built to tackle the most complicated 3D imaginable … with production-hardened technology that is stable, reliable, and flexible. RenderMan® delivers breathtaking results again and again.”
With a new generation of software in store the following are ways to get the software for free…
“Free Non-Commercial Use”
“With the upcoming release, RenderMan will be free for non-commercial usage.
Examples of non-commercial use-cases include evaluations, personal learning,
experimentation, research, and the development of tools and plug-ins for RenderMan.
For more information refer to our EULA.”
There are also free educational versions available too.
Check it out here: FREE RenderMan