The Best SketchUp AlternativesTop 3D Modelers & CAD Software like SketchUp

SketchUp is described as '(formerly Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design—and available in a freeware version, SketchUp Make, and a paid' and is a leading 3D Modeler in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 100 alternatives to SketchUp for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Web-based and BSD apps. The best SketchUp alternative is Blender, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like SketchUp are Sweet Home 3D, FreeCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD and Shapr3D.

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SketchUp alternatives are mainly 3D Modelers but may also be CAD Software or Interior Design Apps.  Other popular filters includes iPad + Free and Mac + Free. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of SketchUp.
SketchUp iconSketchUp
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SketchUp (formerly Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design—and...

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SketchUp alternatives page was last updated Sep 28, 2024
  1. Blender icon
     1658 likes

    A comprehensive open-source 3D software suite for modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging, and animating. It supports renderings, simulations including fluid and cloth dynamics, complex compositing, video editing, and Python scripting, running across all major operating systems.

    146 Blender alternatives
    Splash Artwork for Blender 4.3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Steam
    • Flatpak

    Top Blender Features

    1.  3D Animation
    2.  3D Sculpting
    3.  Real time rendering
    4.  Compositor
    5.  Community-based
    6.  Keyframe Animation
    7.  Texturing
    8.  Animation Rigging
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  3D Renderer
    11.  Texture painting
    12.  Grease Pencil
    Blender iconSketchUp Icon

    Blender VS SketchUp

    Is Blender a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about Blender as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
       
    Comment summary: SketchUp is praised for its ease of use, making it ideal for quick, intuitive modeling tasks like building and room design. It is often contrasted with Blender, which is viewed as complex and more suited for 3D art and animation. While Blender is recognized for its powerful features and flexibility, it has a steep learning curve and lacks the intuitive CAD-like experience of SketchUp. Users appreciate Blender's extensive capabilities but note that it isn't geared towards quick structure modeling.
    naught101

    Good generic 3D modeller, but not as suited for quick space modelling.

    Top positive commentJul 28, 2017
    47
    KariLHegg

    Sketchup has useful features for designing houses, furniture and similar objects quickly. It has an intuitive, simplified CAD UX and you can easily add measurements of important parts. Blender is very complex and intended for 3D CGI, not quickly designing objects. I'm sure Blender has plugins for putting measurements in and so on but it has a huge learning curve.

    Top negative commentJul 23, 2023
    2
    ph soft

    Although it seems like it has progressed a lot and there are plugins to reduce the gap with sketchup, it is not an alternative unless you already use Blender all the time. Sketchup is like paint for 3D: perhaps not the most powerful, but it does not get in your way. Blender complexity does not solve Sketchup limitations (accuracy, constraints, etc). Freecad would be better for that.

    Negative commentSep 28, 2024
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 24 comments
    SketchUp Icon
    Blender icon
    • Some users think Blender is a great SketchUp alternative, some don't.

    • Blender is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to SketchUp.

    • Blender is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to SketchUp.

    • Blender is Free and Open SourceSketchUp is Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Sweet Home 3D icon
     297 likes

    Sweet Home 3D is a free interior design Java application that helps you draw the plan of your house, arrange furniture on it and visit the results in 3D.

    65 Sweet Home 3D alternatives
    Sweet Home 3D screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Solaris

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Interior Design
    2.  Import furniture from web
    3.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    4.  3D Sculpting
    5.  Portable
    6.  Multiple languages
    7.  No Coding Required
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Export to PDF
    11.  Java based
    12.  Video rendering
    Sweet Home 3D iconSketchUp Icon

    Sweet Home 3D VS SketchUp

    Is Sweet Home 3D a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about Sweet Home 3D as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
       
    Comment summary: Users highlight that SketchUp is considered more versatile and suitable for a variety of 3D modeling tasks, including detailed designs. In contrast, Sweet Home 3D excels in home and furniture design but lacks the robust features necessary for broader CAD applications. Some appreciation exists for Sweet Home 3D's ease of use and assets library, but it remains a niche tool for specific design projects, rather than a comprehensive CAD solution.
    Guest

    If you are looking for something related to home design, SweetHome3D is an excellent solution. But it is not a general purpose cad suite.

    Top positive commentJan 19, 2017
    22
    Guest

    Sketchup is far more generic and can be used for creating 3D printing models. Sweet Home 3D is a targeted application designed for laying out house designs.

    Top negative commentJun 29, 2016
    38
    Guest

    Its not general purpose, its to specific to be an alternative to virtually any other CAD program

    Negative commentDec 8, 2019
    5
    Show more comments
    3 of 11 comments
    SketchUp Icon
    Sweet Home 3D icon
    • Some users think Sweet Home 3D is a great SketchUp alternative, some don't.

    • Sweet Home 3D is the most popular Web-based alternative to SketchUp.

    • Sweet Home 3D is Free and Open SourceSketchUp is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Sweet Home 3D is CustomizableSketchUp is not according to our users
  3. FreeCAD icon
     434 likes

    FreeCAD is a general purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler. The development is completely Open Source (LGPL License). FreeCAD is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other...

    110 FreeCAD alternatives
    FreeCAD screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft

    Top FreeCAD Features

    1.  Parametric Modeling
    2.  Drawing 2D
    3.  Interior Design
    4.  FEM
    5.  Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
    6.  Parametric
    7.  3d Drawing
    8.  DWG support
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Procedural Modeling
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Dark Mode
    FreeCAD iconSketchUp Icon

    FreeCAD VS SketchUp

    Is FreeCAD a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about FreeCAD as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
       
    Comment summary: SketchUp is praised for its ease of use, making it ideal for quick 3D drawings. However, it is not suitable for detailed blueprints or parametric modeling, unlike FreeCAD. Users acknowledge FreeCAD's capabilities in creating professional mechanical designs, despite its steep learning curve and lack of intuitiveness compared to SketchUp. Some comments highlight the difficulty in comparing these tools as they serve different purposes and audiences.
    Guest

    Love this software for 3d printing.

    Top positive commentOct 25, 2018
    6
    ph soft

    Sketchup is for quick drawing, to think in 3D. Not for blueprints or super accurate things. Freecad can resolve constraints but is anything but intuitive of fast. They can't be compared.

    Top negative commentApr 4, 2023
    5
    Guest

    FreeCAD is a rich program for mechanical components or structures. There is more of a learning curve than Sketchup but can create professional drawings, analysis, simulation, assemblies, and more.

    Positive commentDec 30, 2020
    3
    Show more comments
    3 of 9 comments
    SketchUp Icon
    FreeCAD icon
    • Most users think FreeCAD is a great SketchUp alternative.

    • FreeCAD is Free and Open SourceSketchUp is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. Autodesk AutoCAD icon
     214 likes

    Leading CAD software known for its robust 2D and 3D modeling capabilities, facilitating intricate designs in architecture, engineering, and construction across Mac, PC, and web. Features include a dynamic API for customization, cloud access, and subscription-based service for continual updates and collaborat...

    126 Autodesk AutoCAD alternatives
    Autodesk AutoCAD screenshot 1

    License model

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Autodesk AutoCAD Features

    1.  DWG support
    2.  Drawing 2D
    3.  3D Printing
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Batch plotting
    6.  Parametric Modeling
    7.  Real time collaboration
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  Support for scripting
    10.  Cloud Sync
    Autodesk AutoCAD iconSketchUp Icon

    Autodesk AutoCAD VS SketchUp

    Is Autodesk AutoCAD a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about Autodesk AutoCAD as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
    Ibuddy66

    AutoCAD is beyond expensive and prices the average user completely out of the picture. There is no good reason for the exorbitant rising costs of this software. None!

    Negative commentSep 20, 2021
    0
    Guest

    If you're talking about Autodesk software the 3D software is Revit, which is amazing, but AutoCAD is much more suited to 2D modelling and doing 3D requires a larger time investment or understanding of procedural coding etc.

    As for Revit, it leaves Sketchup in the dust, but it's also very expensive(I didn't see it on the list even after scrolling down, hmm).

    Negative commentNov 3, 2020
    -1
    SketchUp Icon
    Autodesk AutoCAD icon
    • Most users think Autodesk AutoCAD is a great SketchUp alternative.

    • Autodesk AutoCAD is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to SketchUp.

    • Autodesk AutoCAD is the most popular commercial alternative to SketchUp.

    • Autodesk AutoCAD is Paid and ProprietarySketchUp is Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Shapr3D icon
     28 likes

    From design to manufacturing. Teams collaborate with more impact. Instinctive design meets multidevice capability and full interoperability for the ultimate 3D design workflow.

    50 Shapr3D alternatives
    Sketch to model. Mastered in hours.

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Augmented Reality
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Cloud Sync
    5.  Mechanical Design
    6.  Apple Pencil support
    7. Android icon  Android Sync
    8.  Sketching
    Shapr3D iconSketchUp Icon

    Shapr3D VS SketchUp

    Is Shapr3D a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about Shapr3D as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
    maurosoft391

    it's for iPad, not for Windows or Android

    Negative commentApr 23, 2022
    1
    SketchUp Icon
    Shapr3D icon
    • Most users think Shapr3D is a great SketchUp alternative.

    • Shapr3D is Freemium and ProprietarySketchUp is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Shapr3D is LightweightSketchUp is not according to our users
  6. Wings 3D icon
     114 likes

    Wings 3D is a subdivision modeler inspired by Nendo and Mirai from Izware.

    It is possible to assign materials, vertex color, UV coordinates and textures, but there will be improvements in those features before Wings goes 1.0.

    There is no support in Wings for doing animations.

    53 Wings 3D alternatives
    Modeling by Jove Chiere

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Wings 3D Features

    1.  Uv mapping
    Wings 3D iconSketchUp Icon

    Wings 3D VS SketchUp

    Is Wings 3D a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
  7. pCon.planner icon
     31 likes

    The professional furnishing 2D-/3D-tool for everybody: The pCon.planner is a cost-free application allowing you to comfortably and professionally create complex furnishing concepts and to visualize them in a photo-realistic quality. File Formats: dwg, dxf, 3ds, skp, ... Language.

    85 pCon.planner alternatives
    new Interface UI with Ribbon

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows

    pCon.planner Features

    1.  WYSIWYG Support
    2.  Support for Layers
    pCon.planner iconSketchUp Icon

    pCon.planner VS SketchUp

    Is pCon.planner a good alternative to SketchUp?
     
    Comments about pCon.planner as an Alternative to SketchUp
     
    Guest

    Beautifully designed interface, very intuitive, wide gallery of 3D objetcs to use, and free... What's not to like.

    Positive commentMay 25, 2018
    5
    SketchUp Icon
    pCon.planner icon
    • Almost everyone thinks pCon.planner is a great SketchUp alternative.

    • pCon.planner is Free and ProprietarySketchUp is Freemium and Proprietary
7 of 167 SketchUp alternatives