The Best Open Source SketchUp AlternativesTop 3D Modelers and other similar apps like SketchUp

The best open source alternative to SketchUp is Blender. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to SketchUp and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to SketchUp are Sweet Home 3D, MakeHuman, LibreCAD and Wings 3D.

SketchUp alternatives are mainly 3D Modelers but may also be CAD Software or Interior Design Apps. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of SketchUp.

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iPad + Free

SketchUp

538

Freemium • Proprietary
3D Modeler

SketchUp (formerly Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as...

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Blender
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
3D Modeler
VFX Software
3D Animator
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Haiku
Steam
Flatpak
152 Blender alternatives
Blender is the free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, video editing, and motion tracking.
- - Blender is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to SketchUp.
- - Blender is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to SketchUp.
Suggest and vote on features
Blender Features
1. 3D SculptingBlender offers tools to push, pull, smooth, grab or pinch to manipulate a 3D model.
2. Keyframe AnimationCompositions can be keyframed in Blender, allowing you to change the parameters over time.
3. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsBlender can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
4. Animation RiggingBlender supports bone structures to manipulate a 3D model like a puppet for animation.
5. Physically-Based RenderingPrecise rendering method for Blender to represent of how light interacts with material properties.
6. Ad-freeBlender doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
7. Node BasedBlender supports node editing, a form of visual programming that gives you full control over the rendering.
8. LightweightBlender consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
9. Motion CaptureYou can capture and modify/animate faces, gestures, movements or objects within the Blender.
Real time rendering
Community-based
Compositor
Texturing
3D Renderer
Texture painting
Grease Pencil
2D and 3D physics
Rendering
Rendering with graphics card
Comments about Blender as a Alternative to SketchUp
Some users think Blender is a great SketchUp alternative, some don't.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
naught101
Good generic 3D modeller, but not as suited for quick space modelling.
Top positive comment •
46

aronkvh
It's a bit complicated but way more powerful booleans, arrays. You can draw shapes just like in SU. Get comfortable with the snapping system. Try measureit-arch , archipack, cad-transform free addons for a similar experience. There is also construction lines for like 10USD which adds the ability to draw lines and rectangles.
Top positive comment •
2

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 comment •
1

Guest
Sketch up is more geared for designing a table or a house. Blender seem more like creation a Pixar animated movie.
Negative comment •
1

ChangeMachine
Another comment says Blender is "God level complex". I'm gonna get hate for saying this, but I think "hell-level complex" is more like it. I respect that it's an amazing and powerful (insular) community-driven project, but intuitive and inviting it is not. Thus the fork "B for Artists", which seems promising.
Negative comment •
1

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5 of 23 comments
Sweet Home 3D
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Interior Design App
3D Modeler
CAD Software
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Solaris
66 Sweet Home 3D alternatives
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.
- - Sweet Home 3D is the most popular Web-based alternative to SketchUp.
Suggest and vote on features
Sweet Home 3D Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsSweet Home 3D can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. PortableSweet Home 3D can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. 3D SculptingSweet Home 3D offers tools to push, pull, smooth, grab or pinch to manipulate a 3D model.
4. No Coding RequiredSweet Home 3D can be used without an coding or programming skills.
5. Ad-freeSweet Home 3D doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
6. Works OfflineSweet Home 3D can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
Import furniture from web
Customizable
Multiple languages
Export to PDF
Video rendering
Java based
Comments about Sweet Home 3D as a Alternative to SketchUp
Some users think Sweet Home 3D is a great SketchUp alternative, some don't.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
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 comment •
22

Guest
Very easy to learn. Has a huge library of "furniture" and other assets developed and shared by users. Has 3D photo's and video virtual tours. May not be that great for detailed framing plans and elevations.
Top positive comment •
1

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 comment •
37

Guest
Its not general purpose, its to specific to be an alternative to virtually any other CAD program
Negative comment •
5

Guest
Not a general purpose CAD program
Negative comment •
2

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5 of 11 comments
MakeHuman
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
3D Modeler
Mac
Windows
Linux
50 MakeHuman alternatives
MakeHuman is an interactive modelling tool for creating realistic 3D human characters. These models can be exported to several computer graphics and animation platforms including Blender, Unity 3D, Unreal Engine, OpenSim and Second Life.
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MakeHuman Features
1. Parametric ModelingMakeHuman can change the shape of model geometry as soon as the dimension value is modified.
2. 3D SculptingMakeHuman offers tools to push, pull, smooth, grab or pinch to manipulate a 3D model.
Texture painting
Club Recommendation
Rendering
Comments about MakeHuman as a Alternative to SketchUp
Some users think MakeHuman is a great SketchUp alternative, some don't.
Guest
Completely different scope. SketchUp is a general modeller with a hard surface / architecture focus while MakeHuman is strictly for creating realistic human models.
Negative comment •
3

Guest
Makehuman makes 3D human models only whereas sketchup is intended for 3D objects like furniture or buildings.
Negative comment •
0
LibreCAD
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
CAD Software
3D Modeler
Digital Painting Tool
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
109 LibreCAD alternatives
LibreCAD is an open source 2D CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux. It is based on Qt, which is a leading cross-platform application and UI development framework.
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LibreCAD Features
1. PortableLibreCAD can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in LibreCAD without registration.
3. Parametric ModelingLibreCAD can change the shape of model geometry as soon as the dimension value is modified.
4. LightweightLibreCAD consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
5. Support for LayersLibreCAD supports the organization of elements through a hierarchical order that can be manipulated/viewed independently.
Bim
Construction layers
Customizable
Isometric view
Export to SVG
QT Based
Export to PDF
Comments about LibreCAD as a Alternative to SketchUp
This alternative is disputed. LibreCAD is still a legitimate SketchUp alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Guest
Good 2D drawing, has isometrics as well, reads DXF but isn't an alternative to a 3D CAD software assembling blocks. FreeCAD is better but a difficult to make the parts.
Top positive comment •
2

Guest
LibreCAD is a 2D CAD software. Sketchup is a 3D software.
Top negative comment •
36

Guest
LibreCAD is only a 2D CAD software
Negative comment •
0

Guest
Librecad is a 2D program.
Negative comment •
0

Guest
Not 3D. Otherwise, fine program.
Negative comment •
6
Wings 3D
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
3D Modeler
Mac
Windows
Linux
56 Wings 3D alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
Wings 3D Features
1. Keyframe AnimationCompositions can be keyframed in Wings 3D, allowing you to change the parameters over time.
Uv mapping
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Opinions about Wings 3D as a Alternative to SketchUp
Most users think Wings 3D is a great SketchUp alternative.
BRL-CAD
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
CAD Software
3D Modeler
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
71 BRL-CAD alternatives
BRL-CAD is a powerful cross-platform open source solid modeling system that includes interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, image and signal-processing tools, a system performance analysis benchmark suite, libraries for...
Suggest and vote on features
BRL-CAD Features
Image Processing
Benchmark analytics
Ray Tracing
Comments about BRL-CAD as a Alternative to SketchUp
Most users think BRL-CAD is a great SketchUp alternative.
Guest
The manner in which you draw a shape, enter dimensions, and push/pull a flat plane shape are the most similar to the SketchUp workflow of any 3D/CAD program I have used.
Positive comment •
-5
GLC_Player
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
3D Modeler
Mac
Windows
Linux
26 GLC_Player alternatives
GLC_Player is a software used to view 3D models (COLLADA 3DXML OBJ 3DS STL OFF and COFF format are supported) and to navigate easily in these models. With the album management, capture and multi-capture capabilities, HTML export and navigation possibilities, GLC_Player is the...
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GLC_Player Features
Built-in 3D model viewer
Add a screenshot