Save to My Lists
Claimed
Claimed

Top Rated SketchUp Alternatives

SketchUp Reviews & Product Details - Page 9

SketchUp Overview

What is SketchUp?

SketchUp helps architects and designers turn their ideas into reality with simple, powerful 3D modeling software. Whether your design is massive or miniature, we'll be with you every step of the way. Sketch it, share your vision, refine concepts, and bring them into the real world. Owned by Trimble Inc., an entrepreneurial company focused on leveraging technology to change how the world works, SketchUp is intuitive and interoperable. From the ability to create stunning renderings, to powerful sharing and presentation tools, it's easy to see why professionals trust SketchUp to build their ideas.

SketchUp Details
Languages Supported
German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional)
Show LessShow More
Product Description

SketchUp is intuitive, powerful 3D modeling software built for professionals and creatives of all kinds.

How do you position yourself against your competitors?

A leader in architecture software based on independent ratings from thousands of architects, SketchUp leads the pack with the highest satisfaction score according to G2’s Report for Architecture.

97% of users rated it 4 or 5 stars
85% of users believe it is headed in the right direction
91% of users are likely to recommend SketchUp

Explore everything SketchUp has to offer:

SketchUp Pro: Full-featured desktop modeler
Extension Warehouse: Library of custom third-party extensions
Sefaira: Early-stage analysis for better building performance
PreDesign: Weave in contextual insights from project start
LayOut: Take your 3D model into 2D space
Add Location: Aerial imagery, precise shadows, and 3D terrain
V-Ray®: Photorealistic and real-time rendering
Scan Essentials: Turn point cloud data into accurate 3D models
SketchUp Viewer: View models from anywhere in the world
3D Warehouse: Share or find models and inspiration
Trimble Connect: View, share, and access project information


Seller Details
Seller
Trimble
Year Founded
1978
HQ Location
Sunnyvale, CA
Twitter
@TrimbleCorpNews
11,581 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
9,167 employees on LinkedIn®
Ownership
NASDAQ
Total Revenue (USD mm)
$3,147
Description

Trimble develops positioning technology solutions for surveying, construction, agriculture, public safety and mapping purposes.


Cara B.
CB
Overview Provided by:

Recent SketchUp Reviews

TB
Todd B.Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Fantastic Program"
Amazing ability to quickly generate a 3D model
SZ
Stan Z.Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Sketchup rules!"
It's great for visualization of ideas to seel to clients.
Verified User
U
Verified UserSmall-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Very user friendly and very intuitive."
Very easy to navigate and you can build anything with simple lines and make it real with textures and materials. Supports rendering softwares such ...
Security Badge
This seller hasn't added their security information yet. Let them know that you'd like them to add it.
4 people requested security information

SketchUp Media

SketchUp Demo - Ambient Occulsion on iPad
Model on SketchUp's iPad app. Add visual emphasis and perceived depth at model edges with a global style setting called Ambient Occlusion.
SketchUp Demo - SketchUp
Create renderings to visualize your next project.
SketchUp Demo - Diffusion
SketchUp Diffusion LABS, lets you harness the transformational power of AI within SketchUp to create rendered images in seconds.
SketchUp Demo - Diffusion
SketchUp Diffusion LABS, lets you harness the transformational power of AI within SketchUp to create rendered images in seconds.
SketchUp Demo - LayOut
Use SketchUp's 2D documentation tool for visualizations and construction documents
SketchUp Demo - SketchUp
Create whatever you can imagine in SketchUp.
Answer a few questions to help the SketchUp community
Have you used SketchUp before?
Yes

Video Reviews

1,303 SketchUp Reviews

4.5 out of 5
The next elements are filters and will change the displayed results once they are selected.
Search reviews
Popular Mentions
The next elements are radio elements and sort the displayed results by the item selected and will update the results displayed.
Hide FiltersMore Filters
The next elements are filters and will change the displayed results once they are selected.
The next elements are filters and will change the displayed results once they are selected.
1,303 SketchUp Reviews
4.5 out of 5
1,303 SketchUp Reviews
4.5 out of 5

SketchUp Pros and Cons

How are these determined?Information
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Pros
Cons

Overall Review Sentiment for SketchUpQuestion

Time to Implement
<1 day
>12 months
Return on Investment
<6 months
48+ months
Ease of Setup
0 (Difficult)
10 (Easy)
Log In
Want to see more insights from verified reviewers?
Log in to view review sentiment.
G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
Daniel C.
DC
Producer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
What do you like best about SketchUp?

Speed and interface. Models can be created quickly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

The 3D library lacks a bit. Creating photo real models is still a reach for non professionals. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

Communicating build desires for construction Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

CH
Project Architect
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: Seller invite
Incentivized Review
(Original )Information
What do you like best about SketchUp?

Models are faster to create and view than Revit, can be shared with Clients, professional-looking Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

Inaccuracies can develop that cause modeling difficulty, multiple planes can exist instead of merging, crashes often Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

It works well with AutoCAD Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Design
UD
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
What do you like best about SketchUp?

SketchUp has helped our company take 2-D details and convert them to 3-D in order to make them easy to read. The customer support has been great with the company as well. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

SketchUp has a bit of a learning curve and some processes can be confusing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

SketchUp has been able to make some of our complex details easier to read and simpler to understand. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kate D.
KD
Design Director / Founder
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
Incentivized Review
What do you like best about SketchUp?

It is so fast knocking together ideas and quickly making iterations. I use it for so many different things from cost estimating volume; working through tough spacial intersections and complex grade changes; modeling options for clients; construction details; designing furniture; designing objects to 3D print... The list goes on and on. It changed my 3D design life! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

The exports to CAD are hard to work with and make clean. Every object you make has to be grouped. Realistic rendering has never been great. The way Tags and Entity Info work together is kind of rough when your moving fast. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

Quickly working through ideas and design challenges. Communicating design ideas with coworkers, clients and allied professionals. Volume and quantity calculations for cost estimating. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Architecture & Planning
UA
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Review source: Seller invite
What do you like best about SketchUp?

I love that SketchUp is compatible with so many other software. It fits into so many of my workflows and is an integral part of the design process at our firm. The user interface is intuitive and expandable via a plethora of extensions making modeling easy and boundless! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

I find modeling terrain the least intuitive and highly constrained. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

SketchUp is an easy way to produce massing models, especially when master planning. It is a great way to quickly determine the overall volume of a project. Our firm can quickly determine factors such as number of tenant spaces, number of living spaces, and shading and shadow studies. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kenneth D.
KD
IT
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
What do you like best about SketchUp?

Creating 3D conceptual drawings for work and home spaces Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

Login problems with pro version on Trimble Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

Seeing in scale what works in a space Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

NH
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
Incentivized Review
What do you like best about SketchUp?

Sketchup is one of the easiest to use 3D CAD programs available. It is robust and the 3D warehouse makes visualization quick and easy. It appears that Canvas, Sketchup Pro, Layout and ConDoc are now an excellent 3D scan to 3D model to 2D drawing solution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

Sketchup documentation is lacking. There are many great functions that are just not evident from within the program. Layout could become a much more professional tool for 2D drawing. The comparison to AutoCad will never go away. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

I decided to move from 2D to 3D drafting. My personnel has increased to 5 architectural interns. Sketchup is the most full featured and cost effective 3D drawing solution for my current situation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Retail
AR
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
Incentivized Review
What do you like best about SketchUp?

Sketchup feels intuitive to me. It is not something that you can simply pick up and start using without having some direction, but once you are shown how the tools work it feels like the sky is the limit. I have used it daily in the past for doing house prints - now I mainly work as the administrator for the program. I like to tell our customers that we "draw backwards" from many house plan programs. Many of those programs draw in 2d and then render a 3d image. In Sketchup, you draw in 3d and then using section cuts, create 2d plans from the 3d image. This method gives the user an excellent feel for the house design while drawing it.

That being said, this is not just a house plan drawing software. You can draw whatever you want to model with it. I have made some woodworking projects by first modeling them in Sketchup. I have also used it for just having fun modeling whatever I felt was in my skill range to model.

Sketchup is very simple to install. Simply download the file and install it and you are ready to model. If you would like to have more features, there are ruby scripts that you download to add additional features to the program. If you need training on how to use the program, there are tons of online resources for using it from Sketchup themselves as well as other content creator tutorials. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

Since we have several licenses for Sketchup where I work, their sales reached out to me to discuss discounts for multiple users. I tried that for a year or two, but never plan to try that again. That limited me from adding licenses through the customer portal itself and forced me to rely on a rep, who, in my experience, was hard to get in touch with and took several days to get a license added, which should only take a few minutes. When I told the rep that I wanted to switch back to the old system for licensing, I was told I could not do that, which was blatently wrong. I switched back and have had a much better experience for licensing after doing so. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

We had a number of customers in our area that needed a source for good quality house prints. Sketchup was the program that we chose to use to fill this gap. Since there are so many scripts and add ons available to add to the program, we can continue to streamline and improve the process as well as the final product. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Miguel M.
MM
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
Incentivized Review
What do you like best about SketchUp?

I was impressed with how familiar sketchup still feels to me. I used it in 2008-2011, then again in 2017-2019. Now in a new company and position, the need has come up to use it again, so the company I currently work for decided to invest in it. It still feels the same, yet the advancements are there. I had forgotten how easy it was to implement once again. Now I've also downloaded the ipad version, and it's not a dissappointment. It uses all the advantages the ipad provides by adding touch and apple pencil compatibility, and I can integrate everything I'm doing on the ipad back to my desktop. I'm still learning by watching the official sketchup youtube channel. The channel is extremely helpful. I needed a good refresher, and this definitely does the trick. Their videos are quick and consice. They don't get too elaborate by only focusing on one command/button per video. After all this time, I finally get to use Pro, which I'm happy for. Now I can extend my learning to include everything Layout can provide. Customer support has been on top of it by emailing me every day and reminding me that they're there if I need help. My frequency of use has been slow, because of the holidays, but now that I'm up and running again, I can say that it's been real awesome to use it every day. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

I dislike that the desktop sketchup doesnt have some of the advancements the ipad version has, like the scalable smart objects. Unless I don't know where to go in the menu. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

It provides a much needed 3d visual for people in the company that have trouble understanding plan documents.

Beneficial in land placement using google earth, so the clients and people in charge can make quick decisions.

Artistically pleasing. Can provide color options. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Architecture & Planning
UA
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
More Options
Validated Reviewer
Verified Current User
Review source: G2 invite on behalf of seller
Incentivized Review
What do you like best about SketchUp?

It is easy to use and intuitive, the 3D warehouse is extensive and the plugin comunity is thriving. I can easily adjust my preference and shortcuts in a way that suites my modeling style best. Clients can easily understand what they're looking at and it is easy to navigate for presentations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SketchUp?

The base pro version of sketchup is lacking in its tools for more complicated modeling. Mesh faces and curviture modeling is often inpercice. More tools need to be added to vanilla sketchup that would allow for easiers modeling of curvalinear solids and meshes. Exporting scaled drawing to dwg and other CAD files should be easier. There should be a better built in material editor in sketchup, messing with saturation of materials tends add colors to the textures that should not be there. I wish I could make objects not interact with section cuts much like you can toggle cast and recieve shadows. I wish there was a multiface extrusion tool built into the software so I could thicken curvalinear faces. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SketchUp solving and how is that benefiting you?

It allows us to design in real time with clients at the table. It gives us a presentation tool that we can then render over. It allows us to quickly bring our 2D designs into 3D. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.