SketchUp Free vs Paid Versions (The 10 Key Differences)

[@SketchUpSchool]

*WHICH VERSION OF SKETCHUP IS RIGHT FOR YOU?* 😀 Let us know in the comments, or just let us know you liked the video by giving it a like 👍 And, if there's anything you’d like to see us cover in a future video, let us know!

[@No-cc1fq]

I like pirate one

[@swallowedinthesea11]

@@No-cc1fq I used the pirated 2018 version well until I found out the 3D Warehouse doesn't work now!

[@LittleLusMyLuvs]

U I like pro

[@Kcustom216]

I miss the days of buying and owning things

[@ZR1Terror]

Me too

[@GustavoOliveira-uv7fc]

That’s so fucking true

[@marks6663]

The WEF said that the future would be that you would own nothing, have no privacy and your life will never be better. I kid you not, that was an advertising motto.

[@y2kmadd]

Too expensive now.

[@dankirchner4460]

Excellent breakdown of the different versions!

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad you liked it!

[@hiteshvarsani3136]

Excellent Video!! So glad you took time out to make this! Thank you!

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome!

[@lawrencefairbairn5339]

One of my colleagues at my local Menshed demonstrated Sketchup on his laptop and told us that it was free. I was intrigued. Alas, after watching this video I don't know if I want to bother. Most of the stuff he had is now on Pro.

[@NinjaKiller1022]

This was unbelievably helpful. Thanks for breaking things down. 👌🏼

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robertdufour2456]

Sir, your presentations are amazing! They are informative and entertaining.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad you like them!

[@am3986]

@robert that may be offensive.

[@TuxedoVaileGAMES]

I used to use Sketchup all of the time back when it was just Google Sketchup. I really enjoyed the workflow that Sketchup provided. I stopped using it though because I can't afford anything beyond the free license but need something that I can use to make 3D models for my indie games and environment art that I plan on selling. I'd be in violation of the license unfortunately. It's a shame too because the toolset and workflow of sketchup is unparalleled in my opinion. If I wanted to make any kind of precision hard surface model, Sketchup was the perfect tool. Here's hoping that one day there might be a demand for an indie license for this awesome piece of software.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Since you are looking for free software to create models for games and environment art, you should check out Blender: www.blender.org/. Also, we have a learning channel for Blender that we just started - you can find it here: www.youtube.com/@BlenderAcademydotcom

[@davidwilliams1060]

Thanks. Gave me a clear answer between Shop (now called Go) and Pro.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome! Glad it helped!

[@DxBlack]

Anyone else remember when Google owned it and it was 100% free and Desktop only? Yeah.....straight to heck when they sold it.

[@williamshultz4620]

Yeah I do too bad it had to change and now you have to pay to get all the good features like sandbox tools

[@MARiordan]

Absolutely brilliant, Alex! Complex, but presented in a very logical manner. Thank you so much. I'm still a lowly Sketchup Make 2017 desktop user because it satisfies my humble needs but, if I need to update one day, I will definitely review this video.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're very welcome!

[@stevegrimes5105]

trimble raised prices so much that i'm moving to blender. I need modeling and rendering to make decisions for my home projects which include cutlists for woodworking. Blender provides that functionality.

[@SketchUpSchool]

We actually just started another learning channel for Blender. If you're interested, you can check it out here: www.youtube.com/@BlenderAcademydotcom

[@FAhmad1782]

Super helpful! Thank you for breaking down the differences!

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're so welcome!

[@piezoe]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I found the Trimble site a nightmare when trying to get the most basic questions imaginable answered re the myriad of software versions. The sales force wasn't of much help either. I'm coming from AutoCad and it was still a mystery to me until you explained the options clearly as you did.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Really happy to hear how helpful this video was for you!

[@t.e.1189]

Thank you for the video. This answered many of my questions.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You are welcome!

[@LovelyTrendyCoolGirl]

Thank you very much, this was very helpful. I'm an artist who wants to get into floor planning and interior design, so the free SketchUp might be the best choice for me now. However, the pro version looks very tempting with all of these features and plugins :"D Subscribed and gonna binge watch everything on your channel 😁

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome! Ultimately, I do think SketchUp Pro will be the best choice for floor planning and interior design, but you can certainly start with SketchUp Free so long as you don't mind learning a different user interface with Pro later on.

[@anthonylandrum63]

Thanks for describing the differences.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome!

[@EgaoKage]

I think the right choice for me is SketchUp 2020 Pro, from The Pirate Bay. Because I will gladly _BUY_ the software I want, when that option exists. But I will never _RENT_ software.

[@sumayanakamya9701]

Can you please do a tutorial on sketchup ipad. You have been the best teacher.

[@SketchUpSchool]

We are working on one now that should come out later this year. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it.

[@ZenDreaming60]

@@SketchUpSchool if you could, please list what extensions are usable on the iPad for Sketchup pro! 👍🏼

[@seyma5025]

You guys are amazing I love your videos😍

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad to hear you love the videos! Stay tuned - many more to come!

[@SuperGh0stie]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@jeroenwesselink]

Very usefull and compact video!

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad you think so!

[@supraneedeesom8040]

Emmanuel Chukwunonso don't worry. When I first started setuping I felt the exact sa. Just keep ssing around with a DAW and you

[@lanaphillips1482]

Based on this, I will ultimately need pro, but I'll be a ways away from needing to export it for my county building & planning department. I'm going to go with shop until it's absolutely time and upgrade when I need to.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Sounds like a good plan!

[@dulguunbold2067]

Extremely informative!

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad you liked it!

[@DavidDuffy-nu8wh]

I like very much what I see of the Sketch Up free 10 step processes as you illustrated in your sales video thank you. My one recommendation is please add a small clock or timer to the video to show how long it took you, an expert with this app, to render the design from first line / rectangle drawn to the last color added of the final rendering. Did the design effort take you under an hour in total or was the design a full day's (8 hours) effort?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Thanks for the suggestion - we will see how/if we can incorporate this idea into a future video.

[@woodysranch2690]

It might have been usefull to add Sketchup Make 2017 as a comparison. It is a desktop version with many of the features of Sketchup Pro, except it is free. I note that the 3D warehouse does not offer many items compatible with SU Make which is less useful, but I prefer the desktop version in general

[@SketchUpSchool]

We stayed away from including Make 2017 as it hasn't been supported for a while and will (unfortunately) only continue to get harder to use 🙁. But it is an option right now for people who can tolerate the headaches that come with unsupported software.

[@willdatsun]

@@SketchUpSchool is it still available to download somewhere?

[@dcd7400]

@@willdatsun The official sites do not offer the download anymore citing that: 1. it was made for Windows 7 and 8 which are no longer supported 2. is no longer receiving updates 3. and may be less secure because of reasons 1 and 2. now if you search the web and are able to find a reputable source then there are places you can still download it.

[@gmatochautube]

To summarize...once you're past "newbie" you'll need a paid version.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You can definitely use the Free version well past being new to SketchUp. You would just need to upgrade if you needed any of the professional features that the paid versions offer.

[@edenassos]

Would you make a video about Sketchup & Unreal Engine 5? ;) I think more people need to know the awesomeness that comes with that pairing. Cheers

[@SketchUpSchool]

Thanks for the recommendation. We'll add it to our list of candidates for future topics!

[@CherieOudomsouk]

what he failed to say is that these extensions also cost money. So you're paying more for sketch up pro just to have access to these extensions and then these extensions themselves come with their own subscription...

[@Bravo.Marksman]

The Sketchup free don't have export.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You can export SKP, PNG, and STL files from SketchUp Free.

[@slimcrna]

Great video. If I buy a pro subscription, am I able to save my models and access them from the web based applications when I’m not at my desktop?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Yes you can!

[@kemoralandscapes7197]

@@SketchUpSchool how many users in a studio per a SketchUp Pro subscription??

[@rezaardiansyah4372]

THANK YOU

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome!!

[@jonRboy]

Is looking at Sketchup content on a VR headset really limited to the Pro version? I'm not so sure about that. I'm a Pro subscriber and just got a Meta Quest 3 headset. When I was starting to learn about the headset I discovered that the AR/VR extension in Sketchup Pro won't work with the headset. On my headset, I installed a copy of the Sketchup viewer which can access files from Trimble Connect. I was told that is the new way to get content on your headset. The Sketchup viewer on the headset lists Trimble Connect as a source for content. So....since I believe Trimble Connect can be used with Sketchup Free and Sketchup Shop, I'm pretty sure a Meta Quest 3 headset owner who has the Sketchup viewer installed should be able to access their content that is on Trimble Connect. This is assuming that Trimble Connect is available for all versions of Sketchup. So, since the workflow for getting access to content on a VR headset has changed, and the AR/VR extension won't work, and there's a new workflow using Trimble Connect, it seems things are now different with using VR headsets.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Trimble Connect requires a paid plan, so you wouldn't be able to do what you are doing if you only had SketchUp Free.

[@jonRboy]

@@SketchUpSchool Thanks for the correction! I guess I overlooked the specifics of Trimble Connect’s cost, or didn’t pay close enough attention to that part of the feature set in your rundown. So, I take it that Trimble Connect is included with SketchUp Pro? What is the price of it if you had to pay for it separately?

[@mwapesamala848]

Lol does all these options even help the company? Seems like it too much for people to even try SketchUp anymore

[@StudioKeta]

thanks !

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome!

[@PauloLemeAstronomia]

Great explanation! Congrats. Do I understand right that one cannot exports a 3D model object with the free option?

[@SketchUpSchool]

That's correct

[@bridgetbeari]

I am a professional interior designer and looks like would need the Pro version, and also need to learn Layout and the extensions you mentioned SketchFX and VRAY5. What is the best online course series that is live help that we can follow along?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Check out our Video Course Library which has all of the courses you need to be able to use SketchUp and the other software you mentioned for your interior design projects: www.sketchupschool.com/video-course-library

[@remacp]

Hi , great explanation . Just one question . Does shop version allow for showing angles of a model by rotating the model and using the scene function to record the various angles in the animation section , and play the animation . I think not , but just wanted to make sure

[@SketchUpSchool]

If we understand your question correctly, you should be able to do what you want using SketchUp Go (formerly called SketchUp Shop). If you have further questions about this, be sure to follow-up with us directly at [e-mail].

[@patricksmith2193]

I'm working my way up to Pro. I have a question I'm looking to make floor plans 3D for Dome style structures. I seen the videos on making circular floor plans but to convert that to 3D rounded Dome top? Or two-story large Dome structure is there tutorial on that or could you make one?

[@SketchUpSchool]

We aren't aware of an existing tutorial to follow, but we will certainly add the topic to our list for the future.

[@robertdufour2456]

Was that extra large sippy cup modeled in SketchUp?

[@SketchUpSchool]

No, but it should have been!

[@stephanied.kaiserharvel9951]

Is one able to use Sketch Up to upload furniture/custom materials to get the exact look of a space from my interior design clients? E.g. Is there is specific artwork, dining chairs, etc. am I able to upload those into sketch up and plug them into the "dining room" I will be creating?

[@SketchUpSchool]

You aren't able to upload furniture and material images and "automatically" get the identical 3D model created in SketchUp. However, you can use those images to guide you in using SketchUp's tools to create the furniture and spaces, and then use the imported material images and use SketchUp's tools to apply those images to your model. If you need further assistance trying to figure out how to go about doing this, email us at [e-mail] and an instructor will try to help.

[@michellemounts6677]

Thanks for a great video. I subscribed to Shop and want to use it to illustrate cold case missing persons cases. My question is, as a non architect, how can I look at a home or building related to a case and figure out it's approximate dimensions?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Please send a message to [e-mail] and we'll see if we can help.

[@AnnaKincaid]

Back when sketch up came out it was all free on how I miss that.

[@SketchUpSchool]

You can access the free web browser based version of SketchUp here: app.sketchup.com/app?hl=en

[@williamshultz4620]

I miss being able to use sandbox tools on the former free versions of sketchup. Too bad things like this have to change.

[@roadstwotravel1539]

greed

[@susanl3136]

I currently use an old sketch up free version. If I upgrade to sketchup Pro, will those files transfer so that I can continue working on them. Or would I be starting from scratch? Thanks

[@SketchUpSchool]

Yes, you can use SketchUp Pro to open models you built in the free version.

[@phknutson]

Would I be able to access models built in the free version (want to model 5-6 buildings) after purchasing the pro version?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Yes, you can use SketchUp Pro to open models you built in the free version.

[@erikbeale5160]

Pro, only way togo...thanks!

[@SketchUpSchool]

You're welcome!

[@Liv_Porro]

Hey, great video, I think I'm going for pro but, I need to know does the Pro Version comes with V-Ray or do I have to pay for V-Ray apart?

[@SketchUpSchool]

V-Ray doesn't come with SketchUp Pro - it comes with a version of SketchUp called SketchUp Studio... but I recommend just getting SketchUp Pro and then going to the V-Ray for SketchUp website and getting it separately (www.chaos.com/vray/sketchup)

[@wojt3387]

Is it legal to use Sketchup Free drawings for KZbin videos, or would that be considered commercial use? Thank you.

[@SketchUpSchool]

We're not sure. Probably best to ask the folks at SketchUp directly. www.sketchup.com/contact-us

[@Tokamak_9]

Rhino FTW!

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad Rhino is working well for you!

[@markwinter356]

Really good class! I just got Sketchup Shop as I am a hobbyist woodworker. The one thing that I cannot seem to do is generate cut lists or even a list of components with dimensions. Can I do this with Shop, or do I need Pro. Thanks!

[@SketchUpSchool]

You would need to use SketchUp Pro to be able to generate cut lists (you would need to add an Extension to do that)

[@uragonkadi356]

Is it additional cost to have this extension?

[@laurylavoie9633]

Open Cutlist is a great, easy to use extension, and its a free extension

[@greengateacreshomestead4324]

Can I still use the Pro after 1 year without a new subscription?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Unfortunately, no.

[@louisvelho9855]

Hi, I just lost my SketchUp up Free. How can I retrieve it. I'm on a Mac. Louis

[@SketchUpSchool]

You can access SketchUp Free here: app.sketchup.com/app?hl=en

[@Waters-fo6rn]

Can I use Sketchup with my Huawei Pro 12.6 tablet?

[@SketchUpSchool]

SketchUp Go is only available for iPad at the moment, so it can't be used on other tablets.

[@-ese.soy.yo-]

Is it possible to use DINAMIC components in the 3D warehouse of the free version?

[@SketchUpSchool]

No, you can't use Dynamic Components in the free version as they require the use of an additional toolset which works the same as an extension - and extensions can only be used in the desktop version SketchUp Pro.

[@peterc2248]

Is there a non web app alternative that isn't subscription?

[@SketchUpSchool]

No, there is only the web-based SketchUp Free (which is Free)... all of the other options are subscriptions.

[@GustavoOliveira-uv7fc]

Can I render on the free version?

[@SketchUpSchool]

No, you can't create renderings using the free, web-based version of SketchUp. You need SketchUp Pro in order to add a realistic rendering extension.

[@c4arla]

extensions can't be used on laptops?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Extensions can be used on laptops if you are using SketchUp Pro.

[@Rivershield]

You didn't mention whether sketchup shop can be used commercially or not.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Yes, SketchUp Shop can be used commercially

[@Rivershield]

@@SketchUpSchool thank you!

[@Rivershield]

@@SketchUpSchool I'm sorry to bother you again, but do I need to put a disclaimer saying that some models were downloaded from the warehouse? In case I'm using them to compose a comic brackground, for example

[@kemoralandscapes7197]

How many users per SketchUp PRO?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Each SketchUp Pro license is for a single user.

[@garethcarberry7516]

😢 I need extensions for cutting lists but can't afford the pro for the amount of work I do on the program. Shame there is no pay per extension.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Unfortunately, we're not aware of a workaround to help with your situation :(

[@RobyWanKenobi]

What about sketchup go?

[@aabrothers29]

I have sketchp go what is this means?

[@SketchUpSchool]

SketchUp Go gives you access to the web-based version of SketchUp and also SketchUp for iPad. It doesn't include the desktop version SketchUp Pro.

[@MrChiWawa.71]

why do i only have commercial SKP plans available ?

[@SketchUpSchool]

SketchUp Free is a web application. To launch it, go here: app.sketchup.com/app?hl=en

[@smu7373]

Hello! What is the name of the plugin at 5:56 ?

[@SketchUpSchool]

If you are talking about the extension being used on the triangle-shaped, shade structure - that's Soap Skin and Bubble.

[@christopherjones9487]

is sketchup shop now sketchup go?

[@SketchUpSchool]

Yes, SketchUp Shop has been renamed SketchUp Go.

[@davidmisconishart2733]

I honestly can't tell if this is a serious video or a 'Saturday Night Live' skit? Is it really possible that people brilliant enough to make such amazing products wind up making them so confusing that it takes a 20+ min. video to even being to explain what's what?

[@garrettglass8854]

Can’t just own it out right??! Lame.

[@keerthimohan6768]

Make a video related to sketchup that is not responding

[@SketchUpSchool]

If you have trouble with SketchUp not responding, email us at [e-mail] and an instructor will try to help.

[@nightshift001]

So, free has less functionality than Fusion 360 free, which is comparable to shop but without subscription.

[@mr_oinkey1785]

Yes lol. Unless you are into real estate or smth like that

[@Bugs1107]

+1 subscriber)

[@SketchUpSchool]

Glad to have you as part of our SketchUp School family!

[@perkrog8310]

Some comments are obviously removed ?????

[@SketchUpSchool]

We haven't removed any...

[@perkrog8310]

@@SketchUpSchool Strange! I wrote a comment about Sketchup Make 2017 and when I later continued to see the rest of your excellent review of the different versions, it was gone.

[@tes28282]

Determination is key, and reframing of tNice tutorialngs you view as complicated.

[@pdep]

Sorry, too much waffle, repetition and words making a complex structure even more opaque. Dare I suggest a (ahem) sketch or plan - a line-linked diagram with speech paragraphs for each part? This presentation is like a machine gun assault when what is needed is well directed sniper shots. Less is often a great deal more when it comes to effective presentation.

[@SketchUpSchool]

Sorry that the video didn't clarify the subject for you. If you still have any unanswered questions related to the topic, an instructor would be happy to help. Please send a message to [e-mail].

[@onzkicg]

Lol 😂 now it’s 2024 and they have new offers again for comparisons 😅

[@gerteriksen1397]

Why is this guy just so annoying to look at and listen to. Why can't he just relax. Otherwise great video

[@guydude4571]

gawd too many f-ing sound effects

[@SketchUpSchool]

Sorry that the sounds weren't working for you. We'll improve on that for future videos.