Comparison

SketchUp vs 3D modeling

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SketchUp

This platform offers intuitive 3D modeling tools for design enthusiasts and professionals. Visualize concepts, create photorealistic visuals, and even use AI to generate design ideas. Scan real-world spaces and view your creations in augmented reality.

Highlights
  • 3D modeling tools
  • Generative AI designs
  • Room planner & space design
  • Photorealistic visuals
  • Scan-to-design
  • Augmented reality (AR) visualization
  • DWG compatibility
Features
Read full description

Experience the world's leading 3D design platform with a free 7-day Go trial! Without a subscription, you can still view 3D projects for free. Go offers essential 3D design tools, including SketchUp for iPad and SketchUp for Web. Created for design enthusiasts, architects, interior designers, contractors, home remodelers, construction professionals, and set designers, our intuitive tools streamline the creative process, allowing you to effortlessly craft 3D models and visualize concepts. Whether you're planning a home renovation, designing interiors, or creating a detailed architectural model, SketchUp helps bring your visions to life through 3D design. Go Features: - Work seamlessly across devices: Create 3D models on your iPad and computer using SketchUp.com. - Generative AI Designs: Harness the power of AI to create stunning visuals for architectural and home designs. Generate images that inspire your creative process and support your design narrative. - Room Planner & Space Design: Experiment with different layouts and design options to find the perfect fit for your space. Model your space with designer fixtures and furniture. - Real-time, realistic visuals: Create stunning photorealistic visuals by integrating environments and customizable real-world materials. - Scan-to-Design: Use our 3D scanning feature to capture real-world spaces, which AI intelligently transforms and organizes into editable 3D models. - Augmented Reality (AR): Visualize your designs in the real world with our AR capabilities. - DWG Compatibility: Import and export DWG files seamlessly, ensuring compatibility with other CAD software. - Import real-world information: Import images to textures, satellite imagery, 3D terrain, 3D buildings, and location information to power your designs with real-world context. Why Go? - Architects & Contractors: Transform your architectural visions into reality with intuitive 3D modeling tools. Quickly visualize and iterate design concepts and present ideas to clients and stakeholders. - Interior Designers & Home Remodelers: Visualize your ideas in 3D and AR, ensuring your designs meet expectations. Use AI image generation to inspire additional finishes and layouts. - Landscape Designer: Plan and visualize outdoor spaces, from planters to parks, with our 3D landscape tools, like real-time shadow studies, geo-locating satellite imagery, and 3D terrain. - DIYer: Whether you're planning a small remodel or a complete home renovation, SketchUp provides the tools you need to design and execute your projects with confidence. Without a subscription: - Switch between perspective and orthographic camera views. - Control the visibility of parts of your model. - Adjust the look and feel of your model by controlling Edge and Face styles, Shadows, Hidden Geometry, Section Planes, and Section Cuts. - Take measurements and get information about edge lengths, the area of faces, the volume of solids, and component and group definitions. - View models in augmented reality. IMPORT/EXPORT -Import: SKP, SKE, SKM, HDR, EXR, PNG, JPG, PDF, DWG, DXF, STL -Export: Images (PNG), Animations (MP4), SKP, USDz, PDF, DWG, DXF, OBJ, STL, MP4 REQUIREMENTS Requires iOS 17 or higher with a minimum of 1024Mb of RAM. For additional info, please visit help.sketchup.com. The AR model viewing feature uses ARKit and is compatible with iPhone 6s and newer, iPad Pro, or any 2017 iPad or newer. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Create 3D designs with a free 7-day Go trial. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account on confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before your subscription expiration date. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before your subscription expiration date. After completing your initial purchase, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renew by visiting your Apple Account Settings.

About

3D modeling

Create 3D models and digital art on your mobile device. Sculpt, sketch, and color your designs with intuitive gesture controls and a comprehensive set of modeling tools. Export your creations in standard formats.

Highlights
  • Gesture-based 3D manipulation
  • Vertex, edge, and face editing tools
  • Sculpting and coloring capabilities
  • UV editor for texture placement
  • Material application
  • OBJ file import/export
  • Video tutorials for all tools
Features
Read full description

3D Modeling App lets you easily design 3D content on the go using gestures on iPhone or iPad. No need to use the Apple Pencil, but you can, if you want to. Tons of features: 1. Fast workflow: - Move, Rotate, Scale objects and camera by gestures switching between them on the go. - Easily multi-select Vertices, Edges, Faces and Objects by long tap or frame draw. 2. Vertex tools: Merge (Target merge, Collapse Edges, Collapse Faces), Connect, Create face by vertices. 3. Edge tools: Draw cut by single swipe or by set point by point, Cut loop (create new edge-loops), Select loop (also by double tap), Extrude, Delete, Select ring, Create face by border edge (fill the hole). 4. Face tools: Extrude, Draw face by set points, Detach, Clone, Select shell, Reverse, Delete. 5. Object tools: Combine, Separate, Clone, Mirror, Smooth, Divide, Soft/hard normals. 6. Sculpting tools: Move, Screen, Push, Pull, Smooth. You can adjust brush size and strength. 7. Colouring tools: - Paint textures. - Edit texture placement using UV editor. - Vertex color painting. 8. Display tools: - Grid with settable size and snapping value. - Display info: Triangles count, Distance between vertices, Edge length. - Wireframe on shaded on/off. - Shadows on/off. - Axis on/off. 9. 20 materials can be applied to your objects. 10. Additional tools: - Orthographic camera. - Set Move, Rotate and Scale precise values. - Display selected (Isolate selection). - Grow selection and convert selection. - Move Vertices, Edges, Faces and Objects freely without grid snap. - Snap. - Auto-save. 11. Export & import .obj files. 12. Video tutorial for every tool. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SketchUp4 screens
3D modeling4 screens

Verdict

The call

SketchUp and 3D modeling both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of 3D modeling's written reviews are positive against 37% of SketchUp's. 3D modeling also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). SketchUp's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SketchUp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and 3D modeling sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for SketchUp against 4.6 for 3D modeling. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18K and 15K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of SketchUp's written reviews are positive against 68% of 3D modeling's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SketchUp ships an update every 3 weeks, 3D modeling every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
SketchUp versus 3D modeling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSketchUp3D modeling
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (18K ratings)4.6 (15K ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.0% of reviews68.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K — better15K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#109#100 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size695 MB116 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTrimble Inc.Core five, Inc.

Customer experience

SketchUp

All ratings17,929 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews1,678 reviews
Positive37.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative56.6%

3D modeling

All ratings14,155 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral5.5%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews1,252 reviews
Positive68.1%
Neutral10.8%
Negative21.1%

User reviews

SketchUp

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great potential
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🚀 Powerful and capable
  • 👍 Excellent for designers, engineers, and contractors
  • 👍 Smooth performance and rendering

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Requires paid subscription
  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Limited functionality in free version
  • 🔒 Expensive for casual users
  • 🔒 Complicated navigation and UI

3D modeling

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 💡 Helpful tutorials
  • 🎨 Good modeling tools
  • 🎨 Intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Exporting locked behind paywall
  • 🔒 Subscription model
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Unclear file management
  • 🔍 Confusing controls

Bugs and requests

SketchUp

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login and account creation problems
  • Crashes and freezes when opening large models
  • Inability to hide/unhide components
  • Inconsistent behavior with Apple Pencil
  • Outdated model not updating properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • 2D drawing and 3D model integration
  • More intuitive navigation and controls
  • Improved file management and syncing
  • Offline mode and reduced dependency on internet
  • Affordable pricing options for casual users

3D modeling

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Painting issues with textures
  • Inconsistent scaling behavior
  • Reference images disappearing
  • Inability to delete objects

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add layer management
  • Improve UV mapping tools
  • Implement lighting controls
  • Allow importing custom models
  • Add mirror/symmetry mode

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SketchUp

Subscriptions3
  • SketchUp AI Monthly$11.991 Month
  • SketchUp Go Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • SketchUp Go Yearly7 Days trial$129.001 Year
6 purchases

3D modeling

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Monthly Pro$6.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Premium Yearly$34.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro$39.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is SketchUp free?
SketchUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 3D modeling free?
3D modeling is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SketchUp or 3D modeling?
3D modeling is rated higher. SketchUp averages 4.5 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while 3D modeling averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.
Do SketchUp or 3D modeling have ads?
Neither SketchUp nor 3D modeling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SketchUp or 3D modeling?
SketchUp ships an update every 3 weeks, and 3D modeling every 2 months. Most recently, SketchUp was updated on November 6, 2026 and 3D modeling on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, SketchUp or 3D modeling?
SketchUp currently peaks at #109 in the App Store charts, and 3D modeling at #100. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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